KOCO 5 Morning Anchor Anita Blanton will be the keynote speaker for Fairview Missionary Baptist Church’s black history month celebration on this Sunday, February 12, 2012, at 10:00am.  Ms. Blanton will discuss the importance and relevance of black history month in today’s society.  In addition to Ms. Blanton, Miss Black Oklahoma USA 2011, Sheray Jackson will perform a contemporary ballet piece entitled, “Ballad of Birmingham.”

Anita Blanton joined Eyewitness News 5 as co-anchor of Eyewitness News 5 In The Morning in 2008.  Previously, she was a morning anchor and reporter at WRIC-TV in Richmond, Va. Anita began her journalism career at KTXS-TV in Abilene, Texas, before heading to Central Texas to work at KWTX-TV in Waco.  Some of the most memorable reporting of Anita's career has involved severe weather.  From tornado coverage in both Texas and Virginia, to delivering live reports during the worst fire season in Texas history, Anita thrives on reporting the big story for her viewers.  While in Texas, she frequently covered President George W. Bush and visiting world leaders during many headline-making visits to Crawford, TX.  While in Virginia she was part of team coverage of several high profile stories, including NFL player Michael Vick's federal trial for involvement in dog fighting and the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech University.

A graduate of Hampton University, she has volunteered and served as a spokesperson for several organizations and helped create many mentoring groups for pre-teens and teens. Anita is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Sheray Franklin, a native of Savannah Georgia, is a graduate of Savannah Arts Academy and a junior at Oklahoma City University.  She studies Dance Management at the Ann Lacy School of Dance and Arts Management and is looking forward to earning a Masters in Fine Arts.  She aspires to be in the Broadway Musical Lion King, perform with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and various contemporary ballet companies.

In 2010 Franklin was Miss Congeniality at Oklahoma City University, Miss Black Oklahoma City University, and crowned Miss Black Oklahoma USA.  She placed Top 15 in the Miss Black USA National Pageant and was awarded Best Talent on the state and national level.  Additionally, she was 2^nd Runner-Up in the Miss Oklahoma City University Miss America Pageant.  She intends on sharing her passion of dance with the African American community through her platform J.U.S.T. Dance (Joyfully Uniting Students Through Dance). Along with representing her university through pageantry she is also heavily involved with several student organizations including, Student Government Association, Sisterhood of African American Students, Black Student Association, Blue Tie Ambassador, New Student Orientation, and the American Spirit Dance Company.

For more information, visit www.fairviewokc.com.