When Felesha (Townes) Love ’86 first walked through the doors of KCLC, Lindenwood’s student-run radio station, she was looking for a quiet work-study job behind a desk. Instead, she was handed a microphone and told to go live. That unexpected moment launched what would become a trailblazing career as a radio personality, author, and educator.
A first-generation college student who transferred to Lindenwood from junior college, Love was still discovering her path. On her first day at KCLC, former Dean of Communication Jim Wilson overheard her answering a phone call. He ran from his office and told her, “you don’t belong here. You belong on air.” The next day, she was behind the microphone.
Recalling her first broadcast, Love said she was “terrified of the microphone,” but called it “a perfect ground-level experience” that prepared her for a professional career.
Beyond her initial broadcast experience, Lindenwood’s communications faculty helped Love secure internships at prominent St. Louis stations, laying the groundwork for her first professional opportunity.
After graduating, Love was recruited to Cincinnati’s The Wiz as music director and on-air talent. Still in her twenties, she stepped into a leadership role at a time when women were rarely represented in management. She later transitioned to the city’s top-rated station before being offered an opportunity to move to Atlanta, which was emerging as one of the nation’s most influential music and radio markets. Over the next decade, Love became a fixture in the city’s growing broadcast scene. She worked alongside a young Ryan Seacrest and hired an intern for her morning show who would later record under the name Ludacris.
Reflecting on her own personal and physical challenges, Love chose to focus her career on wellness and education. She earned multiple certifications, launched her own company, and completed her MBA while serving as a faculty member at Spelman College. There, she developed courses, authored her first book, and mentored students.
In 2016, Love became director of development for the National Black Radio Hall of Fame and quickly recognized how many pioneering voices had never been formally documented. What began as a simple hashtag, #BlackWomenInRadio, grew into a national archival effort. Love conducted more than 120 hours of interviews with pioneers spanning the 1940s to today. The project gained national recognition, and Black Women in Radio became an affiliate of the Library of Congress. Love was invited to present her work at the Library and received an invitation to the White House from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
For Love, the archive represents more than professional achievement. It is about giving a voice to those whose contributions were often overlooked. “It is my legacy,” said Love. “It is the highlight of my career, my joy in being in the industry, and my joy in sharing common stories with all these people that are in the collection.”
Decades after that first unexpected moment behind the microphone at KCLC, Love continues to amplify the voices of others. The encouragement she received at Lindenwood became her foundation. From that foundation, Love was prepared to meet the challenges of a trailblazing career. She offers the advice, “when that opportunity comes along, be ready to take all of the skills that you’ve learned in the past and succeed.” That mindset, rooted in her experience at Lindenwood, has guided her career ever since. Today, whether through broadcasting, teaching, or preserving history, Love remains committed to ensuring others are heard.