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.

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Metaphysician & Master Herbalist Doctah B will explain the importance of next week's Autumn Equinox.

Egyptologist Tony Browder will return to our classroom to discuss the All African Diaspora Education Summit in Ghana.

Author Neely Fuller Jr. will explain why we need a code. The technique is key to solving the system of Racism/White Supremacy.

Members of the Missippi Rapid Response Coalition update us on the water crisis in Jackson, MS. The predominately Black town has been without drinking water for weeks.

Baba Lumumba will examine The Black Freedom Movement. Before Baba Lumumba, Black Women For Positive Changes,' Dr. Stephaine Meyrs previews the group's Voter Registration Drive & Month of Non-Violence.

Mult-talented researcher Keidi Awadu returns to our classroom and will outline some important financial moves we should be making as we begin the final quarter of 2022.

Morgan State University Professor Dr. Ray Winbush will examine if the student Loan payoff and Donald Trump's legal problems will impact the fall elections and more.

Griot Dr. Leonard Jeffries will explain why the fight for the African mind is intensifying & M'Bwebe Ishangi talks latest book on intergenerational Wealth for Blacks

Garveyites Akili Malik Nkrumah & Senghor Baye discuss Wednesday's signing decree exonerating the Honorable Marcus Garvey.