Everett L. Marshburn was a strong believer in the power of public television to tell stories that might otherwise not be told. He was named “Journalist of Distinction,” by the National Association of Black Journalists for 2018; and was inducted in the Milwaukee Press Club’s Media Hall of Fame in 2019; and honored with the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Gold Circle in 2024 for more than 50 years in television.

He was a producer at Milwaukee PBS; having joined the staff in September of 2006 as lead producer for “Black Nouveau.” In addition to working on the magazine program by and for the African-American community in southeastern Wisconsin, he produced numerous programs and segments that examine the culture, history, and politics in Milwaukee. Among them: “Stories From the Homefront: The War in Wisconsin,” “This Little Light of Mine: The Stories of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price,” “Return to Pearl,” “For Jobs and Freedom,” “Veterans of the Forgotten War,” and “Crossing The Bridge: A Black Nouveau Special.”

Prior to coming to Milwaukee PBS, Mr. Marshburn worked for Maryland Public Television for more than thirty years. He began as a Production Assistant and eventually became Vice-President for Regional Productions. In that position he supervised a staff of twenty professionals in the creation, production, and promotion of upwards of two hundred hours of programming a year. Among the productions he personally produced were: “State Circle,” “The Morgan Choir: A Silver Celebration,” “Other Faces of AIDS,” “Voters Ask,” and “People of Brown.”

He was a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, the Wisconsin Black Media Association, and the Beta Omega Epsilon Fraternity, Inc. He served on the Maryland Humanities Council from 1986- 1992; and was a member of the Wisconsin Humanities Council Volunteer Board since 2021.  He also served as the Vice President of the Board of Diverse & Resilient. He held a BA in History from Morgan State University in his home city of Baltimore, Maryland.

Among his awards and honors were: 5 Emmy Awards; 14 NABJ Salute To Excellence Awards; 2 Awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, 2 CINE Golden Eagles; 2 Telly Awards; 2 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Awards; a GRACIE, and a DuPont Silver Baton. He was the 2014 recipient of the “Bayard Rustin Leadership Award,” from Diverse and Resilient in Milwaukee; the 2012 Black Excellence Awardee in the field of Media from the Milwaukee Times; and a 2013 Inductee into Maryland Public Television’s Alumni Wall of Honor.