Max Robinson (1939-1988) broke racial barriers in the media industry when he became the first black television anchor in Washington, D.C., and again when he joined ABC's World News Tonight as a cohost in 1978. He fought for racial equality and more positive portrayals of African Americans throughout his career, making him a role model for many.

In 1981 noted media analyst Gerald Goldhaber wrote in TV Guide that "the paradox of network news is that the success of the show has far less to do with its informational content than with the charisma of the personalities that bring us the news." Oddly enough, one of the personalities anchoring the national news during that time was living his own paradox. Even though Max Robinson was heralded by the black community for fighting racism and injustice to become the first black network news anchor, he was constantly trying to overcome...