Carol Randolph, a television host of morning and public-affairs programs targeting African American viewers in the Washington TV market, passed away on August 5 at the age of 82 in her home in the District. The cause of her death was carcinoid cancer, a form of neuroendocrine cancer, according to her daughter, Jennifer Randolph.
Originally a high school biology teacher in St. Louis, Ms. Randolph relocated to Washington in 1967 to work as an education specialist for an anti-poverty initiative called the United Planning Organization. Prior to her career in TV, she also assisted in managing a program aimed at helping the unemployed. It was through a dare from friends, who were tired of hearing her critique television broadcasting, that she ventured into the field.
“I believed that television had the potential to do more to assist such individuals,” she later expressed to the Washington Times.
With her calm demeanor and effective communication skills honed by years of teaching, she successfully auditioned to co-host a community affairs show called “Harambee” on the city’s CBS affiliate, at the time known as WTOP.
“Harambee,” derived from the Swahili word meaning brotherhood unity or building together, was one of the few hour-long daily programs specifically catered to a Black audience in a major market. Despite limited funds, an inexperienced team, and at times unsupportive management, “Harambee” faced challenges to sustain itself.
In Ms. Randolph’s words at the time, “The cooking segment showcased affordable and nutritious recipes to provide meal variety for low-income individuals. Most of the recipes were my own creations or those of my friends. I even had to hurriedly change outfits after the exercise segment to make it to the next scene.”
Ms. Randolph was let go in the summer of 1971, supposedly due to budget constraints. However, representatives from Black community organizations protested and picketed outside the station until she was reinstated. As a result, “Harambee” underwent improvements, including the construction of their first proper set, and the programming segments became more ambitious.
WTOP received a Peabody Award for institutional excellence in 1975, with notable recognition for “Harambee” and another public-affairs show co-hosted by Ms. Randolph called “Everywoman.”
The Peabody citation commended both programs for boldly exploring topics that were often considered off-limits in broadcasting, such as a “Harambee” report on minority hiring practices at The Washington Post and an “Everywoman” segment on advancements in medical technology and doctors’ improved ability to examine women’s bodies.
On Channel 9 (later WDVM and now WUSA), Ms. Randolph amassed a modest yet dedicated audience. Her talk show “Morning Break” covered a wide range of topics, tackling serious issues like physical abuse, teen pregnancy, and divorce, while also featuring lighter segments on questionable fashion trends, such as Chinese lantern shorts, and the alleged benefits of a cucumber mash facial.
Station executives remained concerned about her ratings and made various changes to the format, time slots, and duration of her show. Eventually, they canceled her last talk program, “The Carol Randolph Show,” in 1986 and replaced it with the syndicated “Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Carol Louise Davis, born on February 10, 1941, in St. Louis, was the daughter of school teachers. She grew up in Pagedale, Mo., and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Fisk University in Nashville, a historically Black institution, in 1962. She later earned a master’s degree in science education from Washington University in St. Louis in 1965.
Following the end of her first marriage, Carol Randolph married Frank “Jake” Jasmine, with whom she spent 40 years before his death in 2020. Besides her daughter Jennifer Randolph from her first marriage, she is survived by stepson Jonathan Jasmine of San Francisco, two brothers, and three granddaughters.
After leaving Washington’s television scene, she contributed to the Washington Times as a columnist, worked in various legal roles, appeared on and hosted legal shows on Court TV, and handled strategic communications for the construction firm Miller & Long.
In her debut column for the Washington Times in 1987, she articulated the driving forces in her life, stating, “What I had and still possess is an insatiable curiosity for the new and different, along with an unwavering love and appreciation for this city and its people.”
