Norma Quarles facts for kids

Norma Quarles (born November 11, 1936) is a famous American television reporter and news anchor. She worked for big news channels like NBC, CNN, and PBS during her long career.

Early Life and Beginnings

Norma Quarles was born in New York City in 1936. Her family came from Trinidad and Tobago. When she was a child, her father worked at Macy's department store. This led to a cool opportunity for her. She appeared as an extra in the classic movie Miracle on 34th Street in 1947.

Before starting her career in news, Norma went to college. She studied at Hunter College and the City College of New York. Later, she got a license to sell real estate. After that, she moved to Chicago.

A Trailblazing Career in Television

Norma Quarles began her exciting career in 1965. She started as a radio reporter in Chicago. Soon after, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio. There, she worked for the TV station WKYC for three years. She made history there as the first African-American woman to report for a major TV network.

Reporting for NBC News

After Cleveland, Norma moved to New York City. She became a news anchor for the local morning news show at WNBC. She even asked to fill in for famous anchor Barbara Walters on The Today Show. However, NBC worried that viewers in the southern United States might not like it, so they said no.

In 1977, Norma started producing a TV series called Urban Tales for WMAQ-TV in Chicago. The show was very successful! Because of this, she became a national correspondent for NBC. This meant she reported on important news from all over the country. In 1984, she was even a panelist at the Vice Presidential Debate. This is a big event where candidates discuss important issues.

Joining CNN and PBS

In 1988, Norma Quarles joined CNN, a major 24-hour news channel. She became a news anchor for their morning show, CNN Daybreak. She anchored the show for two years. Then, she became a correspondent, reporting on stories until 1999.

After CNN, Norma worked for Religion and Ethics Newsweekly on PBS. She continued to report on important topics there. She retired from her long and successful career in 2001.

Recognitions and Achievements

Norma Quarles received several important awards and honors during her career. These awards recognized her excellent work in journalism.

• 1973: She won the Front Page Award.
• 1990: She was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame. This is a very special honor for journalists.
• 1993: She received the CINE Golden Eagle award.