Soledad O'Brien, Working Mom

Soledad with her husband, Brad Raymond, and Sofia Elizabeth (2000), Cecilia (2002);
Twins, Charlie, and Jackson (2004)

Soledad O’Brien told Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. that growing up in Smithtown, a predominantly white town on Long Island, NY, her mixed race heritage – her mother’s Afro-Cuban roots and her father’s Irish Australian roots – made it difficult to fit in. Soledad credits her parents with giving her the strength to overcome discrimination.

Soledad O'Brien is herself in an interracial marriage and the mother of four children.

In an interview, she was asked about learning sign language after she found out one of her twins, Jackson, had a hearing problem.

No. It’s so hard. I’m terrible at sign language. It turns out Jackson is a very good lip reader and so it [diminished the need] to learn sign language. He’s great at sign language but he doesn’t use it a lot. He has a lot of language because he lost his hearing late in life — he was 7. We try to get him to read lips more because there aren’t that many people who know sign language. I’m just so slow. [Then she demonstrated.] Sloooow, and I’ve never ­gotten faster.

Does Soledad think any of her children may want to follow her into working in television?

I don’t think a single one. The better question is how many of my nieces and nephews. They don’t really live it. It’s Aww, auntie has a cool job. My children have zero interest. Now they’re young, so I don’t know that they have interest in careers, unless going to the mall is a career. I think my nieces who are now in their early 20s have really started reaching out; two of them work in journalism. My kids are just too little. [The eldest just turned 16] and her conversation is all around, Can I drive? Can I drive your car? How late can I drive? Can I have some money so I can go do something when I drive?

Educator and Parent Guide for CNN "Unwelcome" on Muslims in America

CNN Student News is producing an Educator and Parent Guide for the documentary Unwelcome: Muslims in America.

The one hour documentatryairs Sunday, Mar. 27 at 8:00pm ET & PTCNN and is anchored by Soledad O’Brien. It will re-air on Saturday, Apr. 2 at the same airtimes.

The program looks at an the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro deep in the Bible Belt that says it needs to expand to accommodate the need for larger prayer and activity spaces for the growing Muslim community. Yet, as the center proceeded with its plans, the imam began receiving hostile telephone calls, and the construction site was vandalized multiple times – including spray painting of the words “NOT WELCOME” over the construction sign, and an arson fire that destroyed equipment at the site.

The guide will help viewers promote critical analysis of news and information include discussion questions, and a learning activity. The guide will be available on www.CNNStudentNews.com prior to the debut of the documentary as a companion viewing aid.

Black in America Series Premieres Today

What promises to be a groundbreaking documentary series, CNN Presents: Black in America will begin today with "The Black Woman & Family."

Soledad O'Brien has spent close to a year exploring the varied experiences of black women and families.

Some of the topics the CNN team explores are the reasons behind the disturbing statistics on single parenthood, disparities between black and white students in the classroom and the progress of black women in the workplace, in universities and the status of the black middle class.



In this interview clip, Soledad talks about what
she hopes viewers will take away from the series.


CNN Presents: Black in America Web site