On Saturday, May 19, 2012 RBC hosted a select group of media persons at a breakfast with featured speaker Dr. Xernona Clayton, Founder & CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation and US media giant.
The Trumpet Awards recognizes the accomplishments of African Americans and other persons from around the world and is broadcast in 185 countries. The breakfast, for close to 400 persons, was part of the activities surrounding the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Bethel Baptist Association headed by Rev. Timothy Stewart, Moderator and 2012 Trumpet Award recipient. The audience had the opportunity to hear first hand about the incredible life and times of Dr. Clayton.
Dr. Clayton is the first black person in the southern United States to have her own prime time television talk show, “The Xernona Clayton Show”, paving the way for current successful talk show hosts such as Oprah Winfrey and others. She served as a corporate executive for Turner Broadcasting for over 30 years and was the highest ranking female executive in the Turner Network System that includes CNN, Headline News, SuperStation TBS and the Atlanta Braves.
In addition to her media career, Dr. Clayton held considerable influence in the American Civil Rights and Desegregation Movement. She worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife and served both individuals as a life long friend and confidant. She is considered one of the most influential black women in America.
