Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush

Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush
Sharon Dahlonega

Sharon Dahlonega in 2006
Born Sharon Daisy Raiford
February 29, 1952 (1952-02-29) (age 59)
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Spouse Donald E. Crews (1968-1993)
Grand L. Bush 1994-Present
Children Damian Crews
Stephen Crews

Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush is an American television journalist, executive producer and 1960s civil rights activist. She was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and has been a resident of Los Angeles, California, since 1993.[1]

Contents

American TV history

Bush became American television's first African-American female weather anchor of primetime news in 1975.[2] The station for which she anchored, WGPR-TV, was the world's first black-owned-and-operated television station.[3] The studio was launched in Detroit, Michigan, on September 29, 1975. Everyone involved in the production of the newscast was of African-American heritage. Bush is also of European and Native American ancestry. Other members of the inaugural news team included television news anchor Amyre Porter[4] and radio personality Doug Morison.

"I'm particularly proud that this first black-owned television station in the continental United States will be in my home state of Michigan," said President Gerald Ford on July 9, 1975. "This is truly a landmark not only for the broadcasting industry, but for American society." The former President's filmed proclamation and salute are archived at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

On January 22, 2009, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum placed on public display rare images of the WGPR-TV inaugural news anchor team. The historic images, featuring Porter, Morison and Bush in the defunct studio and Bush presenting the weather at a magnetic map, were donated to the museum by Bush to honor the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The historic images were restored by CBS Corporation. Simultaneous donations were arranged by Mark E. Kalmansohn of Century City, California. The images are also archived by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan, the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, California, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. [5][6][7][8]

The WGPR broadcast center became a CBS affiliate in 1994 at which time its call letters were changed to WWJ-TV. The Channel 62 analog will end on June 12, 2009, when the nation switches to digital programming. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display WWJ-TV's virtual channel as 62.[9]

Bush (right), with Amyre Porter (left) and Doug Morison (middle) in 1975

Anchoring TV news

Bush (then Sharon Crews) later anchored news and weather at CBS and NBC network affiliates[10] in North Carolina and Tennessee respectively before becoming an Atlanta, Georgia, correspondent and executive producer for Black Entertainment Television.[11]

Bush worked as a morning news anchor at an ABC affiliate in High Point, North Carolina, then licensed as WGHP-TV;[12] WGHP switched to the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1995.

American music history

Bush was an executive producer of the 1985 National Blues Music Awards, held at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee. The show marked the first and only time Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Albert King, Rufus Thomas and Charlie Rich appeared together on stage. Bush's contribution to American music history is archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[13]

Civil rights activist

Bush marched with Rev. Jesse Jackson during the inaugural sit-in demonstrations in Greensboro, North Carolina at the age of 9. According to the Greensboro Historical Museum, Bush participated in civil rights protests from 1961 to 1966.

Community involvement

Bush is founder of Promise Kept, a national charity aimed at continuing philanthropic and goodwill initiatives begun by her late father, Conrad L. Raiford.[14]

Education

Bush studied philosophy at North Carolina A&T State University.[10] She also studied at the University of Detroit, the US Naval Air Technical Training Command and Georgia State University at Atlanta.[15][16]

Famous leap-day baby

Born on February 29, Bush is listed among the world's most famous leap-day babies.[17]

Spouse

Bush is married to Grand L. Bush, who acted in such feature films as Die Hard, Licence to Kill, Colors, Street Fighter[18] and Favorite Son.[19]

References

  1. ^ [1]. Promise Kept. Retrieved on December 26, 2008.
  2. ^ Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush: Historical Documents. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
  3. ^ In The Beginning... The Scene Detroit. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
  4. ^ Amyre Makupson Biography. The History Makers. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
  5. ^ [2]. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved on December 15, 2008.
  6. ^ [3]. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Retrieved on December 26, 2008.
  7. ^ [4]. National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved on February 6, 2009.
  8. ^ [5]. California African American Museum. Retrieved on February 6, 2009
  9. ^ [6]. Retrieved on February 6, 2009
  10. ^ a b “Computer age puts handle on forecasting,” The Commercial Appeal, April 5, 1981, by John Knott
  11. ^ “Greensboro Native Promoted to National Correspondent,” Carolina Peacemaker, December 20, 1990, by Dr. John Marshall Kilimanjaro
  12. ^ TV Week, Greensboro Daily News, December 12, 1976, Staff Writers
  13. ^ “The Tunes That Shaped American Music - They Call It The Blues,” Cash Box, Volume XLIX, February, 1986, by S. R. Crews
  14. ^ [7] Promise Kept. Retrieved on December 14, 2008.
  15. ^ “Anchoring the News,” Memphis Tri-State Defender, September 7, 1984, by Staff Writers
  16. ^ “Sharon Crews enjoys her job,” The Commercial Appeal, December 27, 1983, by John Knott
  17. ^ Famous Leap Day Babies of History Leapzine. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
  18. ^ Biography for Grand L. Bush IMDB. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  19. ^ Movie Review: Favorite Son. Christiananswers.net. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.

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