Reel Urban News Exclusive
By: Michael G. Reel, Reel Urban News
The 45th Annual Daytime Emmys will shine a little bit brighter this year. In a first for families, Judge Mablean Ephriam and her daughter Taj Paxton have both received Emmy nominations.
After nearly two decades on television, Ephriam is nominated for Best Legal/Courtroom Program for her show “Justice with Judge Mablean. Paxton, Vice President of Logo Networks, Documentaries is nominated in the Best Special Class Special category for her contribution to the film “Kevyn Aucoin: Beauty and the Beast in Me.”
Learning of the historic nominations, Judge Mablean admits she was caught off guard. “Well, it’s exciting and totally unexpected. When I received the call from Carolyn Folks at ESTV I was shocked. It is beyond my imagination.”
However, the veteran television judge was not surprised that her daughter was nominated. “I expect her to achieve a high level,” said the judge. “I’ve always had very high expectations for her, she’s a bright child and she has always been since she was born. It’s a third nomination but she’s already won two Emmys.”
Sitting next to her mother, Paxton delighted in the history-making moment shared by the two. “The opportunity to do it together is what really makes it special. I think the morning we received notice that the documentary ‘Kevyn Aucoin’ had been nominated for Outstanding Class Special, I was proud of that moment. Our network puts a lot of work into these films, making sure the films reach their proper audience. I was proud of that but when I got the message she was nominated at the same time – that blew my mind.”
A Mississippi native and former prosecutor, Judge Mablean has been on television for nearly 20 years and her daughter has had a front row seat the entire time.
“Watching her on television is like a dream come true because in our family we always felt like she had a message – she had something to say and she is always ready to pour into people. That’s just who she is. So when this happened it felt great! She’s got a chance to pour into millions of people every day.”
As our enlightening interview with Taj and Judge Mablean came to a close, the judge shared her vision for the world with Michael Reel of Reel Urban News. “My hope for the future of African American men, women and the media is that we come to realize and learn to love and respect each other and our differences. Just allow people to grow and use their gifts and talents to better our world.”
Judge Mablean was candid as she placed the blame squarely on the people who control the media for the skewed image of America they portray.
“I really want the media to look more like America – it is still more white than any other color. The stories are still too much about white people. America is a large country and the world is full of wonderful people of all different races, creeds and colors. If that can be displayed in media I think that would be a wonderful thing.”
“I think my daughter Taj working at Logo TV, dealing with issues related to gays and lesbians is wonderful. She’s always been a child that was very sensitive to others and to people that are different. She’s helped me grow over the years to get rid of some of my idiosyncrasies, some of the false beliefs put into as children. Taj has helped me to become a better person.”
