Robinson, Maxie Cleveland Jr.
1939-1988 · Contribution: 1959-1985
Broadcast journalist; anchor
Became, in 1978, the first African American to anchor a nightly network newscast, co-anchoring ABC's “World News Tonight” from Chicago alongside Frank Reynolds and Peter Jennings, and co-founded the National Association of Black Journalists in 1975
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1939, Richmond, Virginia
- Active since
- 1959
- Category
- Press & Photography
- Best known for
- First African American to anchor a nightly network newscast
Impact on the world
Robinson shattered the ultimate barrier in network news and used the platform to criticize the 'crooked mirror' through which media portrayed Black communities, a stance that cost him but changed the profession.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Book or scholarly workFind
Encyclopædia Britannica
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