Holt, Lester Don Jr.

1959-present · Contribution: 1981-present

Broadcast journalist; anchor

Became the first African American to solo anchor a major U.S. network’s weekday evening newscast when he took over NBC Nightly News in 2015, a post he held for a decade before moving to lead Dateline NBC full-time

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Press & Photography

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Quick facts

Born
1959, Marin County, California
Active since
1981
Category
Press & Photography
Best known for
First Black solo anchor of a major network weekday evening newscast

Impact on the world

Holt became the fourth solo anchor of the storied NBC Nightly News franchise, and its first Black one, carrying a measured, trusted authority to the largest nightly news audience in the country.

An alternative history

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Sources

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