Seasoned journalist, Tamron Hall, joined NBC News in 2007 as a reporter and fill-in anchor before becoming the host of MSNBC’s “NewsNation with Tamron Hall.” This Monday, TODAY officially announced Hall as the show’s newest co-host of TODAY’s Take, the 9 a.m. hour of TODAY. She made history as she is the show’s first black, female anchor.
The Texas native and Temple University graduate shared her excitement with Essence.com on the big announcement and how much it’s meant to her.
How could I not be walking on cloud nine? Just the other day I was reading about Meredith Vieira being the first woman to host the primetime Olympic shows. Of course, I knew what was happening with my negotiations behind the scenes and I thought, wow, these big moments at NBC News and now I’m a part of this for women, for Black women, for all of us. And I’m just taken aback by it. I can’t even describe to you how it feels.
Hall is no stranger to the TODAY panel as she has been a regular fill-in. Her previous works include covering events like the Golden Globes, hosting special reports “Making the Grade” and “Debating the Black Agenda” for MSNBC and NBC News along with coverage of the 2012 London Olympics. Her work as a correspondent of the NBC News Special “The Inauguration of Barack Obama” won an Emmy for Outstanding Live Coverage in 2010 according to a recent report from TODAY.
When asked by Essence who she called first, she replied, “I called my mother and she called everyone in Luling [Texas] and Austin. And everything in between. I have three incredible nieces, and a nephew who’s going off to college. To hear them say they’re proud of me left me in tears.”
Her show, “NewsNation,” will be moving to 11 a.m. and she will continue to host Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall on Investigation Discovery.
Congratulations and thank you for being an inspiration, Tamron Hall!