GPB Showcases the Voices of African American Women with “A SEAT AT THE TABLE” Launching June 18

GPB will premiere “A Seat at the Table,” a new weekly television series, on Sunday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. Each week, co-hosts Denene Millner, Monica Pearson and Christine White will discuss the diverse experiences, perspectives and challenges of African-American women and break through the silence to give them a loud and clear voice.

From candid conversations about national news, family, kids, careers, medicine, sexuality and finance to beauty, fashion and relationships, the intelligent, outspoken hosting trio will relate their ideas and experiences and engage viewers in the conversation.

“Each of the hosts is accomplished in her own right and brings a unique point of view to the program,” said Teya Ryan, President and CEO of GPB. A veteran television producer, Ryan felt it important that GPB reflect the many varied and diverse communities it serves across the state of Georgia, so green-lighting “A Seat at the Table” was an easy decision. “Public media is the ideal place to shine a light on conversations that enlighten and provide a platform for all voices. I have high expectations for what these powerful women can accomplish simply through conversation.”

Plans call for 13 episodes for the inaugural season, which began filming in May. The program will air throughout the summer and fall, beginning with the June 18 premiere.

Denene Millner

New York Times best-selling author Denene Millner is an award-winning journalist whose insightful and captivating pieces have secured her foothold in the entertainment, parenting, social media and book publishing industries. The former Parenting magazine columnist has penned 27 books, including Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, co-written with Steve Harvey, Around the Way Girl, a memoir with actress Taraji P. Henson and The Vow, which later became a lifetime movie, With this Ring. Millner also is the editor of Denene Millner Books, an imprint that publishes works featuring African-American children. Millner also is the founder and editor of MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed blog that examines the intersection of parenting and motherhood through the multi-cultural experience. MyBrownBaby has won numerous awards and enjoyed recognition as a Top Mom Blog of 2011 and 2012 by Babble.com, solidifying it as one of the most respected and celebrated niche blogs on the web. Millner has contributed to Essence, Ebony, Women’s Health, Redbook and Family Circle; her extensive broadcast experience includes appearances on many daytime talk and radio shows. Millner lives in Atlanta with her husband and two daughters.

Monica Pearson

Monica Kaufman Pearson is the first minority woman to anchor the daily evening news in Atlanta, Georgia, where she worked for 37 years at the leading station WSB-TV. Pearson is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and a graduate of the University of Louisville, where afterward she was a reporter for the Louisville Times newspaper and a reporter and weekend anchor for WHAS TV in Louisville. Pearson has won over 33 Southern Regional and local Emmy Awards for reporting, anchoring and her Closeups celebrity interview show. Since retiring in 2012, Pearson has remained busy and graduated with a Master’s Degree, Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass communication in 2014. In addition to that Pearson has taught at Atlanta Metropolitan State College. A much sought after emcee and motivational speaker, Pearson hosts a three-hour weekly music and talk show on Sunday on KISS 104.1 FM and also does Closeups Interviews for WSBTV.com.

Pearson was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in August 2016 and is also in the University of Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and was awarded by her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the Presidential Vanguard award in 2016. While she is an esteemed journalist, Pearson is a member of the Junior League of Atlanta and Sisters of Promise of Susan G. Komen, as she is a survivor of breast and liver cancer. Pearson serves on several boards including Meals on Wheels Atlanta and Go Red for Women. She is married to John E. Pearson, Sr., is the mother of Claire Patrice Deveaux and stepmother of John E. Pearson, II.

Christine White

Christine White Esq., MBA is a modern renaissance activist, she is driven by her passion for civic engagement. Attorney White is a speaker, author, investor and business advisor. She is a leader for all things related to business. Raised in California’s Bay Area, White took a strong interest and action in creating start up African-American groups for students and studies. White is a proud Alumna of Spelman College, John Marshall Law School and Georgia Institute of Technology. Studying Political Science at Spelman College, White began working in the entertainment industry, which allowed her to have leverage in her work as an attorney and launch several criminal justice reform movements. In 2007, White founded a Collective Renaissance Guild with the purpose of infusing arts, civic engagement and philanthropy into the cultural fabric of the Power Generation. She was a former prosecutor in Fulton County and continues to support many community efforts like The Andrew Young Foundation and HEAL. White is currently serving as Managing Attorney at White Legal Strategy Group, LLC., and serves as co-founder and President of Influencer Coalition (icATL), a political organization composed of entertainment industry professionals in Georgia as well as Chief Strategy Officer of Tatum Business Management, LLC., a management-consulting firm that provides resources for several industries. White currently resides in Atlanta with her teenage daughter, Karma.

ABOUT GPB:

As one of the largest PBS stations in the nation, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB Media), has been creating content worth sharing for over 50 years. With nine television stations, 18 radio stations and a multi-faceted digital presence, GPB strives to educate, entertain and enrich the lives of our viewers and listeners with programming that includes statewide radio news, current affairs, high school sports, educational resources for teachers and students and enlightening programs like Georgia Outdoors, On Second Thought, Two-Way Street and Political Rewind.

(GPB)