*Nearly a year after she announced her departure from “Access Hollywood,” Emmy Award-winning journalist Shaun Robinson has announced the formation of the S.H.A.U.N. Foundation for Girls. AlwaysAList.com reports that the non-profit organization aims to empower young women in five areas derived from Robinson’s name: (S)tem, (H)ealth (A)arts (U)nity and (N)eighborhoods.
“I want to cast the net wide to empower girls in ways that will truly level the playing field and help them thrive. Investing in girls today creates leaders of the future.” said Robinson in a statement to AlwaysAList.com.
READ RELATED STORY: Shaun Robinson to Leave ‘Access Hollywood’ after 16 Years
In 2009, the Detroit native released the best-selling book, “Exactly As I Am: Celebrated Women Share Candid Advice With Today’s Girls On What It Takes To Believe In Yourself.” It features a collection of inspirational stories from influential women such Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Williams, Eva Mendes, Alicia Keys and Kelly Clarkson.
“I felt it was important to start in my hometown. Detroit is the place of my roots and this is a way that I can continue to give back to the city. I will be excited to shine the spotlight on our first grantee that exemplifies our commitment to helping our girls,” explained Robinson.
Robinson hosted the daily entertainment newsmagazine “Access Hollywood” from 1999 to 2015. She was also the host of “TV One Access,” a show on the TV One network produced by Access. Before joining “Access Hollywood,” she was a reporter and anchor for WSVN-TV in Miami, Florida. Shaun’s career began in Detroit at WGPR-TV62, the first African-American owned television station in the U.S.
She told PEOPLE that her decision to leave “Access Hollywood” to explore new opportunities came after a conversation with actress Kerry Washington.
“She told me about a point in her career where she said ‘I want to try something different,’ and she tried TV, and look where it got her. Everyone loves Scandal,” she says. “That conversation really resonated with me and inspired me to just go for my dreams and take that leap of faith.”
For more information on the S.H.A.U.N. Foundation for Girls visit the website.
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