He received this position after baseball player Jackie Robinson, who was the first black player in the major leagues, complained to ABC executives about the lack of black reporters.

Mal worked for ABC for 11 years as a correspondent and covered United Nations meetings, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Cuban missile crisis.

Before joining ABC, he had established a successful radio career in Pittsburgh, PA as news director at WHOD. He also became the first black member of the National Association of Radio and TV News Directors.

Up until 1962, television news was strictly a white man's field. His precedent-setting act was a strong step in the fight for equal rights and opened the door for future black reporters on television. Many followed his example and found courage to follow their dreams. More importantly, he served as inspiration for the civil rights movement of the 60's.

White America's barrier between them and the black culture had begun to break.