In times of turmoil and uncertainty, the best journalists have always been the voice of reason, providing facts and context to cut through confusion. These Caribbean-American women in journalism are no exception. For Women’s History month, we take the time the highlight a few of the exciting Caribbean-American voices working in journalism today. These women are at the forefront of breaking stories, and have dedicated their careers to cover political, social, and cultural issues and current events.
Abby Phillip
Abby Phillip is an American journalist who works as a political correspondent and weekend anchor for CNN. She was born November 25, 1988 in Bowie, Maryland to parents of Trinidadian descent. Phillip graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Government, where she then worked at the Washington Post to report on national politics. Phillip began her journalism career as a White House reporter and blogger for Politico, covering campaign finance issues and lobbying.
In 2017, Abby joined CNN where she covered the Trump Administration and served as the White House Correspondent. Most recently, she moderated CNN’s 2020 democratic presidential debate in Iowa between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. On January 11, 2021, Phillip has been announced as the new anchor on “Inside Politics.” She also anchored the CNN Special Report “Kamala Harris: Making History” about the Vice President’s barrier-breaking career and the childhood experiences that helped shape her.
Yamiche Alcindor
Yamiche Alcindor is an American journalist who is the current White House correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and a political contributor to NBC News and MSNBC. She was born November 1,1986, in Miami, Florida to Haitian parents.
She has previously worked as a reporter for USA Today and The New York Times, where she wrote about politics and various social justice issues. In 2020, Alcindor received the Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence in White House Coverage from the White House Correspondents Association. She is fluent in Haitian Creole and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Alcindor is particularly passionate about stories that highlight communities often outside of mainstream coverage, from immigrants seeking asylum to the impact of COVID-19 in working-class communities.
Soledad O’Brien
Soledad O’Brien was born in September 1966 in St. James, New York. Her father was a mechanical engineering professor from Australia and her mother was a French and English teacher from Havana, Cuba. O’Brien is an American broadcast journalist and founder of her own production company, Soledad O’Brien Productions.
The 54 year old has enjoyed a long and successful broadcast journalism career. She co-anchored the CNN show “American Morning, from 2003 to 2007. In 2012, she became the news anchor for CNN’s morning news program, “Starting Point”. That same year, she also became the special correspondent on the Al Jazeera America News program, “America Tonight.”
Since 2016, she has been the host of her own syndicated talk show “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien” . Through her production company, she has also produced several acclaimed documentaries like “The War Comes Home” following veterans with PTSD, and “Hungry to Learn,” which shines a light on college students struggling with food insecurity. She is also a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors.
