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.

Pan Africanist & Reparation Activist, Dr. David Horne checks in to discuss African Liberation Day.

Futuristic researcher, Sadiki Bakri explains how the future of racism will evolve in AI, Artificial Intelligence, and Algorithms.

A comprehensive look into the life and times of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X.

The president of the National Black Farmers Association, John Boyd updates us on the bailouts being handed out by the Trump Administration to farmers.

Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's mentor, Neely Fuller Jr. returns with another episode of his tome on Racism/White Supremacy.

Omali Yeshitela weighs-in on the coronavirus and its effects on the African Community.

Morgan State Professor, Dr. Ray Winbush checks in to discuss the fallout from the coronavirus. Dr. Winbush will look at how the virus is affecting the country's economic, political, and social structures. Dr. Winbush will also compare the demonstrators calling for the country to reopen, while at the same time ignoring the spreading of the pandemic.

Harvard trained scientist, Dr. Leonard Horowitz provides an update on the coronavirus. Dr. Horowitz will look at the possibilities that the virus may rebound, & the various treatments for the virus.

  \Egyptian Scholar, Dr. Charles Finch checks in to explain how our ancestors created mathematics and science. Dr. Finch has conducted independent studies in African antiquities, comparative religion, anthropology, and ancient science since 1971. Before we get to Dr. Finch we will look at the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, the two white men videotaped […]

Educator & Griot, Dr. Kabe Kamane (Booker T Coleman) discusses his book, “Spirituality Before Religions.” Dr. Kamane will explain how our ancestors’ process death, births, prayer, marriage, music, personal problems & more. Dr. Kamane will also examine the writings in the Bible and discuss if stories in the book are about Black people. In addition, […]