Black women nowadays have been involved in many aspects of work despite their race and gender. The black female reporter is a symbol of resilience and strength in the face of adversity. There are many women of color in the field of journalism, they continue to pursue the truth and tell the stories that matter, which inspires others of color to believe that they can also achieve their dreams and make a difference. Below is a list of 50 wonderful and talented black female journalists.
1. Sade Baderinwa
| Name | Folasade Olayinka Baderinwa |
| Date of birth | April 14, 1969 |
| Place of birth | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Occupation | Broadcast Journalist |
Folasade Olayinka Baderinwa (born April 14, 1969) is an American broadcast journalist. People know her well by the name Sade Baderinwa. She started her career as a production assistant for ABC News‘ various programs such as This Week With David Brinkley, Nightline, World News Tonight, and News One. She was trained to be a reporter at WUSA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C.
She has been a news anchor at WABC-TV, the ABC flagship station in New York since 2003. And now, she works as a co-anchors on the weekday 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts of Eyewitness News with Bill Ritter.
2. Deborah Roberts
| Name | Deborah Ann Roberts |
| Date of birth | September 20, 1960 |
| Place of birth | Perry, Georgia, U.S |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Deborah Roberts was born on September 20, 1960, in Perry, Georgia, U.S. She is well-known as a television journalist for the ABC News division of the ABC broadcast television network. Robert graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 1982. By that year, she started her career at WTVM and moved on to NBC in 1990. She received many accolades for her successful career such as the University of Georgia Distinguished Alumnus Award, an Emmy Award, and a Clarion Award.
3. Sheinelle Jones
| Name | Sheinelle Marie Jones |
| Date of birth | April 19, 1978 |
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Occupation | Journalist, and news anchor |
Sheinelle Jones was born on April 19, 1978. She is an American journalist and news anchor for NBC News. She joined NBC in 2014, and before then, she had worked for various news outlets over the years, including Fox News. Jones is currently a co-anchor of Today’s weekend edition. She has also contributed to a variety of network shows and specials covering a wide range of topics.
4. Tamron Hall
| Name | Tamron Hall |
| Date of birth | September 16, 1970 |
| Place of birth | Luling, Texas, U.S |
| Occupation | Television journalist, news anchor, talk show host, author |
Tamron Hall was born on September 16, 1970, in Luling, Texas, U.S. She graduated from Temple University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She has held positions at several news networks including KBTX in Bryan, Texas, KTVT in Fort Worth, and WFLD-TV in Chicago, Illinois. From 2007 to 2017, she served as a correspondent at MSNBC, where she conducted a one-on-one interview with Barack Obama. Currently, Hall hosts her own self-titled syndicated daytime talk show while continuing to pursue her career in journalism.
5. Nia-Malika Henderson
| Name | Nia-Malika Henderson |
| Date of birth | July 7, 1974 |
| Place of birth | Hopkins, South Carolina, U.S |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Nia-Malika Henderson was born on July 7, 1974, in Hopkins, South Carolina, U.S. She first wrote for The Baltimore Sun and then for Newsday. Henderson has worked for several publications, including The Washington Post and Politico, where she took responsibility for politics and cultural issues. She joined CNN in 2015 and worked on the intersection of politics, identity, and culture in America. Henderson has received several awards for her journalism, including an Emmy in 2016 for her coverage of the Charleston church shooting.
6. Gwen Ifill
| Name | Gwendolyn L. Ifill |
| Date of birth | September 29, 1955 |
| Death | November 14, 2016 |
| Place of birth | New York City, U.S |
| Occupation | Journalist, author |
Gwen Ifill was born on September 29, 1955, in New York City, U.S. She graduated from Simmons College with a Bachelor of Arts in communications. She soon followed a journalism career after graduating. She worked for Washington Week, covered the White House for The New York Times, and reported the network’s Capitol Hill for NBC channel. Ifill was also a political analyst, who was in charge of moderating the vice-presidential debates in 2004 and 2008. Moreover, she authorized the famous book Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.
7. Melba Tolliver
| Name | Melba Tolliver |
| Date of birth | Born in 1939 |
| Place of birth | Rome, Georgia, United States |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Melba Tolliver was born in 1939. She is known as an American journalist and former New York City news anchor and reporter. She gained fame for refusing to cover up her Afro with a wig or scarf while reporting on President Nixon’s daughter’s wedding in 1971, defying network standards. Tolliver worked for various news organizations, including ABC News and WNBC-TV in New York City. From 1976 to 1980, she worked at WNBC before moving to News 12 Long Island from 1986 to 1994 and announced her retirement there.
8. Robin Roberts
| Name | Robin Roberts |
| Date of birth | November 23, 1960 |
| Place of birth | Tuskegee, Alabama, U.S |
| Occupation | News anchor |
Robin Roberts is a 62 years old television broadcaster. She was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, U.S., though she grew up in Mississippi, and attended university in Louisiana. After studying, she soon followed a journalism career as a sports anchor and reporter for WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She joined ESPN in 1990, however, she achieved her breakthrough as a reporter for Good Morning America on ABC News, as she and her team brought GMA back to the top of the ratings; the program became the number-one morning show again in April 2012. Roberts is also known as the first woman of color and the first openly LGBT woman to host the American TV game show Jeopardy!
9. Robin Robinson
| Name | Robin Carolle Brantley |
| Date of birth | August 4, 1957 |
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation | News anchor, and reporter |
Robin Carolle Brantley is professionally known as Robin Robinson. She was born on August 4, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. In 1979, Robinson started her career as a reporter and morning news reader for KGTV-TV in San Diego. She moved to KMGH-TV in 1982 and joined WBBM-TV as a consumer reporter in 1984. She is an experienced news anchor with 27 years as the main news anchor at WFLD.
10. Soledad O’Brien
| Name | María de la Soledad Teresa O’Brien |
| Date of birth | September 19, 1966 |
| Place of birth | St. James, New York, U.S |
| Occupation | Broadcast journalist and executive producer |
Soledad O’Brien was born on September 19, 1966, in St. James, New York, U.S. She inherited the roots of Irish, Scottish descent, and Afro-Cuban descent from her parents. Hence, she has medium tan skin. O’Brien has a background as a pre-med student, hence, she began her journalism career as a medical reporter on WXKS-FM. She belonged to NBC during the period 1991–2003, worked for CNN later on, and recently, in January 2022, she launched a podcast, Everyday Wealth.
11. Stephanie Elam
| Name | Stephanie Elam |
| Date of birth | January 23, 1974 |
| Place of birth | California, U.S |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Stephanie Elam (born January 23, 1974) is a television journalist in the United States. She was born and raised in California, U.S. with her five other siblings. Afterward, she moved to Washington D.C. to attend Howard University and earned a degree in broadcast journalism. At first, Elam worked as a copy editor for Dow Jones Newswires. Later on, she covered corporate earnings for Nightly Business Report. In addition, she also reported business and financial news for CNN’s flagship morning show.
12. Jayne Kennedy
| Name | Jayne Kennedy Overton |
| Date of birth | October 27, 1951 |
| Place of birth | Washington, D.C., U.S |
| Occupation | Television personality, actress, model, corporate spokeswoman, producer, writer, public speaker, philanthropist, and sports broadcaster |
Jayne Kennedy was born on October 27, 1951, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Grew up in a six-children family in Ohio, she won the Miss Ohio USA pageant in 1970 and went on to compete in the Miss USA pageant. She appeared in many films and television shows, and also worked as a sports broadcaster and journalist. For her contribution to the entertainment industry, Kennedy remains an inspiration to many Black women
13. Joy-Ann Reid
| Name | Joy-Ann M. Lomena-Reid |
| Date of birth | December 8, 1968 |
| Place of birth | New York City, U.S |
| Occupation | Journalist, political commentator |
Joy-Ann Reid was born on December 8, 1968, in New York City, U.S. She is the daughter of a Democratic party member and a college professor. Hence, she graduated from Harvard University in the field of film studies. Reid married Jason Reid in 1997, they have three children together, and by that year, 1997, she began her journalism career as a chair on WSVN channel 7 morning show. She left journalism for a period from 2003 to 2007. For her return, she was the host of the weekly MSNBC morning show, AM Joy.
14. Kristen Welker
| Name | Kristen Welker |
| Date of birth | July 1, 1976 |
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Journalist and correspondent |
Kristen Welker was born on July 1, 1976, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. She graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1998, and while studying, she also interned for Today station in 1997. Welker’s career began in ABC affiliates at WLNE-TV in Providence, Rhode Island, then at KRCR-TV in Redding/Chico, California. In 2005, she joined NBC at WCAU in Philadelphia as a reporter and weekend anchor. Welker has been working as NBC’s correspondent since 2010, she is a regular MSNBC representative in the White House press briefings and makes appearances on various programs on the channel.
15. Harris Faulkner
| Name | Harris Kimberley Faulkner |
| Date of birth | October 13, 1965 |
| Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S |
| Occupation | Television presenter and news anchor |
Harris Faulkner was born on October 13, 1965, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. She is well known as a television presenter and news anchor for Fox News, where she has worked for more than 15 years. During her career beginning, Faulkner worked as a freelance business writer for LA Weekly and was paid $50 for each article she contributed. She was the evening anchor for Kansas City’s WDAF-TV from 1992 to 2000. She shifted to KSTP-TV in Minneapolis–Saint Paul and left by July 2004. Throughout her career, she earned six Emmy Awards, including the 2005 awards for Best Newscaster and Best News Special.
16. Pat Harvey
| Name | Pat Harvey |
| Date of birth | November 13, 1955 |
| Place of birth | Detroit, Michigan |
| Occupation | News anchor, and journalist |
Pat Harvey was born on November 13, 1955, in Detroit, Michigan. She is considered the longest-running anchor in prime time at one station in Los Angeles. And the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared Oct. 30, 2009, as “Pat Harvey Day” for her 20th anniversary. Before gaining fame, she used to work on WNEM-TV, an NBC affiliate, and CNN’s morning news program. Throughout her career, Harvey won 25 local Emmy awards, a national Emmy, was named “Best News Anchor”, and so on. She is in the Black Journalists Hall of Fame at the Newseum in Washington, D.C, and is a pioneer for the black journalism.
17. Gayle King
| Name | Gayle King |
| Date of birth | December 28, 1954 |
| Place of birth | Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S |
| Occupation | Broadcast journalist, Magazine editor |
Gayle King was born on December 28, 1954, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S. She used to live in Ankara, Turkey for five years and back to the U.S. where she finished the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in psychology. King was a production assistant at WJZ-TV in Baltimore, she met the famous anchor Oprah Winfrey there. King hosted a show called The Gayle King Show, on OWN; it ended on November 17, 2011. She shifted to CBS and had many successful shows CBS This Morning, Norah O’Donnell
18. Leslie Sykes
| Name | Leslie Ann Sykes |
| Date of birth | June 27, 1965 |
| Place of birth | San Diego California, U.S |
| Occupation | News Anchor |
Leslie Skykes was born on June 27, 1965, in San Diego California, U.S. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she earned a degree in English as her major. She chose her professional career as a journalist, she was assigned to report at Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. Skykes has an internship at KCOP-TV before she had her breakthrough when moved to WDAM-TV, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She shifted her work several times before stopping at KABC-TV, where she is the morning and midday co-anchor of the “Eyewitness News”
19. Mara Schiavocampo
| Name | Mara Schiavocampo |
| Date of birth | September 28, 1979 |
| Place of birth | Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Occupation | Journalist, News Anchor |
Mara Schiavocampo is also called as Mara S. Campo. She is an American journalist and news anchor and was born on September 28, 1979. She got an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Mara spent 11 years as a Correspondent and Anchor on network television. She anchored shows like “Early Today” and “First Look” on MSNBC and worked for “Good Morning America” from 2014 to 2018.
20. Yamiche Alcindor
| Name | Yamiche Léone Alcindor |
| Date of birth | November 1, 1986 |
| Place of birth | Miami, Florida, U.S |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Yamiche Alcindor was born on November 1, 1986, in Miami, Florida, U.S. She had a chance to intern at the Miami Herald while still in high school. Alcindor initially worked full-time as a reporter for Newsday. In 2011, she covered national breaking news for USA Today. She moved to the New York Times before remaining as correspondent of PBS NewsHour since 2018, where she is the host of Washington Week. She aimed to pursue a career in civil rights journalism and drew inspiration from Gwen Ifill, an African-American journalist, as well as contemporary newspaper coverage of Emmett Till.
21. Sue Simmons
| Name | Sue Simmons |
| Date of birth | May 27, 1942 |
| Place of birth | Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S |
| Occupation | Television news anchor, actress |
Sue Simmons was born on May 27, 1942, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. She began her journalism career at WTNH-TV in New Haven, Connecticut. From 1974 to 1976, she worked for WBAL-TV in Baltimore as an anchor. She moved to WNBC in 1980 and remained there until she retired. Simmons’ last broadcast was on June 15, 2012, Upon her departure, she received farewell messages from her longtime colleagues, as well as numerous sports figures and celebrities. In addition to her journalism career, she is also an actress, she appeared on The First Wives Club, and Elementary as a newscaster.
22. Angela Rye
| Name | Angela Rye |
| Date of birth | October 26, 1979 |
| Place of birth | Seattle, Washington, U.S |
| Occupation | Former CNN commentator |
Angela Rye was born on October 26, 1979, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. Rye started her career as the Coordinator of Advocacy and Legislative Affairs at the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, an organization comprising 120 historically black colleges and universities in the US. After moving to Washington DC, she became a member of IMPACT, a group that promotes civic engagement, political involvement, and economic empowerment among young professionals. In January 2017, she made her first appearance on The Breakfast Club. Rye worked as a political commentator for CNN until shortly before the 2020 presidential election when she was released by the network.
23. Oprah Winfrey
| Name | Oprah Gail Winfrey |
| Date of birth | January 29, 1954 |
| Place of birth | Kosciusko, Mississippi, U.S |
| Occupation | Television presenter, actress, television producer, media proprietor, philanthropist author |
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi, U.S. She had experienced several fields such as media executive, talk show host, actress, and philanthropist. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore to co-anchor a television show, and later hosted her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which became a huge success. She is the owner of Harpo Productions company. Her success has made her an inspiration to many, and she is considered one of the most influential women in the world, especially the black.
24. Carole Simpson
| Name | Carole Simpson |
| Date of birth | December 7, 1940 |
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation | Broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author |
Carole Simpson was born on December 7, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, she is an American broadcast journalist, news anchor, and author. She graduated from the University of Michigan and started working in radio at WCFL in Chicago before being recruited by WBBM. She shifted to Chicago’s WMAQ and onto NBC News in 1975 and became the first African-American woman to anchor a major network newscast. She had worked since 1982 and made her retirement in 2006. She was a journalism teacher at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts until 2019.
25. Dorothy Butler Gilliam
| Name | Dorothy Pearl Butler Gilliam |
| Date of birth | November 24, 1936 |
| Place of birth | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Dorothy Butler Gilliam was born on November 24, 1936, in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. She has her first job as a secretary for an African-American newspaper while attending Ursuline College. Gilliam had worked for The Washington Post for many years and became the first African-American woman to be hired as a reporter by the journal. She is also an activist, dedicated to public service. She created the Young Journalists Development Program for The Washington Post in 1997 and founded Prime Movers Media in 2004.
26. Maureen Bunyan
| Name | Maureen Bunyan |
| Date of birth | February 27, 1944 |
| Place of birth | Aruba |
| Occupation | Television journalist |
Maureen Bunyan was born on February 27, 1944, in Aruba. She moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her family when she was 11 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Bunyan started her career at WGBH-TV in Boston. She then worked for various TV stations in New York and Washington, D.C. such as WTOP-TV (later become WUSA-TV) where she worked for nearly 21 years. Her work has won several awards, and she was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.
27. Norma Quarles
| Name | Norma Quarles |
| Date of birth | November 11, 1936 |
| Place of birth | New York City, United States |
| Occupation | Television reporter, and anchor |
Norma Quarles was born on November 11, 1936, in New York City, United States. After attending college, she became a radio reporter in Chicago in 1965. Quarles became the first African-American woman to file reports for a network when she worked as a general assignment reporter for television station WKYC in Cleveland.
She moved to WNBC in New York as an anchor and then produced “Urban Tales” for WMAQ-TV in Chicago. She joined CNN in 1988 as a news anchor for CNN Daybreak and then switched to working as a correspondent. Quarles retired from her position as a reporter for Religion and Ethics Newsweekly on PBS in 2001. She was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in 1990.
28. Stacy-Marie Ishmael
| Name | Stacy-Marie Ishmael |
| Date of birth | Unknown |
| Place of birth | San Fernando, Trinidad |
| Occupation | Journalist, and editor |
Stacy-Marie Ishmael is known as a former journalist and editor come from San Fernando, Trinidad. She soon moved to Europe for her higher study, at the University of Franche-Comté and the London School of Economics. In 2014, she joined BuzzFeed as managing editor of mobile news, and she had some appearances as a guest on BuzzFeed’s popular podcast Another Round. And in 2016-17, she was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford. From 2017 to 2019, Ishmael worked as a senior editor at Apple.
Ishmael is currently the managing editor for crypto at Bloomberg News and the chair of the Foundation Board of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism
29. Amy Holmes
| Name | Amy Mulenga Holmes |
| Date of birth | July 25, 1973 |
| Place of birth | Lusaka, Zambia |
| Occupation | News anchor, and former Republican strategist |
Amy Holmes was born on July 25, 1973, in Lusaka, Zambia. She grew up in the United States and earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. She began her career in politics as an intern for Representative Bill Gradison and later worked as a research assistant for PBS host John McLaughlin. She went on to work for several news organizations, including Fox News, MSNBC, and TheBlaze TV, where she co-hosted the news talk show “Real News” with Will Cain.
30. Malika Andrews
| Name | Malika Rose Andrews |
| Date of birth | January 27, 1995 |
| Place of birth | Oakland, California, U.S |
| Occupation | NBA sports journalist and reporter |
Malika Andrews (born January 27, 1995) is an American journalist and correspondent for ESPN, covering the NBA. She was born and raised in Oakland, California, and graduated from the University of Portland. Andrews began her career covering high school sports before moving on to covering the WNBA and then the NBA Today (replaced by The Jump). She has received multiple awards for her reporting, including a Sports Emmy. She is highly respected in the world of sports journalism and continues to cover some of the biggest stories in the NBA.
31. Merri Dee
| Name | Mary Francine Dorham |
| Date of birth | October 30, 1936 |
| Death | March 16, 2022 |
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois, U.S |
| Occupation | News anchor, television personality, philanthropist |
Merri Dee was born on October 30, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. She is well known for her work at WGN-TV in Chicago from 1972 to 1983 as an anchor/reporter and from 1983 to 2008 as the director of community relations. In addition, she was also president and member of the leadership council of the Illinois chapter of AARP from 2009 until her passing in 2022. Since Dee’s career began, she was prominent as a local celebrity on Chicago radio. Dee had eleven years at WGN-TV in various on-air positions and she was also the station’s director of WGN-TV Children’s Charities.
32. Charlayne Hunter-Gault
| Name | Charlayne Hunter-Gault |
| Date of birth | February 27, 1942 |
| Place of birth | Due West, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Charlayne Hunter-Gault was born on February 27, 1942, in Due West, South Carolina, U.S. She moved to Atlanta in the mid-1990s with her family and attended a predominantly white high school. In 1967, she joined WRC-TV’s investigative news team, and in 1968, she became a metropolitan reporter for The New York Times. She also worked for The MacNeil/Lehrer Report and The NewsHour as a correspondent. Hunter had many awards throughout her career, including two Emmys, a Peabody for her work on South Africa, and the 1986 Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists
33. JC Hayward
| Name | J. C. Hayward |
| Date of birth | October 23, 1945 |
| Place of birth | East Orange, New Jersey |
| Occupation | Journalist |
J. C. Hayward is also known as Jacqueline Hayward Wilson. She was born on October 23, 1945, and is the news anchor that works for WUSA9, Washington, D.C. She finished her study with two honorary doctorate degrees from both Howard University and Southeastern University. From 1972 until her retirement in 2015, Hayward only worked for WUSA9 as a news anchor. J. C. Hayward was recognized with numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including two local Emmys for her documentary ‘Sahel: The Border of Hell’ in 1972, another local Emmy in 1976, a Bronze Medal from the International Film Festival in 1980, and so on.
34. Robin Givhan
| Name | Robin Givhan |
| Date of birth | September 11, 1964 |
| Place of birth | Detroit, Michigan |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Robin Givhan was born on September 11, 1964, in Detroit, Michigan. She was the valedictorian at Renaissance High School in 1982, graduated from Princeton University in 1986, and also holds a master’s degree in journalism. Givhan began her journalism career at The Detroit News before moving on to The San Francisco Chronicle and Vogue magazine. She began working for The Washington Post in 1995 and was promoted to fashion editor in 2009. Givhan has written widely about fashion, culture, and politics, and her work has appeared in a variety of national and international journals.
35. Jacque Reid
| Name | Jacqueline Elaine “Jacque” Reid |
| Date of birth | January 31, 1966 |
| Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Occupation | Television host, journalist |
Jacqueline Elaine “Jacque” Reid is an American journalist and media personality who worked as the lead news anchor for The BET Nightly News from 2001 to 2005. She is currently a co-host on the NBC New York show “New York Live” and has guest-hosted The View. Reid began her career in journalism as an anchor/reporter at WBSG-TV and WKYT-TV before joining KPRC-TV in Houston and then CNN Headline News. Reid is an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
36. Kimberley A. Martin
| Name | Kimberley Martin |
| Date of birth | January 9, 1984 |
| Place of birth | Brooklyn, New York, U.S |
| Occupation | Sports journalist, and writer. |
Kimberley A. Martin was born on January 9, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. Martin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and African-American studies from Wesleyan University in 2003, and later received a Master’s degree in Newspaper and Online Journalism from Syracuse University. She formerly worked for Yahoo! Sports and The Washington Post, currently she is a National Football League reporter for ESPN. Despite being married for almost seven years, Martin and her husband Jeffrey Roberts have not started a family yet.
37. Maria Taylor
| Name | Suzette Maria Taylor |
| Date of birth | May 12, 1987 |
| Place of birth | Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
Maria Taylor was born on May 12, 1987, in Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S. While attending Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia, she received many accolades as a student-athlete. Taylor continued her study at the University of Georgia, which offered an athletic scholarship. After graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism, she began her career as a reporter and analyst, covering college football and basketball. Maria Taylor is now working as a sports journalist and analyst for NBC Sports after previously working for ESPN
38. Lisa Salters
| Name | Lisa Salters |
| Date of birth | March 6, 1966 |
| Place of birth | King of Prussia, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Sportscaster, Sports anchor |
Lisa Salters was born on March 6, 1966, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S. She has been with ESPN since 2000 and has covered a range of sports, including football, and basketball. Before her career in sports broadcasting, she worked as a correspondent for ABC News, covering major events such as Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks. Salter currently works as a sideline reporter for ESPN, primarily covering NBA games.
39. Pam Oliver
| Name | Pam Oliver |
| Date of birth | born 1960/1961 |
| Place of birth | Dallas, Texas, U.S |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
Pam Oliver is a former athlete and sports journalist from Dallas, Texas. Oliver began her broadcasting career as a news reporter in Georgia, Alabama, and New York before transitioning to sports anchoring in Tampa and Houston. She joined ESPN in 1993 and later worked as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports, TNT, and now serves as a sideline reporter for Fox’s NFL broadcasts. Oliver has been with the #2 team since 2014 and her role was extended through the 2016 season.
40. Cerise Castle
| Name | Cerise Castle |
| Date of birth | 2000s |
| Place of birth | California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Cerise Castle is an American journalist who gained recognition for her investigative series on deputy gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She previously worked as an associate producer for Vice News Tonight and was later hired as a producer at KCRW. She experienced racist microaggressions during her time at KCRW and accepted a buyout to leave her position in 2021. In 2022, Castle received the American Journalism Online Award and the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award for the series. Castle has freelanced for various media outlets and was recently signed with CAA.
41. Cheryl Miller
| Name | Cheryl D. Miller |
| Date of birth | January 3, 1964 |
| Place of birth | Riverside, California |
| Occupation | Former basketball player, Sports broadcaster |
Cheryl Miller was born on January 3, 1964, in Riverside, California. She played basketball at Riverside Polytechnic High School before attending the University of Southern California (USC), where she became a four-time All-American and won two national championships. Miller is currently a basketball coach and analyst, She has coached at various levels, including high school, college, and professional women’s basketball, and has also worked as a commentator for several networks, including TNT, ABC, and ESPN.
42. Jemele Hill
| Name | Jemele Juanita Hil |
| Date of birth | December 21, 1975 |
| Place of birth | Detroit, Michigan, U.S |
| Occupation | Sports journalist |
Jemele Hill (born December 21, 1975) is a sports journalist from the United States. She had her first work as a general assignment sports writer for the Raleigh News & Observer. She was covering Michigan State football and basketball for the Detroit Free Press from 1999 to 2005. Starting in 2006, Hill worked at ESPN in different capacities until 2013. In 2017, she was honored with an Emmy Award for Outstanding News Special. Hill also started working with her podcast Jemele Hill is Unbothered in 2019.
43. Zain Asher
| Name | Zain Ejiofor Asher |
| Date of birth | 27 August 1983 |
| Place of birth | Balham, London Borough of Wandsworth, England |
| Occupation | Anchor, journalist |
Zain Asher was born on 27 August 1983, in Balham, London Borough of Wandsworth, England. Asher earned a degree in French and Spanish from Oxford University in 2005, and in the subsequent year, she pursued further education at the Graduate School of Journalism located in New York City at Columbia University. She is a news anchor at CNN International, based in New York City. By now, she is responsible for the network’s primetime, global news show One World with Zain Asher airing weekdays at 12 pm ET.
44. Keli Goff
| Name | Keli Goff |
| Date of birth | July 20, 1979 |
| Place of birth | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Journalist, and screenwriter |
Keli Goff was born on July 20, 1979, in Houston, Texas, U.S. She holds degrees from both New York University and Harvard University. Goff’s work focuses on politics, race, and culture, and she frequently appears as a commentator on television news programs. She appeared on numerous TV news programs, including MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, and the BBC, and also had a cameo as a political pundit on “Being Mary Jane”
45. Ivie Ani
| Name | Ivie Ani |
| Date of birth | May 27 |
| Place of birth | New York |
| Occupation | Journalist, writer, editor, media personality, and on-air host covering culture |
Ivie Ani is a Nigerian-American journalist, writer, editor, and media personality covering culture. She has written for various publications, including The New York Times, GQ, and Vanity Fair. Ani has moderated panels for companies like Sony Music and Twitter and has appeared on numerous news programs, including NPR and Entertainment Tonight. She currently hosts her live radio show “In Full Effect” on Amazon Music’s AMP. Ani has received Harvard’s 2022 Eminence Award and has spoken at various universities
46. Taylor Rooks
| Name | Taylor Rooks |
| Date of birth | May 22, 1992 |
| Place of birth | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
Taylor Rooks was born on May 22, 1992, in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. She studied broadcast journalism major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During her college years, she gained valuable work experience through internships at Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Fox Sports/Scout.com, and the PGA Tour. She appeared on CBS Sports Network reporting on the WBB Pre-NIT Championship at 19 years old.
In 2014, Rooks started working as an on-air host and reporter for the Big Ten Network and achieved much fame for her coverage of the Big Ten games and social media interaction. Two years later, she became a host and anchor for SportsNet New York while also working as a sideline reporter for CBS Sports Network during the 2016-2017 college football season
47. Christy Winters Scott
| Name | Christy Winters Scott |
| Date of birth | Unknown |
| Place of birth | Reston, Virginia |
| Occupation | Color analyst for college basketball, broadcaster, and coach |
Christy Winters Scott is a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA and internationally. She was awarded a complete athletic scholarship to compete in basketball for the University of Maryland from 1986-1990. Winters-Scott transitioned to coaching and worked as an assistant coach for George Mason, Maryland, and Georgetown from 1993-1997, 1997-2002, and 2004-2005, respectively. After retiring from professional basketball, she became a basketball analyst and commentator for ESPN and the Big Ten Network.
48. Sage Steele
| Name | Sage Marie Steele |
| Date of birth | November 28, 1972 |
| Place of birth | Panama Canal Zone |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
Sage Steele (born November 28, 1972) is an American television anchor who co-hosts SportsCenter on ESPN at 12 pm ET and covers various sporting events on SportsCenter on the Road. She used to host NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC for four seasons and was a full-time host of SportsCenter before that. Steele has a Bachelor of Science degree in sports communication from Indiana University Bloomington. She worked for several TV stations before joining ESPN in 2007. She hosted the Miss America pageant, the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and guest-hosted on The View.
She was suspended with pay by ESPN on October 5, 2021, for controversial remarks she made about COVID-19 vaccine mandates, women who dress in a way she feels is provocative, and Barack Obama’s race.
49. Cari Champion
| Name | Cari Champion |
| Date of birth | June 1, 1978 |
| Place of birth | Pasadena, California, U.S |
| Occupation | Broadcast journalist, television personality |
Cari Champion was born in Pasadena, California in 1978 and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where she studied English and mass communications. Champion began her broadcasting career in West Virginia, then worked in Santa Ana and West Palm Beach, Florida. She was fired from her anchor job in Atlanta in 2007 for allegedly using profanity on air. She joined the Tennis Channel in 2009 as a courtside reporter and anchor for the Court Report news segment.
In 2012, Champion joined ESPN as the host of First Take, a live debate show on ESPN2. he was promoted to anchor on SportsCenter in 2015 and left ESPN in February 2020. From August 2020 to February 2021, she co-hosted Cari & Jemele (Won’t) Stick to Sports with Jemele Hill on the Vice TV network.
50. Farai Chideya
| Name | Farai Chideya |
| Date of birth | July 27, 1969 |
| Place of birth | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S |
| Occupation | Writer, journalist, radio personality, author |
Farai Chideya was born on July 27, 1969, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. She graduated from Harvard in 1990 with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in English literature. Moreover, Chideya is the owner of a 15 years-old radio series on politics, Pop, and Politics with Farai Chideya, and online journalism, PopandPolitics.com. She also served as a political analyst on several news networks including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC News, Fox News, BET, and HBO.