A Celebration of Women™

is elated to Celebrate the Life of this woman leader. Through her journey to successful leadership, she stands as a bright beacon for all young women, teens and all youth to Take Action, with a focus on making sure each and every girl has a good home from where to blossom into future women leaders, saying about her primary philanthropic attachment:

“I was looking for an organization to align myself with. I’ve been involved with mentoring programs and charities my entire life, but I was looking for something that touched me on an emotional level and something that would impact the lives of others. A friend of mine referred me to Girls Inc.

I went to the website, and as soon as I saw the motto,

“Inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold”, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of.”

 
 
 

WOMAN of ACTION™

 
 
 

 

Shaun Robinson

 

Shaun Robinson (born July 11, 1962) is weekend anchor and correspondent for the show Access Hollywood, the daily entertainment news magazine show. She was also the host of TV One Access, a show on the TV One network produced by Access that brings viewers behind the velvet rope for an inside look at who’s who in “Black Hollywood”.

Robinson, who was born in Detroit, Michigan, is a graduate of Detroit’s famous Cass Technical High School. That school also produced Diana Ross, Lily Tomlin, Kenya Moore, Carole Gist, Kwame Kilpatrick, Jack White, Greg Phillinganes and David Alan Grier. She then went south to Atlanta, GA where she attended and graduated from Spelman College.

Robinson’s career began in Detroit at WGPR-TV62, the first African-American owned television station in the U.S. After that Robinson was a medical reporter and weekend anchor for WISN-TV in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where her series on women and cancer garnered her an Associated Press award. She also served as host of the daily talk show Milwaukee’s Talking. Robinson later joined newly formed KEYE-TV in Austin, Texas in 1995, as a reporter and anchor where her series “Profiles in Power”, focusing on women who made an impact in Central Texas, earned Robinson an American Women in Radio and Television award.

Before joining Access Hollywood, Robinson was a reporter and anchor for WSVN-TV in Miami, Florida. During her tenure there, Robinson anchored coverage of both the Clinton impeachment hearings and of Hurricane George, which devastated the Florida Keys. She also traveled to Oklahoma to profile survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Robinson played a small part of the Pat O’Brien (television personality) Voice Mail Scandal in 2005, when some sexual voicemails from O’Brien were uncovered and posted on many websites. Some of those voice mails were reportedly sent to Robinson’s phone. This led to O’Brien’s immediate removal from Access Hollywood, and Robinson moved into a more prominent role on the show.

Robinson also filled in for Meredith Vieira on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for the week of June 8–12, 2009.
In October 2010, Robinson was a guest star on a celebrity edition episode of the game show Don’t Forget The Lyrics. She played and won $10,000 for her selected charity, Girls, Inc..

Shaun co-hosted the NBC coverage of The Tournament of Roses Parade with Al Roker for NBC on January 1, 2011 and again on January 2, 2012.

Shaun has contributed reports to the Today Show, MSNBC, CNN and NBC Nightly News, and has been a guest host for ìThe Joy Behar Showî on HLN/CNN as well as a guest panelist on ‘Larry King Live.’ †She has co-hosted ‘The View’ and the official pre-shows for the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and NBCís Rose Parade.   

She won an Emmy for her live coverage of “A Grand Night in Harlem” for the Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame and has been a featured columnist for Essence.com and Cosmo as well as a guest editor for DOVEís Campaign for Real Beauty. Shaun was also invited by the Obama Administrationís U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas to speak to girls on the island about the issue of self-esteem based on her book.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Shaun Robinson is the weekend co-anchor and correspondent for the entertainment news show ‘Access Hollywood’ and author of Exactly As I Am: Celebrated Women Share Candid Advice with Today’s Girls on What it Takes to Believe in Yourself (Ballantine Books, 2009).  The collected wisdom of both superstar women and everyday teenagers on building self-esteem was born out of Shaunís passion for helping girls become more comfortable in their own skin and set them on the road to becoming tomorrow’s leaders.  

In addition to appearing on these and countless other awards shows and special tributes, Shaun has taken on acting roles in film including, ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘America’s Sweethearts’, and ‘Dr. Dolittle 2’ and television series including Law & Order, MONK, Everybody Hates Chris, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Charmed, Days of our Lives, The Proud Family, The Parkers, and Half & Half.

Shaun is proud to have been the premiere host of TV One Access for which she was recognized for “Outstanding Coverage of Race & Ethnicity” by the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and The Ford Foundation for her special on ‘Missing in the Media’.

She has been featured on the magazine pages of InStyle, Self, Essence, Ebony, Cosmo, US Weekly, People, Life & Style, Ok!, Vibe, Heart & Soul, and Precious Times.

Before joining the world of entertainment, Shaun was an anchor and reporter for WSVN-TV in Miami, where she anchored coverage of the Clinton impeachment hearings and the devastation of Hurricane Georges.  One of her most memorable and heart wrenching experiences during her tenure was profiling survivors and the families of victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Prior to moving to Miami, Shaun was an anchor and reporter for KEYE-TV in Austin, Texas, where she earned an American Women in Radio and Television award for her series “Profiles in Power,î focusing on women who made an impact in

Central Texas.   She also earned critical praise for her report from Huntsville Prison, where she interviewed death row inmates and examined the medical costs involved in caring for elderly prisoners.  Her series ‘Women and Cancer’ for WISN TV, Milwaukee earned her an Associated Press Award.

Off the red carpet, Shaun devotes her time to many charitable organizations.  She sits on the board of Girls, Inc., which inspires all girls to be ìstrong, smart, and boldî. For three years, she served as the official spokesperson for the Los Angeles County “Share Your Heart, Share Your Home” program, helping find permanent homes for minority children awaiting adoption.  She has also volunteered for JumpStart, the national literacy organization aimed at making sure every child in America enters school ready to succeed.

At Girls, Inc., we help girls confront subtle societal messages about their value and potential and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives. There is perhaps no greater gift than to give a child a home. I am so proud to have served as the spokesperson for the Los Angeles County “Share Your Heart, Share Your Home” program that works to raise adoption awareness and to pair children in the foster care system with permanent loving families. Most of the children adopted through DCFS have suffered some form of abuse or neglect and adjusting to a new family can be challenging. Our goal is to help make that transition as smoothly as possible.

Shaun Robinson’s thoughts on giving back

“Gratitude is a two-fold love – love coming to visit us and love running out to greet a welcome guest. “

I really love this quote from Henry Van Dyke. It reminds me that we must not only be thankful for our blessings but also, should be a blessing to others. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with some incredible organizations that do life-changing work in their communities.

My new book, “Exactly As I Am” is about girls and self-esteem – a topic that is very close to my heart. I am honored to be a board member of Girls, Inc. – the national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

There is perhaps no greater gift than to give a child a home. I am so proud to have served as the spokesperson for the Los Angeles County “Share Your Heart, Share Your Home” program that works to raise adoption awareness and to pair children in the foster care system with permanent loving families. Most of the children adopted through DCFS have suffered some form of abuse or neglect and adjusting to a new family can be challenging.

Our goal is to help make that transition as smoothly as possible.

Many people ask me “Why isn’t there more good news on television?”

Well, The Good News Foundation is working towards that goal. I love these ladies! The organization was founded by a group of Los Angeles women in television news who are dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of at-risk people in the community. They fund scholarships and mentoring programs for aspiring journalists, honor community service by those in television news, and grant assistance to individuals and organizations that are making “good news” in the communities they cover on a daily basis.

One of my most rewarding experiences was helping to organize Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record” event to help promote childhood literacy. Jumpstart is working towards the day that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. It’s a truly fantastic organization that is often named as one of the top non-profits in America. They help strengthen parent/child bonds to develop stronger learning in the home, pair college students with low-income children to help build skills crucial to success in school, and help support volunteers who have dedicated their time to Jumpstart’s mission.

When I was first starting out in the news business, I needed mentors who could show me what elements make a good story, how to put together a dynamic resume tape, and how to connect with role models in the business. The National Association of Black Journalists helped me accomplish these goals and I continue to support them to this day. NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color. Through their workshops, seminars, mentoring and daily support, voices of diversity are strengthened throughout our industry.

I was a big fan “back in the day” and now, I am lucky to call Sheila E. my friend. Sheila still plays the drums as she did on her hit song, “Glamorous Life”, but today she has another mission. She and her business partner, Lynn Mabry, created the ‘Elevate Hope Foundation’, which is dedicated to providing abused and abandoned children an alternative method of therapy through music and the arts. Sheila, who was abused herself at the age of five, says music helped her through the healing process. Through monetary funding and in-kind services, Elevate Hope donates musical instruments, art supplies, computers, keyboards, and software to programs that assist in the needs of these abused children.

My Detroit homegirl, Alison Vaughn has built an incredible charity called Jackets For Jobs . They strive to empower economically disadvantaged women who are struggling to find a job by enhancing their employment opportunities. Jackets For Jobs provides professional clothing and training seminars to build self-confidence and prepare them to successfully enter the work force. Women receive a complete business outfit for job interviews, plus two outfits when a job is secured.

These are just a few of the organizations that I have been fortunate enough to work with. If you have a calling to help others, I encourage you to find an organization that is doing work that you believe in and dedicate some time. Even an hour a month could help make a big difference in someone’s life.

Let the blessings flow!
SHAUN

Robinson was married in 1994 to MLB player Darryl Hamilton. They divorced. Shaun is a native of Detroit, Michigan and a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta.

FIND SHAUN HERE:

Shaun Robinson (MsShaunRobinson) on Twitter

Shaun Robinson – IMDb

Shaun Robinson | Facebook

Shaun Robinson, Author of the book ‘Exactly As I Am’ : Photo Gallery … Personal Wesbite

 
 
 

A Celebration of Women™

welcomes this woman, one that is leading the way for future women leaders with open arms, and embrace the thought of future collaboration.

 

 

Brava Shaun!