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 on October 20, 1947, is a famous American journalist and news anchor. She started her career in Louisville, Kentucky. There, she worked as an anchor and reporter for WHAS-TV. She also reported for the Louisville Times newspaper. In 1975, Monica moved to Atlanta, Georgia. She made history at WSB-TV by becoming the first woman and first African-American to anchor the evening news.
Early Life and Education
Monica Jones Kaufman Pearson was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Her birthday is 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.
While in high school, Monica worked at local radio stations. These stations were owned by Black people. She would read prayers and do voiceovers for religious shows. She finished high school at Presentation Academy in 1965.
Monica earned her first college degree in English. She studied at the University of Louisville. She also attended a special summer program. This program was for minority students at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Later, in 2014, Monica earned a master's degree. She studied Mass Communication at the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
A Career in Journalism
Monica Pearson's career began in Louisville. She worked in public relations for Brown Forman Distiller. She also reported for the Louisville Times newspaper. After that, she joined WHAS-TV as an anchor and reporter.
In 1975, Monica moved to Atlanta. She worked at WSB-TV for 37 years. She was the first woman and first African-American to anchor the daily evening news there. She retired from TV news on July 25, 2012. Jovita Moore took her place.
Since 2012, Monica has been working with KISS 104.1 FM. She hosts her own music and talk show on Sundays. For 20 years, Monica hosted a show called "Closeups." She interviewed over 170 celebrities for WSB-TV. Many of these interviews can still be seen online.
She also co-hosts A Seat at the Table on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Monica hosts Monica Pearson One on One each month. This interview show is on Gray Television's WPCH-TV. She also hosts The Monica Pearson Show on AJC. This is a video and podcast interview show for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. She has also appeared in ads for Atlanta News First. This is a news program for WANF and WPCH-TV.
Awards and Achievements
During her time as a news anchor, Monica Pearson won many awards. She received over 33 Emmy awards. These were from the Southern regional and local Emmy groups. After she retired in 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives honored her. They recognized her years of helping people in Georgia. This was for her work both on and off TV.
In 2015, Monica made history again. She became the first African-American to lead the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. This is a big charity organization.
In August 2016, Monica was added to several Hall of Fames. These include the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame. She is also in the University of Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. Other honors include the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame, Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Monica also received a Tower Award from her old high school, Presentation Academy. She has hosted their awards program for many years.
Personal Life
Monica Pearson is a cancer survivor. She had breast cancer in 1998. She also had liver cancer in 2015. She shared her health news with the public. She hoped it would show others why yearly check-ups are important.
Monica has one daughter, Claire Patrice Deveaux. She also has a step-son, John E. Pearson, II. She lives with her family in Ansley Park in Atlanta.
