European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 14, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Abc Carole Simpson people find it surprising that i have truly suffered racial. And sex for Carole Simpson it in t As simple As Abc Iby James Endrst the Hartford courant by Are you Here Carole Simpson asked me when i walked into her office at Abc news the other Day. to interview you i said a Little surprised. Why she asked laughing. I could say i suppose that it had something to do with Simpson s new assignment As Anchor of world news sunday a broadcast that went from third to first in the ratings since she took Over in March. She had been Anchor of world news saturday since 1988. Just the fact that Simpson 51, was the first Black woman to regularly Anchor a network newscast would be enough. Poised professional elegant Simpson is an emmy winning broadcaster with More than 20 years of experience whose off camera Demeanour is far lighter and brighter than her on air Persona. Peo ple want you grinning All the time she says. But the news is Best known As Moderator of last year s town meet ing style presidential debate Simpson besides her work As a reporter Anchor and occasional substitute for Peter Jennings on world news tonight is a wife Mother and As i found out an outspoken advocate working on behalf of minorities women and children. I have reached a stage in my career where i feel it s time to give Back says Simpson who grew up in a ghetto on the South Side of Chicago the daughter of a seamstress and a mail Carrier i have achieved some level of Success with no help really other than my own guts and determination. I never had a men Tor. I never had a godfather. So one of my mis Sions is to reach Young people and try to give them the mentoring give them the advice give them the help that i never toward that end Simpson has established College scholarships at the University of Michigan and through the radio and television news directors association. She also Heads the Abc news women s advisory Board and is on the Board of directors of the nation Al commission on working women Carole has really made a big Point of being Avail Able both to women in the business and people of color in the business says Cokie Roberts Abc Cor respondent and longtime Friend. Not just As a Model to look up to but available with her time and there s a reason for that says Simpson. People find it surprising that i have truly suffered racial discrimination and sex discrimination she says explaining that being a woman stood in her Way More often than the color of her skin. People find that Odd she says. But More times than not i heard we can t do it because you re a woman or we can t have women doing this or women Don t like to hear other women on the air or women can t be Bosses when Simpson came to Abc from Abc news in 1982, she says there were no women in top management no female Bureau chiefs no female foreign correspondents nose Nior producers or executive producers of any of the major Abc news broadcasts and no women on any of the major beats in Washington. So we got together says Simpson and i be came the Leader of the Abc news women s advis Ory Board and we confronted management on the is sues of what we thought was institutional sex now there Are four female vice presidents Emily Rooney As executive producer of world news to night with Peter Jennings and several women from Diane Sawyer to Renee Poussaint to Simpson who could conceivably fill Jennings chair. But it bothers Simpson that people still ask her Aren t you Happy look at what you be the insinuation forget about Ever taking Peter Jennings Job some insiders say Simpson while popular is a Little prone to dramatics talking a Little too fast. Perhaps that s Why Abc news vice president Joanna Bistany Calls Simpson a bomb thrower though it s in the gentlest sense of the Bistany does t draw As Bleak a picture of the to world As Simpson. The networks have Learned says Bistany that we should have people on our air that Are representative of people in this country and that Means minorities and that Means clearly however Simpson has been one of the people helping to educate the networks. She s a conscience says David Glodt producer of weekend news programming for Abc news. She makes people the importance of having a 51-year-old Black woman in a key Anchor position cannot be underestimated says Roberts who has broken into boys clubs of her own such As this week with David Brinkley. What our generation of women is doing in television is pushing the envelope she says. Really before us women who came in were one at a time and they had incredible barriers to overcome. But the barriers stayed there right behind them. Whereas we came in As an entire generation and started pushing the barriers Down and i have the splinters to show for Simpson however fears for the future. I m sorry to say it she begins i used to think that if i worked and fought and struggled it would be easier for the Young women coming behind me. And i m sorry to say i Don t feel that Way any longer. And i think we have to be Ever vigilant that if we Are not careful we re going to see stuff she talks about one of her two children 23-year old Mallika a medical student. I used to think of i m Gonna work hard and she won t have to fight sexism and racism " Simpson smiles one of her gleaming smiles and laughs. She s going to have to fight it. She s going to always have to fight it she concludes. I kind of boiled it Down to the Comfort Factor that people in positions of Power want to be around people that they re comfortable with and often that s not a Black female. Often it s not a female. Often it s not a Black male. The Glass ceiling is real. As cliche As that is it seems for Many of us that of Well let you get this far but that s about it " at least Simpson gives them something to shoot for. November 14,1993 sunday Page 11
