Maxie (Max) C. Robinson, Jr.

Armstrong High, Richmond (1957) 
Broadcast Journalist

The son of legendary Coach Maxie C. Robinson. Sr., Maxie Jr. did not play sports in high school. However, he was active in many school activities: Student Council, sports editor of the school newspaper, student mayor of the City of Richmond, award winner in chemistry and “All State” in the VIA’s Dramatic Festival. He was chosen as most likely to succeed by his senior classmates. He started in broadcasting by reading the news on local radio station WANT after school. Max began his career in television in 1959 at a small station in Portsmouth, VA. In 1966 he was hired as the first Black reporter at Washington, D.C.’s NBC TV station. In 1969 he moved to the local CBS TV station WTOP (now WUSA). He quickly advanced from reporter to mid-day news anchor to co-anchor of the station’s 6 p.m. and 11 p. m. news programs. Both broadcasts were top rated in the Washington D.C. area for a number of years. In 1978 he became the first Black national news anchor person when he joined the ABC’s World News Tonight. As a person who achieved a number of professional firsts, Robinson fought racism wherever he saw it and at whatever cost. His integrity as a journalist and leadership in the fight against prejudice made him a mentor to many young Black television journalists. He was one of the founders of the National Association of Black Journalists. He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Morgan State University in 1982.