Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson
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Monica Pearson and her husband, John Pearson, at 2016 Peabody Awards
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| Born |
Monica Jones
October 20, 1947 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1975–2012 |
| Known for | Anchor for Channel 2 Action News at five for WSB-TV |
| Spouse(s) |
John E. Pearson Sr.
(m. 2005) |
Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson (born October 20, 1947) is a famous American journalist and news anchor. She started her career in Louisville, Kentucky, working as a reporter and anchor for WHAS-TV. She also wrote for the Louisville Times newspaper. In 1975, Monica Pearson moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, she made history at WSB-TV by becoming the first woman and first African-American to anchor the evening news.
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Early Life and School
Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 20, 1947. She went to Catholic schools as a child. Her mother, Hattie Wallace Jones Edmondson, worked at the Louisville Post Office. She was one of the first African-American women to work there.
High School and Early Jobs
While in high school, Monica Pearson worked at local radio stations owned by Black people. She would read prayers and do voiceovers for religious shows. She finished high school at Presentation Academy in 1965.
College Education
Pearson earned her first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in English from the University of Louisville. She also attended a special summer program for minority students at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Later, in 2014, Pearson earned a master's degree in Mass Communication. She got this degree from the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Monica Pearson's Career
Monica Pearson's career began in Louisville. She worked in public relations for Brown Forman Distiller. She also worked as a reporter for the Louisville Times newspaper. After that, she joined WHAS-TV as both an anchor and a reporter.
Working at WSB-TV
In 1975, Pearson moved to Atlanta. She worked at WSB-TV for 37 years. She was the first woman and the first African-American person to anchor the daily evening news for the station. She retired from broadcasting on July 25, 2012. Jovita Moore took her place as anchor.
After Retirement
Since 2012, Monica Pearson has continued her work in media. She hosts her own weekly music and talk show on Sundays for KISS 104.1 FM. For 20 years, she hosted a show called "Closeups" for WSB-TV. On this show, she interviewed over 170 celebrities. Many of these interviews can still be found online.
Current Work
Today, Monica Pearson co-hosts a show called A Seat at the Table on Georgia Public Broadcasting. She also hosts Monica Pearson One on One, which is a monthly interview show on Gray Television's WPCH-TV. She hosts The Monica Pearson Show on AJC, which is a video and podcast interview program for the local newspaper The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She has also appeared in commercials for Atlanta News First, which are the relaunched newscasts for WANF and WPCH-TV.
Awards and Achievements
Monica Pearson has received many awards for her work as a news anchor. She earned over 33 Southern regional and local Emmy awards. After she retired in 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives honored her. They recognized her many years of service to improving the lives of people in Georgia, both on and off the air.
Special Honors
In 2015, Pearson became the first African-American person to lead the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. In August 2016, she was added to several important Halls of Fame. These include the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame and the University of Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. She is also in the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame, the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Monica Pearson has also received the Tower Award from her old high school, Presentation Academy. She has hosted the awards program for many years.
Personal Life
Monica Pearson is a cancer survivor. She had breast cancer in 1998 and liver cancer in 2015. She shared her health journey publicly. She hoped that by doing so, others would understand how important it is to get yearly check-ups.
Monica Pearson has one daughter named Claire Patrice Deveaux. She also has a step-son, John E. Pearson, II. She lives with her husband, John, in Ansley Park in Atlanta.
