News anchor Max Robinson to be honored at special panel discussion
The lasting legacy of Max Robinson, the late, history-making news anchor, is the subject of a free panel next Wednesday
“Max Robinson was very loved in the D.C. community,” says Abby Fenton, chief external affairs officer for Whitman-Walker Health. “He was somebody people looked up to and saw as a real pioneer.”
Over the course of two decades, Robinson was a well-known television fixture, working as a reporter for D.C.’s NBC affiliate, and later as a local news anchor for the CBS. In 1978, he was hired as a co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, where he made history as the first African-American anchor of a national news program.
A founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Robinson won two Emmys for The Other Washington, a news documentary chronicling the lives of African-American residents in D.C.’s Anacostia neighborhood. He died in December of 1988, of complications from HIV/AIDS.
In memory of Robinson, and in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Southeast D.C. health center that bears his name, Whitman-Walker Health and PNC Bank will host a panel discussion on his legacy at the Lincoln Theatre next Wednesday morning, Feb. 21.
The panel, moderated by Robinson’s CBS co-anchor Gordon Peterson, will feature remarks from network colleagues Maureen Bunyan and Bruce Johnson, Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune, and Mark Robinson, Max’s son, who works for the Montgomery County Sentinel.
“I’m really interested to hear the perspective of my dad’s colleagues who were in journalism at the time,” says Mark Robinson. “They will be able to convey a wealth of knowledge about the impact my dad had on journalism. I want people to remember him in context with the history of broadcast journalism, and his place in it.”
Pioneers of Black Journalism: Honoring the Legacy of Max Robinson is Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 8-11 a.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW.
A light breakfast will be served at 8 a.m., with the panel discussion starting at 9 a.m. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees must RSVP by emailing events@whitman-walker.org or calling 202-204-5531.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.