2. ENTERPRISE
W
Soledad
O’Brien Brings Journalistic Excellence to CNN’s Black in America
BY WHEN You TALK with Soledad O’Brien, it becomes instantly clear that she is as impressive
in person as on TV. You also validate that she is so much more. Soledad is soulful, smart
EDWARD
and funny. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, but seriously enough. She is comfortable
C AT E S laughing hard, loud and often. She is a proud wife and mother who was worrying (the
day of our interview) about her sick kids and husband at home she’s been nursing back to
health. Soledad values the connections to people she has in her life and thankfully it reflects
in her work as anchor and special correspondent for CNN.
She grew up in Smithtown near the north shore of Long Island, New York. Soledad
experienced the challenges facing a diverse family living in a town that was not. Her
mother Estelle is an educator of Afro Cuban heritage and her father Edward is a mechanical
engineering professor with Australian, Irish origins. With three sisters and two brothers she
is the 5th of Edward and Estelle O’Brien’s family of six.
“I never had a lot of angst about who I am,” Soledad reflectively shares from her office in
CNN’s bustling NYC news center. “I have five brothers and sisters who all look like me and
identify themselves as Black. There’s not one sibling who wrestled with it.” Soledad adds.
It’s significant to note that all five of her siblings and Soledad are Harvard graduates.
“When I was growing up, my Mom always told us, don’t ever let anybody tell you you’re
66 Savoy Spring 2010
3. Soledad o’Brien on location
for coverage of CNN’s Black
in America 2 in Hartford,
Connecticut.
not Black. Don’t let anybody tell you you’re not Cuban.” Soledad
is a talented journalist at ease in her skin. She is one of the
brightest broadcast journalists on television through hard work
and unwavering focus on being the best at what she does.
Soledad is a news phenom that has earned stars and bars
during her storied climb up the broadcasting corporate ladder.
After college she began her career in news behind the camera
as an associate producer and news writer for a Boston NBC
affiliate. In 1991, Soledad began a career with NBC News that
lead to positions in New York and San Francisco. MSNBC
showcased her talents as she anchored their weekend morning
show and co-host of their award winning technology program
“When I was growing up,
The Site. Prior to her departure from NBC she co-anchored
Weekend TODAY and was a contributing correspondent for my Mom always told us, don’t ever let anybody
the weekday TODAY show and weekend editions of Nightly
News. In 2003, O’Brien joined CNN and reported with the tell you you’re not Black. Don’t let
teams that earned CNN a George Foster Peabody Award for their
coverage of hurricane Katrina and an Alfred I. duPont Award
for 2004 coverage of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami anybody tell you you’re not Cuban.”
devastation. In 2007, she received the President’s Award during
the 38th NAACP Image awards for her special achievements and
distinguished public service. Conducts an
Eminently qualified, Soledad was approached by CNN’s interview on the
President of the News division to see if she’d be interested in set in orlando,
serving as special correspondent for a project in development Florida at Disney
with a general title of Black in America. World.
“I thought this will really be interesting and certainly right up
my alley in terms of things I think about and have always been
interested in. CNN had been interested in providing coverage
that navigates through issues of diversity. It started with us
SouRCE: CNN
asking what does it mean to be Black in America? With that I
was sort of handed the ball to go and figure out how you turn
that into a documentary.”
Soledad and CNN worked to develop what may be
remembered as one of the most widely televised documentary
series on the contemporary Black experience in cable television
history. Black in America (2008) and Black in America 2 (2009)
have received close to 24 million viewers since their respective
two night premieres. The documentaries have been rebroadcast
to CNN’s reach of approximately 2 billion viewers worldwide.
Black in America and Black in America 2 are unique because
they examine the Black experience in America from a people
centered perspective.“As we broke down and started doing
interviews and producing the segments, we went from what
makes a good story, to who makes a good story?”The production
schedule for Black in America was 18 months. For many weeks
Soledad and the team traveled six out of seven days a week
conducting interviews with a spectrum of people sharing their
unique perspective, creating the story of Black in America.
A cadre of professors and experts provided commentary
and staggering statistics, but most compelling were the real
life stories of families struggling, succeeding and sharing with
Soledad objectively guiding the search light of observation. “I
think the most important thing about Black in America is that
it was courageous, because we didn’t realize how brave it was,”
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said Soledad. “All I thought about was doing a good job. I’m
going to ask smart questions, be well prepared and do a good
job.“ Soledad and CNN showed great care to report American
stories featuring Black people.
4. Soledad with Malaak
Compton-Rock in Jo-
hannesburg, South Af-
rica covering the Angel
Rock Project’s Journey
for Change: Empower-
ing Youth Through
Global Service trip in
Black in America 2.
Black in America examined the complexities and range of serving a life sentence for murder.“ Michael Eric Dyson was a
experiences of Black women, the family and Black men. Soledad powerful story that could have been an entire hour, really. What
recalls impactful moments from Black in America with the I loved about that interview is that it tackled a lot of things
names, lives and people that were featured in the documentary. including skin color and incarceration.” The interview with the
“Mrs. Abdullah was featured in our healthcare segment and is Dysons revealed the vulnerability and contrast of two brothers
an amazing story. We were in the hospital interviewing people spanning the reality of the American Black male experience,
that day and I ran into her. She held my hand and started to cry from light to brown skin and further with one a University
and said she wasn’t sure I would understand. She talked about Professor and the other an incarcerated prisoner.
her neighborhood in Harlem, not far from where my sister lives, “People come to me and say we’ve read your quotes and seen
and how she can’t find fresh fruit near her home. She’s elderly you on TV and been affected by your intellectual contribution
and not a healthy person. Her story was about the dramatic to the culture but that interview personalized you for me and
struggle to get fresh fruit and vegetables that she could afford in showed a vulnerability that made me identify with you even
the middle of Harlem.” more. I have Soledad to thank for that because she conducted
Another impactful story Soledad sites from Black in America an aggressively insightful and powerful interview,” Dr. Dyson
featured Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, acclaimed author, ordained shares, reflecting upon the impact of his Black in America
minister and Georgetown University Professor of Sociology in segment with Everett and Soledad.“She didn’t skip over
a jailhouse interview with his younger brother Everett Dyson contradictions and complications with my brother and me and
68 Savoy Spring 2010
5. SouRCE: CNN
“Whenever I talk to young journalists I tell them, you have to get out of your
own head and just focus on the interview. Don’t worry about how you look on camera.
Be well read and just do a really good interview. Connect with the person.”
yet she allowed the story to breath enough that the access to the spotlight,” said Dr. Perry on Soledad’s
outline of suffering for so many Black families became contribution to the series.“There are millions of people,
luminous under her careful and skillful journalistic hand both Black and White who had their first exposure to
and the story emerged as powerfully as it did. Soledad is the Black community through the broadcast of Black
one of the most brilliant journalists we have working in in America. It is the (modern day) equivalent of Roots
America today. Her ability to bring lucidity and clarity impact on the community through television.”
to often muddled and complex issues is remarkable Production for Black in America 3 is underway along
and her profound humanity is edifying. The long form with another look at the Latino in America series. CNN
journalistic series like Black in America allows her to tell has also formed a news unit called “In America” that
a provocative story through a sharp prism that illumines Soledad will be a part of. “We are at a time when we can
the landscape that is overcrowded with cliché phrases ask some really provocative questions about race. My
and trivial approaches.” goal is to do compelling stories about people in America.”
Black in America 2 dedicated two shows to the Soledad is a member of the National Association
examination of Tomorrow’s leaders and Today’s Pioneers of Black Journalists and the National Association of
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impacting Black communities in the US and abroad. Hispanic Journalists and volunteers time to mentor
Soledad followed a group of 30 Bushwick, Brooklyn aspiring journalists of color by sharing her winning
youth selected to participate in Journey for Change, techniques to help them grow. “Whenever I talk to young
a volunteer mission to serve impoverished and AIDS journalists I tell them, you have to get out of your own
Glorious Menefee, orphans in South Africa. Soledad documented her head and just focus on the interview. Don’t worry about
(photo above, right) connection with the young men and women on the trip how you look on camera. Be well read and just do a
a student at Capital led by Malaak Compton-Rock, wife of comedian Chris really good interview. Connect with the person.”
Preparatory Magnet Rock. Soledad’s reporting style is strengthened by the
School in Hartford, Capital Preparatory Magnet School was featured diversity of her experience being Black in America.
Connecticut sits down in Black in America 2 as an example of educational Her work on the “In America” series is keeping the
with Soledad during excellence. Soledad interviewed Capital Prep’s principal continued dialogue on race fueled with relevant and
coverage from Black in Dr. Steve Perry and discussed his uncompromising timely information delivered by people living the stories.
America 2. expectations for his students. “I am impressed with Examining the Black experience in America requires
people who have a genuine commitment toward doing examining the good and the bad, the rich and the poor
things. I like that Steve Perry is the real deal.”With mostly as objectively as possible and hopefully tempered with
Black and Latino students enrolled, the school deservedly responsibility. Understanding Soledad’s unique Black
boasts 100% placement of graduates into four-year experience hasn’t defined or limited her ability to cover
universities. Over 2,000 applicants apply for 30 open contemporary events and issues. Conversely, it has
spots in Capital Prep’s annual enrollment. expanded and guided her perspective and aspirations
“Soledad is a genuine sister who can allow someone to be much more than the first name news icon that is
else to shine and still see that she shines by giving them known as Soledad. S
Spring 2010 Savoy 69
