[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 21, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO MONICA KAUFMAN PEARSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, today I rise in tribute to 
retiring WSB-TV anchor Monica Kaufman Pearson, who brought Atlanta the 
evening news for almost four decades.
  Before I go into that, something is compelling me to extol the 
virtues of a glass of cold iced tea in the middle of the day. After a 
hard morning at work outside and you come in for your meal, for your 
lunch, and you enjoy that lunch with a glass of iced tea, it's a 
Southern tradition, and I want to use that in talking about Monica 
Pearson.
  Monica is the recipient of numerous awards, including more than 35 
Emmys. She broke the color barrier and the gender barrier by becoming 
the first black female to serve as evening news anchor in the Atlanta 
broadcast market. She is known for her commitment to excellence, her 
commitment to professionalism, and also for her optimism and her 
compassion.
  She is also known for sharing her talents by mentoring aspiring 
female news anchors across the Nation. It was Marian Pittman, news 
director of WSB-TV who worked with Monica for more than 15 years, who 
said, ``Monica is to WSB what sweet tea is to Atlanta.''
  Yes, she was a quenching force when she arrived in Atlanta. It was at 
a time where Atlanta had recently elected a blunt-spoken man of action, 
Mayor Jackson, as the mayor of Atlanta. It was a time of 
transformation. At those kinds of periods you have a lot of turmoil 
going on among people--one group losing control, the other group taking 
control. They were difficult moments during that time politically, and 
people were polarized and divided. Then Monica arrived on the scene, a 
young, beautiful, personable, non-threatening, cheerful person. WSB-TV 
did something that was revolutionary: they made her the first African 
American and the first female to have that evening news slot. And boy, 
I'll tell you, you're talking about a glass of iced tea in a hot time, 
that's what she was.
  Monica was so enthusiastic--she still is--upbeat, and she just lit up 
the TV screens. I personally just couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She 
was so cheerful. Her laugh and her smile are still infectious. She 
continues to light up Atlanta. She created and hosted one of the most 
remarkable interview programs in the Nation--``Monica Pearson 
Closeups.'' She interviewed world leaders, elected officials, and 
celebrities. Many of the people that she interviewed were just 
astonished at the depth of her preparation for the interviews.
  While we are all wishing her Godspeed in her well-deserved 
retirement, we can take heart that she will continue to be a fixture on 
the Atlanta scene, always ready with a smile and an insightful word.
  Monica Pearson is and will remain an Atlanta treasure and a glass of 
good, cold iced tea.

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