Reynelda Muse facts for kids

Reynelda Muse (born November 16, 1946) is a groundbreaking American television news anchor. In 1969, she made history in Colorado by becoming the first woman and the first African American to anchor a TV newscast. She started this important role at KOA-TV in Denver.

In 1980, she was one of the very first anchors for the new channel CNN. Muse has won many awards for her work, including an Emmy Award. A special scholarship, the Reynelda Muse Television Journalism Scholarship, was created to honor her and help African American students who want to work in television journalism.

Early Life and School

Reynelda Ware was born in Ohio to her parents, Arthur Allan Ware and Evelyn Cook. She has one sister. After high school, she went to Ohio State University. She graduated in 1968 with a degree in English.

A Pioneering Career in Television

Starting Out in Denver

Right after college in 1968, Muse moved to Denver and began working as a reporter for KOA-TV (which later became KCNC-TV). The station had hired her to help make its team more diverse. However, some people in the newsroom were not friendly. One reporter who was told to work with her said that his friend couldn't get a job, but would have if he were "a black woman". After they worked on a story together, he threw his notes at her and told her to write the story herself.

Muse also felt that other reporters tried to keep her from covering "hard news" stories. A few months into her job, she decided to wear her hair in an Afro style. This was a way for her to express her identity, but some coworkers and viewers criticized her for it.

She was a person of strong principles. Once, she was asked to change a story in a way she felt was wrong. Instead of changing it, she quit her job. The station's owner, General Electric, ordered the station to hire her back right away.

Becoming an Anchor

In 1969, Muse was promoted to co-anchor a noon news show. This made her the first woman and first African American TV news anchor in Colorado. By 1974, she was co-anchoring the main evening newscasts at 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

Joining CNN

In 1980, Muse took a new job in Atlanta, Georgia. She became one of the first 12 anchors for a brand-new 24-hour news channel called CNN. When CNN first went on the air on June 1, 1980, Muse was one of the anchors on the screen. For the next four years, she traveled back and forth between her job in Atlanta and her family in Denver.

Return to Denver and Retirement

Muse returned to Denver's Channel 4 in 1984. She co-anchored the Colorado Evening News until she retired in November 1997.

She decided to retire because she was not happy with the changes in TV news. She felt that news shows were becoming more about promoting other TV shows and less about reporting important news. "They're probably cost effective, but I don't think they're good journalism," she said.

After retiring, Muse continued to work on projects like making documentaries and doing voice-overs. For many years, her voice was one of the recorded voices that greeted people on the trains at Denver International Airport.

Supporting the Arts and Community

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival was one of many arts groups Muse supported.

Muse was very involved in Denver's arts community. She was a spokesperson for a group called Arts for Colorado. She also helped advise many arts groups, including the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and the Denver International Film Society. She even produced a weekly segment on KCNC-TV called "City Beats" that highlighted local arts.

She also shared her knowledge by teaching as a guest lecturer at the University of Colorado School of Journalism and other schools.

Awards and Honors

Reynelda Muse has received many awards for her excellent work in journalism.

• In 1988, she won an Emmy Award for a documentary she wrote and reported called Ramses II.
• In 1993, she was the first woman to be named Broadcaster of the Year by the Colorado Broadcasters Association.
• She has been inducted into several halls of fame, including the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1997.
• The Colorado Association of Black Journalists created the Reynelda Muse Television Journalism Scholarship in 1998 to honor her. This scholarship helps African American students in Colorado who are studying to become television journalists.

Personal Life

Reynelda Muse's first husband was Daniel Muse. They were married in 1969 and had three children. They lived in a historic house in Denver's Whittier neighborhood. They divorced in 1991.

In 1997, Muse married Marion Iverson. After she retired from the news, they moved to Gary, Indiana.