About Carl Nelson

The Carl Nelson Show Launched Mon-Fri 4-7pm on WOL-AM 1450 February 6th 2012 in the nations capital. Ground-breaking, Peabody Award-winning broadcast news journalist Carl Nelson, has interviewed Presidents, Prime Ministers, Heads of State, politicians, authors, celebrities, civic leaders and people from all walks of life over a four-decade career that has taken him from Nelson Mandela’s prison cell in South Africa, to the Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles, to his present career as host of Washington DC’s latest daily newsmaker radio program, The Carl Nelson Show, a 3-hour daily news program on Radio One’s flagship radio station WOL-1450 AM.

Carl Nelson was the first reporter allowed to interview Nelson Mandela on the eve of his historic 1991 release from his South African prison and, as News Director for Stevie Wonder’s KJLH Radio, was the only news reporter allowed across police lines during the 1991 Rodney King riots. KJLH’s acclaimed coverage of this civic unrest garnered KJLH the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, an NAACP Image Award, a Golden Mike Award, the Los Angeles Press Club Award and several other industry-wide awards.

Nelson began his broadcasting career in 1971 at WYNT Radio in New York City. In 1974, he was recruited by Inner City Broadcasting Company, owners of WLIB Radio and WBLS Radio. After stints at several radio stations in Los Angeles, Nelson was named News Director of Stevie Wonder’s KJLH Radio, a position he held for a quarter of a century (1980-2005). In addition to his managerial responsibilities, Nelson was deeply involved in Wonder’s Bid to make Dr. Martin Luther Kings’ birthday a national holiday, he was also led in the station’s critically-acclaimed coverage of local, regional and national politics, breaking news and national events, including coverage of all the US political conventions.

Nelson has interviewed former US President Ronald Reagan, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former South Africa Premiere Peter Botha, Zambia’s first

President Kenneth Kaunda, Namibia’s Former President Sam Nujoma, current South African President Jacob Zuma, dozens of US political leaders including former US presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson, Senator Edward Kennedy, Representatives Maxine Waters, John Conyers and Diane Watson, Julian Bond, Andrew Young, TD Jakes, and Rev. Al Sharpton, among many others.

Nelson’s celebrity interviews include: Elizabeth Taylor, Oprah, Michael Jackson, Prince, Sidney Poitier, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Redd Foxx, Luther Van Dross, Quincy Jones Berry Gordy, Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali, O.J Simpson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar Richard Pryor and Nancy Wilson, to name but a few

In 1996, The Black Radio Exclusive Magazine named Carl News Director of the Year. Nelson is a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Radio Television News Directors Association and the Black Journalists Association. Formerly the co-owner of WSRF AM radio in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Nelson sits on the President’s Advisory Board at St. Thomas University, Miami, FL.

Doctor of Clinical Psychology Jerome E Fox and Professor James Small join The Carl Nelson Show to close out Black History Month

Futuristic Researcher Sadiki Bakari, Holistic Doctor Heru and Baltimore's Michael Johnson from Black Men Unifying Black Men join The Carl Nelson Show

Civil Rights Activist Willie Mukasa Ricks kicks off our Black Liberation weekend on Thursday morning. Brother Mukasa is credited with coining the term Black Power. Brother Mukasa was also the co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, SNCC. Before we hear from Brother Mukasa, History Professor Dr. Walter Williams will take over our classroom.

Griot Baba Lumumba takes over our classroom on Wednesday morning. Baba Lumumba always provides some thought-provoking topics for discussion. This time around, Baba Lumumba using Clarence Thomas, will explain how a Black person can actively & deliberately work against the interest of his people.

The Chairman of the African Peoples Socialist Party Speaks! Chairman Omali Yeshitela, & two members of his group will respond to the Federal Indictments they are facing. Before we hear from the trio. Reparations Activist Cliff Pruitt outlines his group's Reparations Plan. Before Brother Cliff, an Educational Panel, share why our children fail in school. Dr. Elwood Gray will also explain the problems of random shootings in Urban America.

Contra Costa College Professor Manu Ampin returns to our classroom on Monday morning. Dr. Ampin will feature The State of African Cultural Heritage in Sudan. Professor Ampin is the man who detected that The Willie Lynch Letter was a fake. Before we hear from Professor Ampin, Political Blogger Brandon will check-in. Brandon will preview the fight to increase the debt ceiling. Brandon will also look at the Presidential Race with Tim Scott & Ron DeSantis to bow in this week.

Baltimore Criminal Defense attorney Dwight Pettit, attorney Roslyn Coates and NOI journalist Richard Muhammad join The Carl Nelson Show...

Baba Lumumba will scrutinize the slogan Black Lives Matter. Plus Dr. Connie Graves & Eleni Tsigas will discuss Black Maternal Health...

Dr. Maulana Karenga will discuss the banning of Black History books plus more. Also Blogger Brandon & DC journalist Sam P K Collins join the show...

Kemetologist Tony BrowderKemetologist Tony Browder will expound on the term, Agotology, the study of culturally induced ignorance plus more...