Kojo Nnamdi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kojo Nnamdi
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Nnamdi in 2010
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| Born |
Rex Orville Montague Paul
January 8, 1945 |
| Alma mater | University of the District of Columbia |
| Career | |
| Show | The Kojo Nnamdi Show and The Politics Hour – (WAMU) Evening Exchange – (WHUT) |
| Station(s) | WAMU (radio) WHUT (television) |
| Country | United States |
Kojo Nnamdi, born Rex Orville Montague Paul on January 8, 1945, is a well-known radio journalist from Washington, D.C.. He was born in Guyana and later moved to the United States. He hosts The Politics Hour on WAMU radio. He also hosted The Kojo Nnamdi Show and a TV show called Evening Exchange for many years.
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Kojo Nnamdi's Early Life and Education
Kojo Nnamdi was born in British Guiana (which is now Guyana) in 1945. When he was a high school student, he and his friends wanted their country to be independent from British rule. This was different from what their parents thought.
In 1967, after Guyana became independent, Nnamdi moved to Montreal, Canada. He went to McGill University. His mother had secretly saved money and applied for him to go to college. While at McGill, Nnamdi became interested in the Black Power movement. This movement supported the rights and pride of Black people.
After a year, Nnamdi moved to Brooklyn, New York City. He worked on Wall Street and joined the Black Panther Party. This group worked for civil rights and social justice for Black Americans. Nnamdi was looking for a group that supported Black people and their connection to Africa. The Black Panthers, however, were working with people of all races for a fairer America.
In 1969, Nnamdi moved to Washington, D.C.. He enrolled in Federal City College, which is now the University of the District of Columbia. While there, he helped create the Center for Black Education.
Kojo Nnamdi's Broadcasting Career
Starting in Radio (1969–1985)
Kojo Nnamdi began his radio career in 1969. He started as an actor and director for children's plays. These plays were broadcast on Sundays on a Washington rhythm and blues radio station called WOL.
In 1970, Nnamdi became an editor for Sauti. This was a news program on WOL. He used the on-air name "Brother Uwezo." After he got married in 1971, he chose the name Kojo Nnamdi. He said it was an "African Christian name and surname that made more sense." "Kojo" is an Akan name for "Monday," and "Nnamdi" is after Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of Nigeria.
In 1973, Nnamdi became a news editor at WHUR. This is the radio station of Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington. He later became the news director. Nnamdi helped produce The Daily Drum, a local news program.
Hosting Evening Exchange (1985–2011)
Nnamdi left WHUR in 1985. He joined Howard's television station WHMM (which later became WHUT). He became the host of Evening Exchange. This was a show that discussed important public topics. Nnamdi hosted Evening Exchange until 2011.
On June 13, 1990, Evening Exchange had its highest number of viewers. This happened when a local leader made an important announcement on the show.
The Kojo Nnamdi Show and The Politics Hour (1998–Present)
On August 31, 1998, Nnamdi became the host of Public Interest. This show was on Washington's public radio station WAMU. The show had been called The Derek McGinty Show before. In January 1998, the previous host, Derek McGinty, left WAMU.
Public Interest was a two-hour program. One hour focused on local issues and was only on WAMU. The other hour talked about national topics and was shared by National Public Radio (NPR) with about 40 other stations. On September 30, 2002, Public Interest was renamed The Kojo Nnamdi Show. It stopped being shared nationally.
On Fridays, Nnamdi hosts The Politics Hour. This show covers political issues and events in the Washington, D.C. area. It also includes nearby parts of Maryland and Virginia. Before May 2008, the show was called The D.C. Politics Hour. It focused only on politics in the D.C. area. The show was renamed The Politics Hour in May 2008.
Every Tuesday, the first part of The Kojo Nnamdi Show was a segment called Tech Tuesday. This segment helped listeners stay updated on computer and technology issues. For many years, the first Tuesday of the month featured "The Computer Guys."
On April 1, 2021, Kojo Nnamdi ended his daily program. However, The Politics Hour continues to air on Fridays.
