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Soledad O’Brien Scheduled to Speak April 1 at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts at ASU

by Madison V. Fisler

March 25, 2014. Acclaimed journalist Soledad O’Brien is set to speak at Appalachian State University on Tuesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Doors will open at 6 p.m. one hour prior to to the show, according to the box office.

Award winning journalist, news anchor, documentarian and producer Soledad O’Brien will speak at Appalachian State University in April as part of the 30th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration. Originally slated to speak in January, the talk was rescheduled due to concerns for inclement weather.

imgresHer address is titled “Diversity: On TV, Behind the Scenes and In Our Lives.” The event will take place at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts at Appalachian State University. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with the event commencing at 7 p.m.

This event is completely free and open to the public, co-presented by the University Forum Committee and Multicultural Student Development. No tickets are required for this event.

Please allow extra time for travel and prepare to wait outside until the Schaefer Center doors open at 6 p.m. Bags will be checked at the door.

Biography

Soledad O’Brien is an award winning journalist, documentarian, news anchor and producer. O’Brien was the originator ofBlack in America and Latino in America. In June 2013 she launched Starfish Media Group, a multiplatform media production and distribution company, dedicated to uncovering and producing empowering stories that take a challenging look at the often divisive issues of race, class, wealth, poverty and opportunity, through personal stories. Starfish Media Group continues to produce Black in America and Latino in America and other programming for CNN, as well as ABC. Also, in June 2013, O’Brien joined Al Jazeera America and HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel as a correspondent.

O’Brien has reported on breaking news from around the globe. In 2011 she won an Emmy for “Crisis in Haiti Report” on Haitian orphanages, following the massive earthquake. In 2013, she won Emmy’s for her coverage of the 2012 Presidential Election and her work on “Kids on Race: The Hidden Picture.” Her coverage of Hurricane Katrina earned her and CNN a George Foster Peabody award. She also received another Peabody award for her coverage of the BP Gulf coast Oil Spill. Her reporting on the Southeast Asia tsunami garnered CNN an Alfred I DuPont award.

O’Brien’s critically acclaimed documentary series, Black in America and its follow-up Latino in America are among CNN’s most successful domestic and international franchises. In 2013 Latino in America 2, the story of a Latina boxer who dreams of Olympic glory, won the celebrated Cine Award for documentaries. Her documentary Gay in America: Gary and Tony Have a Baby, and Unwelcome, the Muslims Next Door also won numerous journalism awards. O’Brien was named journalist of the year by the National Association of Black Journalists and one of Newsweek magazine’s “10 People Who Make America Great.” In 2013, O’Brien joined Harvard University as a Distinguished Fellow and was appointed to the Board of Directors of the foundation for The National Archives.

O’Brien is also the Moderator and Executive Producer of the National Geographic Bee. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, O’Brien and her husband Brad created a foundation to help disadvantaged young women get to and through college. In 2013 they will award scholarships to 25 deserving young women. O’Brien lives in Manhattan with her husband and four children.