Follow the "I am Latino in America" Tour

Share your Fan Posts for the "I am Latino in America" national touron MOSH.

The best post each week until the end of February will win some great prizes - like a signed copy of Soledad's book The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities.

Soledad Recounts Her Reporting On Haiti's Orphans

In an excerpt from The Next Big Story by Soledad O'Brien posted online at CNN.com, she retells the story of her journey to Haiti.

Her reporting was the basis of a one-hour documentary on Haiti's orphans called "Rescued."

The moment I arrive at the Lighthouse I find the answer to the question that has been nagging me since we arrived -- how does any one person make a difference in the face of such an enormous tragedy?

Susette and Bill Manassero came to Haiti at the urging of their eldest daughter, Ariana. She was 9 and had saved coins to sponsor needy children in Haiti. She wanted to go for a visit. The Manasseros were indulging her when they came to Haiti and were shocked to find the high rates of poverty, sex trafficking and child abandonment -- some of the worst in the world. The children they met were being abused.

They were on what they thought was just a casual visit. They made a drastic decision, one that is inconceivable to so many of us. They sold everything and moved their three young children to Haiti...

continues at http://www.cnn.com


The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities

The Next Big Story Is Book of the Month

Soledad O'Brien's The Next Big Story has been picked to be the February book of the month for the Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club.

Las Comadres Para Las Americas is an informal internet-based group that meets monthly in many U.S. cities to build connections and community with other Latinas.

O'Brien Book Excerpt

While on assignment in New Orleans, Soledad O’Brien spent an evening (January 5th) at the National Civil Rights Museum reading from and signing copies of her latest book The Next Big Story.

The following is an excerpt from the first chapter of her book which she read at the event.

"I’m eleven. My sister Estela is fourteen. We’re at a photographer’s studio to get a picture taken to give to our parents. The studio is on the main street in Smithtown, Long Island, not that far from where we live. The photographer says, “Forgive me if I’m offending you, but are you black?”

For a moment, I’m speechless. I turn the comment over in my head. I can’t figure out what he means. My sister is light-years ahead of me. She starts to shred the guy. “Offend us? Offend us? By asking if we are black?” He is maybe thirty but he seems old to us. He has dark brown hair and he’s tall. He’s white and we’re two mixed-race girls trying to get our picture taken as an anniversary present for our parents. It’s 1977. I’m this cheery, optimistic kid who suddenly feels quite sunk. I just stand there in my big sister’s shadow. I’m trying to figure out why the nice-sounding words make me feel small and embarrassed. The photographer is being exceedingly polite but he’s crushing my girlish self-confidence. “Forgive me if I’m offending you . . .” What is that supposed to mean? Why would it be offensive if he were to call me black? I am black. I am also Latina, and half white through my Australian father."

Radio Interview With Soledad O'Brien

Soledad O'Brien speaks with Joe Donahue (2011-01-06) from WAMC (Albany, NY) about her newest book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities.


Listen to audio interview




The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilitie (audio CD)

"The Next Big Thing" Makes Best Of List

Critic, Kam Williams lists Soledad O'Brien's The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities (Celebra Books)as one of his Best Black Books (non-fiction) for 2010.

"In this engaging autobiography, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien revisits her challenging formative years in order to illustrate how overcoming childhood adversity perhaps served to shape not only her personality but her compassionate approach to her career as an award-winning television journalist. Whether it was being asked “Are you black?” by a portrait photographer at the age of 11, being teased “If you’re a [N-word] why don’t you have big lips?” by an 8th grader in the hallway at school, or having to hear “Why do I have to sit next to the black girl?” coming from the sister of a friend, Soledad suffered a host of indignities on the path to the peak of her profession.

Fortunately, once in a position to make a difference while covering disasters like the Great Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina or the Haitian Earthquake, this intrepid reporter has kept the pedal to the metal in an indefatigable quest to shed light on the plight of the least of her brethren. As for her private life, we learn that the freckle-faced, dedicated mother of four was an ugly duckling who never dated in high school before blossoming in Boston where she met her husband, Brad.

A moving memoir which does justice to the effervescent spirit and unbridled intellectual curiosity of a truly empathetic soul my faithful readers already know just might be the brightest person I’ve had the privilege of interviewing."

My Latino Voice Interviews Soledad O'Brien

CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent Soledad O'Brien spoke with My Latino Voice about her new book The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities. In a video interview, she reflects on the successes and challenges of her journey from her upbringing in a predominantly white NY neighborhood.

The book is her personal journey in overcoming adversity as well as a historical resource, with behind-the scenes commentary on the events and people she has covered as a journalist.

Soledad O'Brien On Book Tour

Today, Soledad O'Brien, fresh from a family holiday in Spain, did a reading from her new book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities (Celebra Books) at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

Her next reading will be at the Borders on St. Charles Ave in New Orleans on January 11 at 7 pm.

The Next Big Story

From top CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien comes The Next Big Story - a highly personal look at her biggest reporting moments from Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the devastating Haiti earthquake to the historic elections and high profile interviews with everyday Americans. Drawing on her own unique background and consciousness as well as her experiences as a journalist at the front lines of the most provocative issues in today's society - and particularly from her work as host of the acclaimed series Black in America and Latino in America - O'Brien offers her candid, clear-eyed take on where we are as a country and where we're going. What emerges is both an inspiring message of hope and a glimpse into the heart and soul of one of America's most straight-talking reporters.

 

BlogRadio Interview With Soledad

Soledad O’Brien, CNN anchor, visited Afronerd Radio host Desmond Burton to discuss her new memoir The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, which fellow network star Anderson Cooper calls “A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at reporting.”

Afronerd is a talk show that discusses topics from an educated, conservative Black perspective and bills itself as "debunking ghettoized stereotypes - a show for contrarian people of color." Afronerd Radio airs regularly on Sundays at 7pm EST.

Russell Simmons Hosts Party For O'Brien Book Launch

Photo: Steve Fenn/CNN

Hip-hop entrepreneur and philanthropist Russell Simmons held a book launch party recently at his Manhattan penthouse for Soledad O'Brien.

Soledad's autobiographical, The Next Big Story, which she co-wrote with Rose Marie Arce was released earlier this month.

Guests included CBS news anchor Katie Couric, HLN host Jane Velez-Mitchell, actor Jamie Hector (The Wire), CNN reporters Alino Cho and Susan Candiotti, educator Dr. Steve Perry and Soledad's husband, Brad, her father, Edward, and several of her siblings.

Roland Martin Interviews Soledad

Roland Martin on Washington Watch interviews Soledad O'Brien at the relaese of her book The Next Big Story

Not Black Enough?

There have been several posts online the past week about an encounter Soledad O’Brien had with Rev. Jesse Jackson.

In an interview she had with Jackson, he challenged her “Blackness.” O'Brien lists in her bios that she identifies herself as a Black woman. She is biracil with her mother being of Afro-Cuban descent and her father being Irish.

Her career and work at CNN, especially in the past five years, has led her to be an advocate for Black and Latino people.

The encounter with Jackson in recounted in her new book The Next Big Story which was published this month.

Even though I am not sure what he [Jesse Jackson] is saying, I can tell he is angry. Today he is angry because CNN doesn’t have enough black anchors.

I interrupt to remind him, “I’m the anchor of American Morning”. He knows that. He looks me in the eye and reaches his fingers over to tap a spot of skin on my right had. He shakes his head. “You don’t count,” he says. I wasn’t sure what that meant. I don’t count — what? I’m not black? I’m not black enough? Or my show doesn’t count?

I was both angry and embarrassed, which rarely happens at the same time for me. Jesse Jackson managed to make me ashamed of my skin color which even white people had never been able to do.

I am immediately upset and annoyed and the even more annoyed that I am upset and pissed off. If Reverend Jesse Jackson didn’t think I was black enough, then what was I? My parents had so banged racial identity into my head that the thoughts of racial doubt never crossed my mind. I’d suffered an Afro through the heat of elementary school. I’d certainly never felt white. I thought my version of black was as valid as anybody else’s. I was a product of my parents (black woman, white man) my town (mostly white), multiracial to be sure, but not black? I felt like the foundation I’d built my life on was being denied, as if someone was telling me my parents aren’t my parents.

Before The Next Big Story

Here is a brief excerpt from Soledad O'Brien's memoir, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, which was published November 2 by Penguin Books.

It's from the first chapter when Soledad was 11 and first coming to terms with her own racial identity and the way it would be perceived by others.

I'm eleven. My sister Estela is fourteen. We're at a photographer's studio to get a picture taken to give to our parents. The studio is on the main street in Smithtown, Long Island, not that far from where we live. The photographer says, "Forgive me if I'm offending you, but are you black?" For a moment, I'm speechless. I turn the comment over in my head. I can't figure out what he means. My sister is light-years ahead of me. She starts to shred the guy. "Offend us? Offend us? By asking if we are black?" He is maybe thirty but he seems old to us. He has dark brown hair and he's tall. He's white and we're two mixed-race girls trying to get our picture taken as an anniversary present for our parents. It's 1977. I'm this cheery, optimistic kid who suddenly feels quite sunk.

I just stand there in my big sister's shadow. I'm trying to figure out why the nice-sounding words make me feel small and embarrassed...

Continue reading at http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/11/inam.soledad.excerpt2/

Soledad O'Brien's 'The Next Big Story' Book Debuts Today

Soledad O'Brien's latest book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, is being released today, November 2nd.

The look is her personal look behind her most compelling reporting moments and how it has shaped her perspective on America's future.

"Story is our medium. It's how we connect emotionally with our viewers. And it's how we make sense of our world," says O'Brien.

When we talk about a 'big story,' we're really talking about what resonates with people, what matters to them...And I think when it comes to our national narrative, what we need to realize is that we're all contributing to the story, that we can affect where this country is going."

From Amazon.com:

From top CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien comes a highly personal look at her biggest reporting moments from Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the devastating Haiti earthquake to the historic elections and high profile interviews with everyday Americans. Drawing on her own unique background and consciousness as well as her experiences as a journalist at the front lines of the most provocative issues in today's society-and particularly from her work as host of the acclaimed series Black in America and Latino in America-O'Brien offers her candid, clear-eyed take on where we are as a country and where we're going.

What emerges is both an inspiring message of hope and a glimpse into the heart and soul of one of America's most straight-talking reporters.

Also by Soledad O'Brien:  Latino in America

Soledad O'Brien and Her Daughter in Haiti

Soledad O'Brien coninues to tell the stories of Haiti. Last night she guest-hosted Larry King Live with a show on Haiti 6 months later.

CNN has posted an excerpt from her upcoming book. The excerpt focuses on a trip to Haiti she made a few weeks ago with her daughter Sofia.


Here is the opening of the excerpt from Soledad O'Brien's upcoming book, The Next Big Story.

(CNN)  I returned to Haiti in mid June, over a month after having produced a documentary called Rescued on two children whose precarious lives depend on an orphanage run by American Christian missionaries. I don't have another story to report. I just want to go back. I am haunted by these kids. Cendy Juene is just 6 and she has no one person in the world caring for her, just the kindness of the staff at the Light House orphanage. Mark Kenson Olibris, the caretaker at the orphanage, is a young man who has grew up there and now promises he will help rebuild Haiti. They are so resilient, so inspiring, they leave me wanting to know how life is unfolding in their shaky circumstances. I decide to take my oldest daughter Sofia who is nine. She looks totally thrilled we are going together. So am I. I see this as an opportunity to share with her a major lesson I have learned from my time in Haiti. That one person can change the world, if only by changing a piece of it.

She takes a breath when we land, not from the jolt of the plane, but out of pure excitement. I am so happy to be taking this trip with her. The people in the plane clap and so does she too. I love the sight of her...

Continue reading at edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/12/soledad.obrien.haiti

 

The Next Big Story by Soledad O'Brien Due Out in November

Coming November 2010

The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities by Soledad O'Brien and Rose Marie Arce

An intimate look behind the CNN journalist's most compelling reporting moments and how it has shaped her perspective on America's future.

"Story is our medium. It's how we connect emotionally with our viewers. And it's how we make sense of our world...When we talk about a 'big story,' we're really talking about what resonates with people, what matters to them...And I think when it comes to our national narrative, what we need to realize is that we're all contributing to the story, that we can affect where this country is going."

From top CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien comes a highly personal look at her biggest reporting moments from Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the devastating Haiti earthquake to the historic elections and high profile interviews with everyday Americans. Drawing on her own unique background and consciousness as well as her experiences as a journalist at the front lines of the most provocative issues in today's society-and particularly from her work as host of the acclaimed series Black in America and Latino in America-O'Brien offers her candid, clear-eyed take on where we are as a country and where we're going.

What emerges is both an inspiring message of hope and a glimpse into the heart and soul of one of America's most straight-talking reporters.

Soledad O'Brien is a CNN anchor and special correspondent whose award-winning documentaries include Black in America and Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination. Her awards include the Emmy, Peabody, duPont, Gracie Allen, Clara Barton, Hispanic Heritage, and NAACP's President's Award.

pre-order The Next Big Story at Amazon.com now