TEMPLE, Texas — Since May 2 viewers at home have gotten used to new faces here at Texas Today.
They are making headlines and history across the nation for the first time in television history. Three women, who happen to be black, are the main anchors at a local television station.
All three of them sat down with KCEN Senior Producer Crystal Pratt to talk more about how this historic change was a long time coming.
“When I first came to KCEN in 2017, we did not have any African American anchors. “It was completely different,” said Texas Today Anchor Jasmin Caldwell.
Fast forward five years later, Texas Today here on 6 News has assembled a news team that is the first of its kind.
“Maybe about three weeks to a month after I decided to come here I got an email saying Jasmin is going to be joining Texas Today, which is going make the show you're a part of all women,” said Texas Today Meteorologist Ashley Carter. "It was pretty cool. I was like wow. It was just the icing on the cake. Not only be able to advance my career to where I wanted, but to be able to do it next to these two," she continued.
These three women have always dreamed of bringing viewers the news – but had no idea just how far their dreams would take them.
“I just think back to when I was a young girl and I used to watch the news with my parents and I never saw anyone who looked like me, said Texas Today Anchor Taheshah Moise. “If I did, they were outside reporting in the cold.”
“It didn't hit me then that nobody really looked like me, like the people I was watching growing up,” Carter continued. “But then as I started to do it people started to point it out, how there was not a lot of women who are black and do the weather. “It kind of added on the responsibility of ok I didn't get to see it growing up, and now little girls in this area are going to see me when they wake up and now it can become a reality."
A reality that they all made happen through their hard work and dedication.
“I think the thing that I was most fearful of is people downplaying our talents to try and say this team was put together so this station could look more diverse,” said Carter. “I think it is important to know when people watch us every morning, they will be able to see that each and every one of us earned our position on this team. “I don't think our news director intentionally did it. “I think he just realized they are all women, and they are all black, but hey they are the best for this show, and this is what we're going to do.”
And they did it, knowing the responsibility they were taking on.
“I don’t know why I’m tearing up,” said Moise, “You hope for years that you will see change, you hope, you pray, you never think that you will see it. And then it is another layer to be a part of it."
You can watch Taheshah Moise, Jasmin Caldwell and Ashley Carter Monday through Friday from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. on Texas Today.
Check out more from and about these women here:
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