Soledad O'Brien
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien [1](b. September 19, 1966) is an American television journalist. She is an anchor of American Morning, the marquee morning newscast on the North American CNN television service. Her common surname with her co-anchor Miles O'Brien is a coincidence.
Contents |
[edit] Personal life
O'Brien's father is an Australian of Irish descent and her mother is Afro-Cuban. Her parents met at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland in 1958. In 1959, when they married, interracial marriage was illegal in Maryland—as it was in all southern states until the United States Supreme Court decided in Loving v. Virginia (1967) that interracial marriage bans were unconstitutional—so they married in Washington, D.C., and moved to the community of St. James in Smithtown, New York on Long Island, where Soledad was born and raised. On the NPR quiz show Wait, Wait, Don't tell Me O'Brien explained that in Spanish her full name means, "The Blessed Virgin Mary of Solitude." When she started working in TV, many people recommended that she change her name, but she refused. She also revealed that much of her fan mail comes from foot fetishists who request autographed photos of her wearing opened-toe shoes.[2]
Despite her partial Latina heritage, O'Brien admits she doesn't speak Spanish fluently. That has resulted in some awkward exchanges with people who assume she does, including former vice-president Al Gore. [1]
She is a graduate of Harvard University, with a degree in English language and American literature.
O'Brien has two daughters, Sofia (born 2000) and Cecilia (born 2002), and twin sons, Charlie and Jackson (born 2004).
[edit] Broadcasting career
O'Brien began anchoring CNN's flagship morning program from New York City in July 2003, when she joined the network. Years before, she was a regular correspondent known as the "Cyber Diver" on the Discovery Channel's show, The Know Zone.
O'Brien came to CNN from NBC News, where she had anchored Weekend Today since July 1999. During that time, she contributed reports for the weekday Today Show and for weekend editions of NBC Nightly News, and covered such notable stories as John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crash and the 1990s school shootings in Colorado and Oregon. In 2003, she covered the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and later anchored NBC's weekend coverage of the War in Iraq.
Before Weekend Today, O'Brien anchored MSNBC's weekend morning show and the cable network's award-winning technology program The Site, which aired weeknights from the Spring of 1996 to November, 1997.
O'Brien joined NBC News in 1991, and was based in New York as a field producer for the Nightly News and Today. Before working at NBC, O'Brien served three years as a local reporter and bureau chief for San Francisco NBC affiliate KRON. She began her career as an associate producer and news writer at WBZ-TV, then the NBC affiliate in Boston.
[edit] Honors and recognitions
O'Brien's work has been honored several times, including a local Emmy for her work co-hosting the Discovery Channel's The Know Zone. She has been named to People's 50 Most Beautiful in 2001 and to People en Español's 50 Most Beautiful in 2004. She was named to Irish American Magazine's "Top 100 Irish Americans" on two occasions. She is also on Black Enterprise magazine's 2005 Hit List.
She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She serves on the board of directors of The Harlem School of the Arts.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Soledad O'Brien, CNN.com biography
- Hispanic Magazine Online - 2005 Cover Story
- Pictures of Soledad O'Brien
- Soledad O'Brien at the Internet Movie Database
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | O'Brien, María de la Soledad |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | O'Brien, Soledad |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | CNN news anchor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 19, 1966 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. James, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
