INTRODUCTION FOR MS. RENEE POUSSAINT 13 FEBRUARY 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00885R000600900004-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 18, 2011
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: February 13, 1986
• Content Type: MISC

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Verbatim transcript for 13 Feb 86 Renee Poussaint
Introduction
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INTRODUCTION FOR MS, RENEE POUSSAINT
13 FEBRUARY 1986
THAT WAS AS MAGNIFICIENT AS EVER.
GOOD I1JRNING,
WE PAUSE THIS MONTH TO RECOGNIZE THE TREMENDOUS
CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK AMERICANS TO OUR NATION, IT IS MOST
FITTING THAT WE CONTINUE TO REFLECT ON THE ROOTS OF THIS
NATION'S HERITAGE AND TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT BLACK AMERICANS
HAVE PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN MAKING THIS GREAT NATION AS UNIQUE
AS IT IS, TO SHARE THIS MOMENT WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE THE
HONOR TO HAVE A MOST DISTINGUISHED GUEST SPEAKER,
RENEE POUSSAINT IS A NATIVE OF NEW YORK CITY, A GRADUATE OF
THE MICHELE CLARK PROGRAM FOR MINORITY JOURNALISTS AT COLUMBIA
UNIVERSITY, A RECIPIENT OF A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN COMPARATIVE
LITERATURE FROM SARAH LAWRENCE ,,,
STAT
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/01/18: CIA-RDP86B00885R000600900004-8
LITERATURE FROM SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE IN NEW YORK AND A
MASTER'S DEGREE IN AFRICAN STUDIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES. SHE HAS ALSO STUDIED AT THE
SORBONNE IN PARIS, THE YALE LAW SCHOOL, AND INDIANA UNIVERSITY,
AND SHE HAS RECEIVED AN HONORARY DEGREE, A DOCTORATE, FROM
MOUNT VERNON COLLEGE HERE IN WASHINGTON. SHE HAS EARNED
IMPRESSIVE CREDENTIALS AS BOTH A NETWORK REPORTER AND AN ANCHOR
PERSON, PRIOR TO JOINING THE CHANNEL 7 NEWS TEAM IN 1978, SHE
WAS A NETWORK REPORTER WITH CBS NEWS IN THE WASHINGTON AND
MIDWEST BUREAUS. SHE HAS COVERED MANY OF THE NOTEWORTHY
STORIES OF THE PAST DECADE, HER WORK TOOK HER TO THE KARAMOJA
REGION OF UGANDA AND WE IN THE WASHINGTON AREA WERE PROVIDED
WITH HER HARDHITTING REPORTS ON THE FAMINE SITUATION IN
AFRICA, IN 1984 SHE TRAVELED TO OREGON TO INVESTIGATE A
COMMUNE WHERE MANY OF THE WASHINGTON AREA HOMELESS WERE
BUSSED. HER NEWS 7 SPECIAL
2
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BUSSED, HER NEWS 7 SPECIAL REPORT, "RAJNEESHPURAM: THE
PROMISED LAND," OFFERED UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO THE LIVES OF THE
COMMUNE MEMBERS, THE RAJNEESH RELIGION, Afl THE FATE OF THE
D,C, HOMELESS TRANSPLANTED TO OREGON. HER VIEWS ON THE ROLE OF
THE WOMAN ANCHOR HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE WASHINGTON POST AND
SHE HAS ALSO WRITTEN ON THE IMAGES OF PROFESSIONAL BLACK WOMEN
FOR MS, MAGAZINE, SHE HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS INCLUDING
SIX EMMIES, THE CHESAPEAKE AP BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION AWARD
AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MEDIA WOMEN AWARD, AMONG HER
MEMBERSHIPS IN NUMEROUS CIVIC AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, WE
FIND HER A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN FIREFIGHTING ASSOCIATION, AND
I'M SURE THERE IS A GOOD STORY IN THAT ONE, AND RENEE, IF YOU
LIKE TO FIGHT FIRES, YOU LERFAINLY CAME TU THE RIGHT PLACE THIS
MORNING,
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU A PERSON WHO COMES
INTO OUR HOMES EVERY NIGHT, A GREAT ANCHOR AND A VERY
DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN, MS. RENEE POUSSAINT.
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/01/18: CIA-RDP86B00885R000600900004-8
INTRODUCTION FUR MS, RENEE POUSSAINT
13 FEBRUARY 1986
GOOD MORNING,
WE PAUSE THIS MONTH TO RECOGNIZE THE TREMENDOUS
CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK AMERICANS TO OUR NATION, IT IS MOST
FITTING THAT WE CONTINUE TO REFLECT ON THE ROOTS OF THIS
NATION'S HERITAGE AND TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT BLACK AMERICANS
HAVE PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN MAKING THIS GREAT NATION OF OURS AS
UNIQUE AS IT IS1 TO SHARE THIS MOMENT WITH US TODAY, WE ARE
HONORED TO HAVE A MOST DISTINGUISHED GUEST SPEAKER,
RENE POUSSAINT IS A NATIVE OF NEW YORK CITY, A GRADUATE OF
THE MICHELE CLARK PROGRAM FOR MINORITY JOURNALISTS AT COLUMBIA
UNIVERSITY, A RECIPIENT OF A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN COMPARATIVE
LITERATURE FROM SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE IN NEW YORK AND A
MASTER'S DEGREE IN ,,
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/01/18: CIA-RDP86B00885R000600900004-8
MASTER'S DEGREE IN AFRICAN STUDIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES. SHE HAS ALSO STUDIED AT THE
,NpIp,JA U"1V V ETV
SORBONNE IN PARIS, THE YALE LAW SCHOOL AND HAS RECEIVED AN
HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM MOUNT VERNON COLLEGE HERE IN
WASHINGTON, SHE HAS EARNED IMPRESSIVE CREDENTIALS AS BOTH A
NETWORK REPORTER AND ANCHOR PERSON, PRIOR TO JOINING THE
CHANNEL 7 NEWS TEAM IN 1978, SHE WAS A NETWORK REPORTER WITH
CBS NEWS IN THE WASHINGTON AND MIDWEST BUREAUS. SHE HAS
COVERED MANY OF THE NOTEWORTHY STORIES OF THE PAST DECADE AND
HER WORK TOOK HER TO THE KARA0OJA (CARA - IIOSHA) REGION OF
UGANDA AND WE IN THE WASHINGTON AREA WERE PROVIDED WITH HER
HARD-HITTING REPORTS ON THE FAMINE SITUATION IN AFRICA, IN
1984 SHE TRAVELED TO OREGON TO INVESTIGATE A COMMUNE WHERE MANY
WASHINGTON AREA HOMELESS ...
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/01/18: CIA-RDP86B00885R000600900004-8
WASHINGTON AREA HOMELESS WERE BUSSED, HER NEWS 7 SPECIAL
REPORT, "RAJNEESHPURAM: THE PROMISED LAND," OFFERED UNIQUE
INSIGHT INTO THE LIVES OF COMMUNE MEMBERS, THE RAJNEESH
RELIGION, AND THE FATE OF THE D.C. HOMELESS TRANSPLANTED TO
OREGON, HER VIEWS ON THE ROLE OF THE WOMAN ANCHOR HAVE BEEN
PUBLISHED IN THE WASHINGTON POST AND SHE HAS ALSO WRITTEN ON
THE IMAGES OF PROFESSIONAL BLACK WOMEN FOR MS. MAGAZINE. SHE
HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS INCLUDING SIX EMMY AWARDS, THE
CHESAPEAKE AP BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION AWARD AND THE NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF MEDIA WOMEN AWARD, AMONG MEMBERSHIP IN NUMEROUS
ORGANIZATIONS, WE FIND HER A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN FIREFIGHT-
ING ASSOCIATION, AND I'M SURE THERE IS A GOOD STORY IN THAT ONE,
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, A PERSON WHO COMES
INTO OUR HOMES EVERY NIGHT, A GREAT ANCHOR AND A DISTINGUISHED
AMERICAN, MS. RENEE POUSSAINT,
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:95-3-( I -
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
FROM: Avon 0. Harding
Director of Equal Employment Opportunity
SUBJECT: Keynote Speaker for Black History Month
During the month of February, the Agency, along with the rest of the
Federal Government, will commemorate Black History Month. On
13 February 1986, Ms. Renee Poussaint, Washington television anchor
woman, g ight the Agency's observance as our keynote speaker. I
would like for you or Mr. McMahon to meet with our guest in your office
at 9:45 a.m., prior to her speech and introduce her in the auditorium.
STAT
Avon 0. Harding
I will host
-j ~N
The DDCI will host
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EMPLOYEE
BULLETIN
9 January 1986
1. Our Nation commemorates its Black Heritage during the month of
February. This year's national theme is "The Afro-American Experience:
International Connection." The Central Intelligence Agency joins other
groups and Federal agencies in observing National Black History Month.
2. On 13 February 1986, Renee Pouissant, Emmy Award winning
journalist and WJLA News co-anchor, will be the keynote speaker for the
1986 Black History Month observance. The program will begin at 10 a.m.
in the Headquarters Auditorium with an introduction by the DDCI.
Admission will be by ticket until 9:45 a.m., with open seating from 9:45
to 9:55 a.m. Tickets will be distributed by your Directorate EEO Officer.
3. All Agency employees are urged to attend this program. Special
round-trip charter bus transportation will be provided for Agency
employees in outlying buildings. Departure times are as-follows:
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STAT
Immediately following the program, buses will depart from the
Headquarters Building at approximately 11 a.m. for return to outlying
buildings.
4. There will be an exhibit entitled "Out of Africa" in the
Headquarters Exhibit Hall, 1D Corridor, 3 through 28 February 1986.
5. For additional information, calf
Affairs Program Manager, or his assistant,
DISTRIBUTION: ALL EMPLOYEES (1-6)
J Black
on extension
STAT
STAT
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