It has become increasingly vital that we are aware of everything we say. Our insensitive comments or friendly jokes can offend people without knowing. It is very easy to fall into the trap of cultural appropriation. People of color all over the world are fighting for their rights and raising awareness around the issues of white privilege.
It is also important we understand the impact representation in media has on those watching. Children or young adults who don’t see people like them on television find it challenging to accept that they can have an equal chance, just like the rest of the people.
Lester Holt is one of those people that greatly impacted the lives of many people. This article will explore his ethnic background, who he identifies as, and the effect his career has had over the years on people of color. Let’s look into who Lester Holt is.
What is Lester Holt’s Ethnicity?
Lester Holt is biracial. His mother is of white Jamaican roots, and his father’s side is of black Jamaican and Indian roots. His father is African-American, and his mother was born in Jamaica.
Therefore, Lester identifies himself as a person of color. After he became the head anchor at NBC’s Nightly News, he became the first African-American to anchor the nightly news, that too solo. His position made a large impact on the people watching his news. Young children were fascinated to see someone who looks like them be a head anchor of a television show.
When he first took over, he did not realize the importance of his position. It was afterward that he truly understood the impact. When he began receiving fan mail and pictures from his viewers, he understood it. It showed little children watching his show in absolute awe. Before this job, he was the anchor of the famous show, ‘Dateline’; however, this job made the most impact. He was the first African-American to anchor at a major network.
Lester always wanted to be a role model for children of color. His long career has been the perfect example to represent diversity in media. He stated how important it is to show diversity in the news specifically as it has the ability to reach millions of people and really create an impact.
To conclude, Lester Black is an African-American journalist. His long-standing career has been pivotal in creating change in the media industry in terms of representation and inclusion. In addition, he has inspired many journalists to pursue their dreams. His sons have also followed their father’s career. Lester’s son Stefan is a journalist and a news anchor.
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