LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Gilbert Edward Noble,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, The quality and character of life in this Nation, and the great
State of New York, is reflective of the purposeful lives and good works
of those patriotic and civic-minded community members who dedicated
their lives and careers to the service of others; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to mourn the death
of Gilbert Edward Noble, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his
community; and
WHEREAS, A courageous and passionate television broadcaster, Gilbert
Noble was the producer and host of New York City television station
WABC-TV's weekly talk show, "Like It Is"; the program focused primarily
on issues concerning African Americans and those within the African
Diaspora; and
WHEREAS, Gilbert Noble was born in Harlem on February 22, 1932, the
son of Rachel Noble, a teacher, and Gilbert R. Noble, who owned an auto
repair shop; both parents were born in Jamaica; and
WHEREAS, He attended City College and was drafted into the United
States Army during the Korean War; and
WHEREAS, In 1962, Gilbert Noble got his professional break into broad-
cast media when he was hired as a part-time announcer at WLIB 1190AM
radio; he then joined WABC in July of 1967 as a reporter during the
Newark Riots, and the following year, he became an anchor of its Satur-
day and Sunday night newscasts; and
WHEREAS, Later that same year, "Like It Is" began its broadcast with
Robert Hooks as its host and Gilbert Noble as its co-host; and
WHEREAS, In November of 1968, WABC rebranded its newscasts as "Eyewit-
ness News" and Gilbert Noble was simultaneously an occasional interview-
er on some of WABC's other public affairs shows, such as "Eyewitness
Exclusive"; and
WHEREAS, Gilbert Noble succeeded Robert Hooks in late 1968, and
co-hosted the landmark show, "Like It Is" with a number of journalists
including Melba Tolliver and Geraldo Rivera; and
WHEREAS, After a few years of independently hosting "Like It Is,"
Gilbert Noble also became its producer in 1975; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Gilbert Noble interviewed many prominent
figures, including the following heads of state: Sekou Ture (Guinea),
Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Michael Manley and
P.J. Patterson (Jamaica), Maurice Bishop (Grenada), Sam Nujoma (Nami-
bia), Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia), and Thomas Sankara (Burkina Faso); and
WHEREAS, In entertainment, Gilbert Noble's interviews have included
Bill Cosby, Bob Marley, Erroll Garner, Sarah Vaughan, Sammy Davis, Jr.,
Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Carmen McCrae, Aretha Franklin, Nancy
Wilson, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Nipsey Russell, Lena Horne,
Wynton Marsalis, Milt Jackson, and Jackie McLean; and
WHEREAS, In sports, Gilbert Noble has interviewed Muhammad Ali, Sugar
Ray Leonard, Arthur Ashe, and Jim Brown; he has interviewed such poli-
tical figures as: Jesse Jackson, David Dinkins, Harold Washington, The
Honorable Min. Louis Farrakhan, Andrew Young, Stokely Carmichael (Kwame
Ture), Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Councilman Charles Barron, and Bruce
Wright; and
WHEREAS, In 1977, Gilbert Noble wrote, directed and produced the first
documentary on Paul Robeson, entitled "The Tallest Tree in Our Forest";
and
WHEREAS, In 1981, Gilbert Noble told his own story via his memoir,
BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY TV TUBE; and

WHEREAS, Gilbert Noble received several honorary degrees, and over 700
awards, including seven Emmy Awards for his documentaries "El Haij Malik
El Shabazz", "Paul Robeson", "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.", "The Reverend
Adam Clayton Powell Jr.", "Decade of Struggle", "Essay on Drugs", and
"Outstanding Series"; "Like It Is" remains one of the longest running
programs on television; and
WHEREAS, A longtime advocate of the arts, Gilbert Noble was a support-
er of The Jazz Foundation of America, hosting the "A Great Night in
Harlem" Concert/Benefit for The Jazz Foundation to support The Musicians
Emergency Fund; he also served as a member of its Board of Directors;
and
WHEREAS, Gilbert Edward Noble is survived by his wife, Norma Jean;
four daughters, Lynn, Lisa, Leslie and Jennifer; and one son, Chris; as
well as eight grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Gilbert Noble leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he
served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Gilbert Edward Noble, distinguished citizen and
devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Gilbert E. Noble.