[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 10 (Thursday, January 12, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E24-E25]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SHERRI JACKSON AS CBS 42 NEWS ANCHOR 
                           IN BIRMINGHAM, AL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 12, 2023

  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary 
career of Sherri Jackson, who is celebrating her 25th Anniversary at 
CBS 42 on January 12, 2023.
  Sherri is a 2-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who currently serves 
as the PM Managing Editor and Member of the CBS 42, ``Your Voice, Your 
Station'' Investigative Team. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Sherri 
is a graduate of Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, where 
she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications.
  Prior to making her home in Birmingham in 1998, Sherri worked for 
WGXA-TV in Macon, GA, WSAV-TV in Savannah, Georiga, and WSAZ-TV in 
Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia. Since moving to Birmingham, 
she has blazed trails reporting on the critical conditions affecting 
the residents of Central Alabama.
  Upholding her motto: ``we are all connected,'' Sherri tailors her 
journalism to focus on healthcare and issues affecting families to 
ensure that her audience is abreast with news most pertinent to their 
community. Her exemplary journalism includes the ``Local War on Breast 
Cancer,'' which highlights research at the University of Alabama-
Birmingham's O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her Emmy-winning 
``Dangerous Connections'' provided resources informing parents on how 
to protect their children in this digital age from both predators and 
bullying.
  Gaining a reputation as a truth-seeker, Sherri spearheaded the CBS 42 
award-winning coverage of North Birmingham's environmental crisis. Her 
expert reporting in CBS 42's ``Deadly Deception'' exposed the pollution 
and provided a voice for generations of families who have suffered this 
injustice for far too long. As a result of her tenacity, the EPA 
declared the area a SuperFund Site shortly after.
  Sherri's unwavering commitment to telling our stories has made her an 
invaluable resource for Birmingham and the surrounding area. Her second 
Emmy Award-winning project, ``Hope and Honor,'' followed Elizabeth 
MacQueen, a local artist, and sculptress, as she made the Four Spirits 
Statue in Birmingham's Historic Kelly Ingram Park. She boldly tells the 
story of Birmingham's efforts to establish a fitting memorial for the 
Four Little Girls: Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, 
and Denise McNair, to ensure that we never forget the tragedy of the 
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. That same year, Sherri 
traveled to Washington D.C. to cover one of my proudest moments in 
Congress the posthumously awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to 
the Four Little Girls killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist 
Church. As the only local journalist there, the impact of Sherri's 
journalistic talent brought my constituents from Birmingham to the 
Capitol, ensuring that they felt represented during the monumental 
occasion.
  For over 2 decades, Sherri has established herself as 1 of the most 
trusted voices in the world of journalism. Outside of her home at CBS 
42, Sherri has also worked with BBC News, hosting their BBC World 
Service ``Heart and Soul'' broadcast from inside the 16th Street 
Baptist Church and presenting ``The Cultural Frontline.''
  Sherri has received various well-deserved awards and recognition for 
her work, including being named Best News Anchor by Alabama 
Broadcasters Association and Associated Press, the 2015 National 
Headliner Award, and in 2018 received the National Association of Black 
Journalists Salute to Excellence. Sherri also serves on various boards, 
including the Foundry Ministries and previously the boards of the 
Children's Aid Society, UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Childcare 
Resources, and American Red Cross Blood Services Alabama. Sherri's 
civic affiliations include being a member of the National Association 
of Black Journalists, Radio Television Digital News Association, and 
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

[[Page E25]]

  On a personal note, I was honored that Sherri covered my first bill 
passage that paid tribute to the Four Little Girls who lost their lives 
in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. 
Like them, Sherri's career and extensive body of work serve as an 
inspiration to all little girls, especially little black girls who 
watch her on television and become inspired to follow in her footsteps. 
Congratulations on your 25th Anniversary at CBS 42. May you continue to 
anchor for many years to come.
  On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary career of Sherri 
Jackson and congratulate her on 25 years of exceptional work at CBS 42.

                          ____________________