[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16906]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                         TRIBUTE TO KOJO NNAMDI

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 12, 2013

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me 
in recognizing Kojo Nnamdi for his outstanding contributions to 
journalism in the District of Columbia and the national capital region, 
and in congratulating him on the occasion of his 15th anniversary at 
WAMU 88.5, the leading public radio station serving D.C., Maryland and 
Virginia.
  For more than four decades, Kojo Nnamdi has been a source for issues 
of importance and of interest that has made him a fixture on the 
airwaves in the Washington region, on radio and television. Born in 
Guyana, South America, Kojo has been one of us in the District since 
1969, when he came here to develop an independent Black curriculum for 
the Center for Black Education. Kojo soon began putting on radio plays, 
and then doing radio news at WHUR radio, where he was news editor, news 
reporter, and became news director. In 1985, Kojo moved to public 
television at Howard University Television, where he became a master of 
hosting a great variety of guests on many subjects on Evening Exchange 
for more than 20 years. In 1998, Kojo joined WAMU 88.5 as a host of a 
show called Public Interest. The show soon took on his distinctive 
name, along with his distinctive voice.
  Since joining WAMU 88.5, Kojo has brought the Kojo Nnamdi Show into 
communities across our region, documenting transformations and 
educating residents about the issues that span the interests and 
concerns of the region. His show casts a broad net, covering politics, 
culture, the arts, and education. His interviews and live debates among 
candidates, and always probing and informed questions, have helped hold 
elected leaders accountable. While covering national and international 
concerns alike, Kojo never forgets where he lives and the struggle of 
the residents of the District of Columbia for full voting rights, 
budget autonomy, and statehood.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Kojo Nnamdi 
and the entire team at the Kojo Nnamdi Show for their 15 years of 
outstanding service to the field of journalism and to the residents of 
the District of Columbia and the national capital region.

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