Max Robinson

Max Robinson (May 1, 1939 - December 20, 1988) was a television journalist in the United States, and is best known for being the only African American network news anchor in the country. He was also a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists. Image File history File links MaxRobinson. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan and West Africa. ... The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), was founded in 1975 by 44 men and women in Washington, D.C. Headquartered at the University of Maryland, College Park and with 3300 members, it is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation. ...

Robinson began his television career in 1959, when he was hired for a news job in Portsmouth, VA. He had to read the news while hidden behind a slide of the station's logo. One night, Robinson had the slide removed, and was fired the next day. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Portsmouth is an independent city located in Virginia. ...

He later went to Washington, D.C. based WRC-TV, and stayed for three years, winning six journalism awards for coverage of civil rights events such as the riots that followed the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. WRC-TV, NBC4 is an NBC owned and operated broadcast television station in Washington, DC. Owned by NBC Universal, the station broadcasts its analog signal on channel 4 and its digital television signal on channel 48. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Martin Luther King Jr. ...

In 1969, Robinson joined the Eyewitness News team at WTOP-TV (now WUSA-TV) in Washington, D.C. He was teamed with anchor Gordon Peterson, and the newscast took off. During that time, he so well liked by viewers, that when Hanafi Muslims took hostages at a Washington Mosque, they would only speak with Robinson. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... Eyewitness News is a local television newscast format, widely used in different markets across the United States. ... W*USA-TV is a television station affiliated with the CBS network, broadcasting on channel 9 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. ... Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. ... This article appears to contradict itself. ...

Robinson was tapped by Roone Arledge to become the Chicago-based co-anchor of ABC World News Tonight in 1978 after Arledge had seen Robinson in a documentary on CBS' 60 Minutes. He served in that position until 1983, when ABC abandoned the multiple anchor format following the death of Frank Reynolds. Roone Arledge (July 8, 1931 – December 5, 2002) was an American sports broadcasting pioneer who was chairman of ABC News from 1977 until his death. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... World News Tonight Logo in 2005 ABC World News Tonight (often abbreviated as WNT) is the ABC television networks flagship evening news program. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... The ticking TAG Heuer stopwatch from 60 Minutes. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Frank Reynolds (November 29, 1923 – July 20, 1983), was a TV journalist for ABC. He served in the United States army but is best remembered as anchor of the ABC Evening News (now World News Tonight) from 1968 to 1970. ...

Robinson's ABC tenure was marked by conflicts between him and the management of ABC News over viewpoints and the portrayal of black America in the news. In addition, he was known by his co-workers to show up late for work or sometimes not show up at all, along with his moods, and his use of alcohol escalated. In addition, Robinson was known to fight racism at any turn and often felt unworthy of the admiration he received and was not pleased with what he had accomplished. He was often considered a mentor to young black broadcast journalists.

By the time Robinson departed ABC News to become the first black anchor at Chicago's WMAQ-TV in 1984, he had been relegated to the weekend news and news briefs. Robinson would not last at WMAQ, leaving the station in 1985. WMAQ-TV, NBC5 Chicago, is the NBC owned and operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the fall of 1988, Robinson was in Washington to deliver a speech at Howard University's School of Journalism when he became increasingly ill. Robinson checked himself into Howard University Hospital where he died of AIDS on December 20, 1988. Robinson had been found to have the disease while he was hospitalized for pneumonia in an Illinois hospital, but kept it a secret. The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is defined as a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the depletion of the immune system caused... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the microscopic, air-filled sacs (alveoli) responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Official languages English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Senators Richard Durbin (D) Barack Obama (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 4. ...

At his service, he was eulogized by the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. ...

Robinson was married three times and had four children. He was a brother to Randall Robinson. Randall Robinson (born 6 July 1941, Richmond, Virginia) is an African-American lawyer, author and activist. ...

External links

• Africanpubs Biography

• Biography for Max Robinson (II)