Soledad at Alvin Ailey Opening Night Gala

Television journalist Soledad O'Brien attends the Alvin Ailey Opening Night Gala Performance at the New York City Center on December 2, 2009 in New York City.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images North America

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Soledad O'Brien at Black Star News Awards

This year Rep. Maxine Waters, Rev. Al Sharpton, and CNN’s Soledad O’Brien headed a list of honorees and speakers at the Black Star News’ 2009 Annual Awards Dinner in New York, on November 20, 2009.

Past BSN honorees have included Bill and Camille Cosby, for their philanthropy and very generous support of education.

Soledad O’Brien, CNN anchor and host of the celebrated series “Black In America,” and “Latino in America,” will be featured speakers.
The theme for this year’s dinner is “Education, As the Key to Empowerment.”

"I am honored to accept this year's award for groundbreaking journalism,” Soledad O’Brien said. “I consider myself lucky to be able to do what I do - to shed light on those stories that need to be told. We received such extraordinary feedback after Black in America I, it was clear viewers had a great interest in the subject matter and that we needed a part II.

Reporting for the Black in America series was an extremely rewarding experience for me personally. By highlighting issues throughout the black community and featuring successful community leaders who are improving the lives of African-Americans, I see the series as a starting point to generate dialogue about issues of race in this country that could lead to real change."

The Black Star News is a weekly newspaper, also found online at www.blackstarnews.com with a focus on news impacting general readership with emphasis on underserved communities, African Americans, as well as immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa.

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Soledad O'Brien Speaks in Virginia

Television correspondent Soledad O’Brien’s appearance yesterday concluded the Bristol (VA) Public Library’s 2009 speaker series.

O’Brien, who serves as anchor and special correspondent for CNN, spoke at Virginia Intermont College’s Kegley Auditorium.

Before speaking, she attended a private luncheon with about 20 Twin City area high school students as part of the library’s scholarship series.

A question-and-answer period followed her hour-long presentation.

Prior to CNN, O’Brien worked for NBC News, where she anchored the network’s Weekend Today program and covered major news stories, including the war in Iraq, the space shuttle Columbia disaster and school shootings in Colorado and Oregon.

The Discovery Series brings authors, sports celebrities, journalists and others to the region. It is funded by the Noble Mission – a private fund established by late Twin City businessman Al Noble – designed to generate interest in the library.

Local Coverage of the Event - CNN’s O’Brien details 22-year career during Bristol stop By David McGee | Staff Writer / Bristol Herald Courier

O’Brien said it was that desire to pursue more serious reporting and delve more deeply into issues that ultimately prompted her 2003 departure from the anchor desk of NBC’s Weekend Today program.
Her more recent work is a drastic change from a funny Today story about a trapeze school in New York that drew substantial public reaction.

“Trapeze school was great. It was really, really fun to do. But I don’t want on my gravestone, ‘Covered trapeze school really, really well.’ There are other things that I wanted to do,” she said. “Hard news stories were few and far between, except for breaking news.”

In recent years, she has shifted from anchor to correspondent and her “In America” projects have evolved into a separate division.

Currently taking a two-week vacation, O’Brien hopes the change means she will travel less next year, after racking up a million frequent-flyer miles during the past year producing four documentaries.

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Voting Open For Women of Worth

Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree is now open on womenofworth.com.

The honoree that receives the most consumer votes will win an additional $25,000 from L'Oreal Paris for her cause.

The voting period for the 2009 Women of Worth National Honoree is open now through November 24th. Visitors to the site will choose one of the ten exceptional honorees, which they feel has made the biggest community impact through their devotion, community achievement and volunteerism.

All ten Women of Worth honorees will be publicly recognized at the CNN Inspire Summit, held in New York City on December 8.

The ten honorees represent women from all across America, dedicated to a range of causes and are extraordinary examples of the power of grassroots activism.

L'Oreal Paris will recognize the Women of Worth honorees by making a monetary donation of $5,000 to the nonprofit organization they work with and a matching monetary donation of $5,000 will be made in the name of each winner to The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the twelve-year charitable partner of L'Oreal Paris.

The Women of Worth honorees were chosen from nearly 3,000 applicants by an elite group of judges, which includes Jacqueline Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer of Telemundo Communications Group; Soledad O'Brien, CNN Anchor; Dayle Haddon, L'Oreal Paris spokesperson; Elizabeth Howard, Chief Executive Officer of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund; Cindy Kerr, Founder and President of ConKerr Cancer and Anne Talley, Senior Vice President of Marketing for L'Oreal Paris.


The Women of Worth initiative is inspired by L'Oreal Paris' iconic brand philosophy, "Because You're Worth It," and recognizes, celebrates and supports women who are making a difference in their communities. To date, the L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth initiative has recognized 40 women for their outstanding commitment to their causes and willingness to get involved. The 2009 honorees work tirelessly to empower women, mentor children, help survivors heal and motivate troops overseas.

"We are extremely proud to have the opportunity to honor this year's honorees," said Karen Fondu, President, L'Oreal Paris. "These women truly embody the spirit of volunteerism that brings to life L'Oreal Paris' unwavering belief that every woman has the power to make a difference in the world."

The nominees are:

2. Brittany Berquist, Norwell, MA, established Cell Phones for Soldiers, Inc. to keep toxic waste out of landfills and provide phone cards for troops serving throughout the world.
3. Lillian Collins, Clinton, OK, founded Eastside Academy to assist African American children who need help in reading and math, providing a positive after-school program.
4. Anne Ginther, Sammamish, WA, founded RandomKid, which provides staff and services to youth of all backgrounds and abilities for the development, management and accomplishment of their goals to help others.
5. Maimah Karmo, Aldie, VA, established Tigerlily Foundation, which provides meals, financial assistance, empowerment and inspiration to younger women affected by breast cancer.
6. Shannon Lambert, Minneapolis, MN, founder of Pandora's Project, a community where women who have survived rape can connect and support one another.
7. Brenda Murray, Chevy Chase, MD, has been transforming conditions and providing educational opportunities for thousands of women behind bars for the past 20 years.
8. Ora Rakestraw, Sacramento, CA, tutors third graders with special needs, helping these young people have a chance to experience success and stay committed to their education.
9. Carol Reza, Whitter, CA, founded Bridge of Faith to provide families of incarcerated women with mentoring and social service referral services.
10. Halle Tecco, San Francisco, CA, created Yoga Bear, an organization that provides free yoga classes to cancer patients.
11. Rhonda Ulmer, Denton, MD, provides local community resources to parents in her school to obtain their GED, housing, food and health assistance, transforming the school into the hub of the community.

The L'Oreal Paris division of L'Oreal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest in technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L'Oreal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories - haircolor, haircare, skincare and cosmetics - and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence and Feria haircolors; EverPure, VIVE Pro, Studio Line and L'Oreal Kids haircare; Revitalift, Age Perfect, Skin Genesis, Collagen, Sublime Bronze and Men's Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, Bare Naturale and HIP High Intensity Pigments cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others.


L'Oreal Paris is dedicated to women around the world and the company has been inspired to give back and make a difference in their lives. In 1997, L'Oreal Paris made a long-term commitment to raising awareness for ovarian cancer, which continues to build. To date, L'Oreal Paris has helped raise over $18 million dollars to further research and build awareness with fundraising efforts such as the L'Oreal Legends Gala and L'Oreal's annual Color of Hope cosmetics collection.

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Soledad O'Brien On Location

On location...

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Soledad O'Brien To Speak At Yale Law

Soledad O’Brien, CNN Anchor & Special Correspondent, will be appearing on November 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Yale Law School's, Levinson Auditorium.

The event is free and open to the public.

She will be speaking on “Diversity in the Media: Behind the Scenes and In Our Lives.”

Read an interview with O'Brien from the New Haven Advocate.

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Combined CNN Productions-Investigations Unit Being Created

CNN announced that it will be combining their documentary unit, CNN Productions, with their investigations unit.

Mark Nelson, who led the investigations unit, and Jody Gottlieb, executive director of CNN Productions, are both leaving CNN.

Soledad O'Brien's "In America" franchise (Black in America and Latino in America) will be expanded and be its own separate unit in 2010.

CNN has been lagging this year in ratings behind Fox News and in primetime to MSNBC and its sister network HLN. The network hopes to use shows like the "In America" series to attract more primetime viewers.

CNN continues to draw more viewers than all its competitors except Fox News when all hours of the day are counted.

CNN released a statement Monday saying, "CNN's ratings are always going to be more dependent on the news environment, much more so than opinion-based programming especially in prime time."

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Soledad O'Brien at Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing & Fine Arts

Soledad O'Brien, Reginald Van Lee and Cicely Tyson attend
the Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing & Fine Arts
grand unveiling on October 24, 2009 in East Orange, New Jersey.
(10-23-09  Photo: Brian Killian/Getty Images North America)

The $143-million state-of-the-art facility opened its doors to more than 1,000 students in September and celbrated its formal unveiling October 24th.

"Its like carrying a child and giving birth," said Tyson, who has been an active participant in school decisions, graduations and other events since the school was named for her in 1995. "The birth date is Oct. 24."

The celebrity guests included singer-songwriters Nick Ashford and his wife, Valerie Simpson, actresses Angela Bassett and Tamara Tunie, gospel singer BeBe Winans, an active supporter of the school, Susan Taylor, the editor emeritus of Essence magazine who is also an author and philanthropist, and Faye Wattleton, the former president of Planned Parenthood of America who is currently the president of the Center For Advancement of Women.

Gov. Jon Corzine headed up the elected officials who attended, including East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser, several members of the city council, and state Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex).

CNN's Soledad O'Brien, who served as mistress of ceremonies for the performances during the event, said she was "amazed" by the school and the students.

"In this school, the young people can follow their dreams, but also receive an intense academic experience," O'Brien said, adding that school officials and staff care about "the whole person here."



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Soledad To Receive the Brotherhood Crusade Award

Soledad O'Brien, CNN anchor and special correspondent will receive the Brotherhood Crusade Pioneer of African American Achievement Award for her humanitarian efforts, Friday, November 6, 2009 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The event is hosted by NBC anchor Chris Schauble.



Each year one individual is selected that best exemplifies the spirit of Brotherhood Crusade founder, Walter Bremond. Ms. O’Brien has been selected for her leadership, humanitarian efforts and highlighting the contributions of people of color to the world at large.

The Brotherhood Crusade is a non-profit institution that provides necessary resources, supportive services and a voice for advocacy to traditionally underserved communities. The Brotherhood Crusade supports families and individuals by promoting health and wellness, providing and enhancing educational opportunities, cultivating economic growth and building community agencies and institutions.

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Latino Stories Are American Stories

"Time to Realize Latino Stories Are American Stories"
by Soledad O'Brien and Rose Marie Arce, October 20, 2009

If you want to write something, film something, sing something, produce whatever content possible for an American audience, then you must also produce content for and about Latinos.

Not to be wise-ass Latinas, with all due respect to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, but our nation has 51 million Latinos, from Pico Rivera to Puerto Rico. Half the country's new residents are Latinos, one of four children under 5, the largest minority in 20 states.

If you're not telling their story, you're not telling the American story.

That was what we wanted to accomplish with our book “Latino in America,” published by Penguin to complement our documentary of the same name, airing on CNN Oct. 21 at 9 p.m. EDT. The book builds on the documentary's reporting to give a personal perspective to write Latinos into the American story where they are often missing.

Just 6 percent of people working in TV news and 4 percent of the newspaper reporters in this country are Latinos. So it's not surprising that there is a lot of segregated news content out there, things that run only in Spanish or only target Latinos, and there is an emphasis on Latinos mired in conflict, even though that is not the way many of us live our lives.

There are some stereotypical expectations of someone with a name like Maria de la Soledad and her team (Rose Arce is co-author of the book “Latino in America” and one of several producers on the documentary).

Some folks expect us to tell the same Latino stories flavored with some authenticity. Instead we've told the stories of people with roots in 21 different countries whose Latino experience is about what happens once they've arrived.

We look at them as the Americans they are; 71% of them are U.S.-born. Our Latinos are more like America Ferrera in “Ugly Betty” rather than being cast as sidekicks like Lupe Ontiveros, who has played a maid in hundreds of movies including “As Good as It Gets.” Lupe, ironically, is one of the loudest voices on why we need to give voice to the Latino mainstream and dispense with the stereotypes and immigration conflict storylines.

You can do this, too. Shed this idea that someone is a minority in America just because they are of Hispanic descent.

We asked Eva Longoria what being Latino in America meant to her and she said: "We're ninth-generation Americans. We didn't just cross over. We're on the same land that we got in our Spanish land grant from our ancestors. We were Mexico and then the border moved and we were Texas, and then the border moved again, and we were America without ever moving."

Once you do that, Latino stories have universal impact. It's not just a Latino story that Latino teens are among those facing substandard, overcrowded schools in Los Angeles, or experiencing frightening rates of suicide attempts or pregnancies or bigotry. Nor is it only interesting to Latinos to see how Latino sport, food, music and work and family ethics are enriching U.S. culture.

Everyone has a stake in this story because it's the story of tomorrow's America. That is a story that needs to be told.

Soledad and George Lopez from Latino in America

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Soledad O'Brien at Hearts of Gold

Hearts of Gold, a not-for-profit organization that improves the lives of New York City’s homeless mothers and their children, will present its 13th Annual Fall Fundraising Gala, “It’s A Love Thing,” on Thursday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m. at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street.

The event will feature co-Mistresses of Ceremonies Soledad O’Brien, Anchor and Special Correspondent for CNN and Goodwill Ambassador for Hearts of Gold.

Soledad will be joined by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s Tamara Tunie, also an accomplished producer and director as well as a member of Hearts of Gold’s esteemed Advisory Board.

The family-friendly evening will include a cocktail reception and a live auction. The highlight of the 1970s-themed night will be a runway fashion show with the fall collections of Beth Bowley, Teenflo, Transit, Zapa, and other designers yet to be announced. And, for the first time this year, the gala will also feature an after-hours party dubbed “Love Unlimited” to be held following the fashion show and auction at Metropolitan Pavilion.

Proceeds from “It’s A Love Thing” and “Love Unlimited” will be used to support the more than 450 children and over 375 mothers in residence annually at three Manhattan shelters. Though New York City has the country’s second-largest homeless population, Hearts of Gold Founder & Executive Director Deborah Koenigsberger’s vision is to expand the organization, so that struggling families get real-time support not just in New York but across the nation. The funds raised in the annual gala are critical for both the organization’s immediate local needs and longer-term national goals.

“I know our entire nation continues to struggle with the prolonged economic downturn, but NYC’s homeless mothers and children are among those hurting the most. The families that Hearts of Gold serves need our help more than ever,” said Deborah Koenigsberger, Founder & Executive Director.

“I am honored that Soledad and Tamara are generously supporting Hearts of Gold again this year as we improve the lives of these families in their time of immediate need and put them on a road to stability and success.”

Individual tickets for “It’s A Love Thing” are available for $250, $500, and $1,000, with tables starting at $2,500. Tickets to the after-party, which runs from 10:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. and includes open bar and dancing, are $50. A limited number of event sponsorship opportunities are still available. Companies or individuals interested in participating in the event can learn more, purchase tickets, or make a donation by calling (212) 206-1461 or by visiting www.heartsofgold.org.

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O'Brien Narrates Documentary on Global Education

CNN journalist Soledad O'Brien narrates a documentary on global education, particulary using summer and afterschool hours to develop students as global citizens.
http://www.asiasociety.org/video/

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