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Accidental Anchorwoman: A Memoir of Chance, Choice, Change, and Connection - Paperback
$21.55
In stock
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by Melba Tolliver (Author)
Winner, NABJ Outstanding Book Award 2024 (National Association of Black Journalists)
"She is a new kind of celebrity-a television superstar reporter-bred by television and its peculiar kind of intimacy which brings her into the living rooms or bedrooms or kitchens of almost a million viewers every night."-New York Times
For 30 years on TV, she told other people's stories. Now she's telling her own.
In 1967, by accident, Melba Tolliver was the first Black American to anchor network news, going on to report and anchor for WABC-TV Eyewitness News, WNBC, and News 12 Long Island. Famously, Melba Tolliver's insistence on wearing her hair in a natural afro when covering the White House wedding of Tricia Nixon earned retaliation from the WABC bosses. In 1973, when the New York Times dubbed Melba a "superstar reporter," a publisher asked for her memoir.
It was worth the wait. Packed with telling detail, Accidental Anchorwoman fills in the backstory of a life that has deeply influenced modern journalism. Reporting with wit and humor from her ninth decade, Melba has provocative things to say about civil rights, the women's movement, identity, and journalistic objectivity. Young people can draw inspiration from Melba when battling mainstream society over personal image, gender, and race. Podcasters and journalists can learn from Melba to defy gatekeepers, while celebrating local heroes.
And we can all take a lesson from Melba in calling out bullshit.
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Cindi Book is the trade name of Cindi Book LLC, a Texas-registered online-only retailer. We provide clear contact, shipping, return, and checkout information so customers can make informed purchasing decisions.
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Cindi Book LLC
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214-308-1733 · info@cindibook.com
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Orders ship within the United States. Cindi Book branded titles typically arrive in 5–9 business days, including 0–2 business days of handling and 5–7 business days in transit. Supplier-fulfilled items typically arrive in 8–11 business days, including 1–3 business days of handling and 7–8 business days in transit. Business days are Monday–Friday, excluding U.S. federal holidays. Delivery estimates are not guarantees. Cindi Book items have a flat $9.99 shipping charge. Shopify Collective items use shipping rates set by the supplier. Orders containing items from different fulfillment sources may include more than one shipping charge. Your full shipping total is shown at checkout before payment.
Returns & Refunds
Standard U.S. returns are accepted for eligible new, unopened items within 30 days of carrier delivery. Returns are by mail. Customers are responsible for standard return shipping, there is no restocking fee, and standard exchanges are not offered. Once an approved return is received and inspected, the refund is issued to the original payment method within 5 business days. Damaged, defective, or incorrect items are handled at no return-shipping cost to the customer.
Return eligibility is subject to the full policy. Opened, read, or unsealed books with broken seals or visible wear are final sale. Digital downloads, gift cards, and personalized products are non-refundable. Original shipping charges are not refunded for standard returns. Contact us within 7 days of delivery about damaged, defective, or incorrect items.
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