Noted Broadcast Journalist to Keynote Town’s 29th Black History Month Celebration

ABC News’ Byron Pitts will highlight Huntington’s commemoration

ABC News Nightline co-anchor Byron Pitts will deliver the keynote address at the Town of Huntington’s 29^th Annual Black History Month Celebration, scheduled for Thursday, February 4 at

Byron Pitts ABCNEWS

Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School in Huntington Station, beginning at 7 p.m.

Mr. Pitts is an award-winning journalist – including multiple Emmys and the National Association of Black Journalist’s Journalist of the Year citation for 2002 – who has traveled around the world to cover some of the biggest news stories of our time, including reporting from Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks (which resulted in one of his Emmys), the Florida presidential recount, the tsunami in Indonesia, the refugee crisis in Kosovo and the Boston Marathon bombing.

Mr. Pitts joined ABC News in 2013 after 15 years at CBS News, where he was chief national correspondent for the CBS Evening News and a frequent contributor to 60 Minutes. At ABC, he has been anchor and chief national correspondent, covering national news stories and in-depth features. He was named Nightline co-anchor in 2014.

As impressive as his professional accomplishments are, Mr. Pitts also has a powerful story to tell about overcoming two serious obstacles to achieving his longtime dream of becoming a journalist. He was functionally illiterate until the age of 12 and struggled to overcome a stutter. Mr. Pitts chronicled his journey in a 2009 memoir entitled, “Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges.”

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Pitts graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he studied journalism and speech communication. He currently lives in New York City.

The Black History Month program will also feature a performance by the Voices of Huntington, a choral group that is comprised of members from the Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church, Faith Missionary Baptist Church, Joshua Baptist Cathedral, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Love of Christ Fellowship Church, Mt. Calvary Holy Church of Huntington and Cornerstone Baptist Church. The group performs gospel music and features dominant vocals, often with strong harmonies.

The celebration will be followed by refreshments. The public is invited to attend,

Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School is located at 155 Lowndes Avenue, Huntington Station. For further information, contact Kevin Thorbourne, the Town’s director of minority affairs, at 631-351-2842, or kthourbourne@huntingtonny.gov.