Sandra_lee_schubert

Melba Tolliver knows a thing or two about African-American firsts. She was the first black person ever to anchor a network news program. The year was Marchl of 1967, and the news staff at ABC network was on strike. Network executives drafted Melba as the replacement on the Marlene Sanders show News With The Womans Touch. That was just the beginning of a long list of firsts for Melba Tolliver. It was also the beginning a illustrious career in broadcast journalism. Four years after her career launch as the accidental anchorwoman, Melba was assigned to cover the White House Rose Garden Wedding of Tricia Nixon. However, when she showed up in Washington, D.C. with her hair in an Afro instead of her usual straightened style, the brass as WABC temporarily took her off the air. It was time when African Americans were redefining who they were, and Melbas hairdo was another turning point. Never one to knowingly leave a stone unturned or an opportunity on the table, thats Melba's voice you hear on Gimme Me