About Charlayne
Charlayne Hunter-Gault joined the then-MacNeil/Lehrer Report in 1977. Her assignments included substitute anchoring and field reporting from various parts of the world. During her association with the broadcast, she was recognized with numerous awards, including two Emmys as well as a Peabody for excellence in broadcast journalism for her work on Apartheid's People, a NewsHour series about life in South Africa.
After leaving the NewsHour in 1997, Charlayne moved to South Africa where she was chief correspondent in Africa for National Public Radio until 1999 when she became the Johannesburg bureau chief for CNN.
Charlayne is currently a special Africa correspondent for NPR and is completing a book, "New News Out of Africa," expected to come out in June 2006. According to her publisher, Oxford University Press, the book will offer a "fresh and surprisingly optimistic assessment of modern Africa."
Charlayne’s Recent Stories
Education Nov 19
How these Oregon teachers are fighting back against white nationalismThe FBI reports that hate crime violence in the U.S. is at a 16-year high. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, meanwhile, says the highest percentage of hate incidents since the 2016 election occurred in elementary and secondary schools. Special…
Nation Nov 05
Derek Black grew up as a white nationalist. Here’s how he changed his mindAccording to the FBI, hate crimes are on the rise in the U.S. Studies also suggest white nationalist and white supremacist ideologies are spreading. Derek Black was raised in a household that espoused such beliefs, but during college, his views…
Nation Sep 12
To narrow toxic divides, students build bridges between faithsAs part of the Interfaith Youth Core, students and educators from colleges around the nation are coming together to find common ground while respecting differences. Special correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault sits down with founder and president Eboo Patel to examine how…
Nation Aug 29
This training uncovers the implicit bias in all of us. Can it change police behavior?Against the backdrop of simmering tensions over race and police violence against African Americans, police departments like the NYPD have introduced a relatively new training program aimed at teaching officers about implicit bias. Special correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault reports on the…
Nation Mar 27
How National Geographic is facing its racist historyNational Geographic has long provided a unique lens to view the world -- one that has sometimes distorted the lives of people of color. Now the 130-year-old magazine turns the lens on itself, with an issue devoted to the topic…
Arts Jan 26
How the U.S. became the hip-hop nationThe Grammys are catching up with public opinion by recognizing hip-hop artists in its top categories this year. At Harvard University's Hiphop Archive & Research Institute, the genre and its history is the subject of academic study as a brilliant…
Arts Jan 15
How ‘black-ish’ unpacks hard topics with humor and nuanceDigesting serious issues through comedy is like taking medicine with a spoonful of sugar, says Tracee Ellis Ross. “Black-ish,” the hit sitcom that stars Ross, doesn’t shy away from controversial issues, especially racism. Special correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault sits down with…
Nation Jan 09
Tracee Ellis Ross: ‘The curtain has been pulled’ on Hollywood inequity and abuseSystemic change is happening in Hollywood, says Tracee Ellis Ross, star of the sitcom “black-ish.” Ellis Ross is a founder of Time’s Up, a legal defense fund that aims to support those who have been affected by sexual violence. The…
World Dec 05
Remembering the regal and gracious Nelson MandelaLongtime PBS NewsHour correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault reflects on the first time she interviewed Nelson Mandela, who died Thursday at the age of 95. In this 1990 file photo, Hunter-Gault is seen with Mandela shortly after he was released from…
