Simpson, Carole Estelle
1940-present · Contribution: 1965-2006
Broadcast journalist; anchor
Became the first African American woman to anchor a major U.S. network newscast when NBC News hired her as a correspondent in 1975, and, after 15 years anchoring ABC’s World News Tonight weekend edition, became in 1992 the first woman and first person of color to serve as sole moderator of a U.S. presidential debate

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1940, Chicago, Illinois
- Active since
- 1965
- Category
- Press & Photography
- Best known for
- First woman and first person of color to solo-moderate a U.S. presidential debate
Impact on the world
Simpson broke a series of firsts, in Chicago radio, in local and network anchoring, and on the presidential debate stage, opening broadcast journalism's highest platforms to women and people of color.
Sources
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1 more sources and references are available to members.
Related visionaries
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Robinson, Maxie Cleveland Jr.
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