CNN Journalist Soledad O’Brien Kicks off 40th Anniversary of AF-LAT-AM Society

O'Brien will speak on April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Cochran Chapel.

March 10, 2009 --In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Phillips Academy’s Afro-Latino-American Society, the Academy welcomes CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien on Friday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Cochran Chapel. O’Brien’s speech is free and open to the public.
 
“We are excited to kick off the celebration of Phillips Academy’s commitment to diversity and multiculturalism with remarks by Ms. O’Brien,” said Linda Griffith, instructor in English and dean of community and multicultural development. “Soledad is not only the embodiment of multiculturalism but, through her work in journalism, she has kept America and the world informed of the challenges and rewards of living in a nation of many cultures. I am delighted that close to 100 alumni will join us for this historic moment of recognition of the Afro-Latino-American Society.”

PA’s Af-Lat-Am Society was founded in 1968 and modeled after a similar program at Dartmouth College. Originally formed to meet the needs of the school’s black student population, the society grew to include Latino students a few years later. Today, the organization provides support and mentorship for students of African and Latino descent, and raises awareness and promotes understanding about black and Latino culture on campus.

Since joining CNN Worldwide in 2003, O’Brien has reported breaking news from around the globe, covered political news as part of CNN’s “Best Political Team on Television,” and produced award-winning and record-breaking documentaries on the most important stories facing the world today.

O’Brien’s most recent projects include CNN Presents: Black in America, which focused on the state of Black America 40 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; CNN Presents: Escape from Jonestown; and continued post-Katrina coverage of New Orleans.

The daughter of Cuban and Irish immigrants, O’Brien grew up on New York’s Long Island and graduated from Harvard University. In 2005, she was awarded the Hispanic Heritage Vision Award, considered one of the highest honors for Hispanic Americans. The following year the National Urban League awarded her its Women of Power award.  In 2007, the NAACP honored O’Brien with its President’s Award for her humanitarian efforts and journalistic excellence, and she received the first annual “Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award,” created in her honor by Community Voices at the Morehouse School of Medicine. She also was the recipient of the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay’s 2007 Clara Barton Humanitarian Award. The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity honored O’Brien in 2008 with the Alpha Award of Honor, the highest recognition for a non-member, for her work with media coverage of issues affecting the African-American community.

O’Brien is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.