Krissah Thompson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Krissah Thompson
Thompson discusses First Ladies at the U.S. National Archives in 2015
Born	1979 (age 45–46)
Alma mater	University of Texas at Austin University of Maryland, College Park
Employer	The Washington Post

Krissah Williams Thompson, born in 1979, is an American journalist. She works at a well-known newspaper called The Washington Post. In 2020, Krissah Thompson became a Managing Editor. This means she helps lead the newspaper's team. She is the first African American woman to hold this important job at The Washington Post. Her role focuses on making sure the newspaper includes many different voices and perspectives.

Early Life and Education

Krissah Thompson grew up in Houston, a big city in Texas. She loved journalism from a young age. When she started college at the University of Texas at Austin, she joined the school newspaper, The Daily Texan.

She earned her first college degree from the University of Texas at Austin. While there, she was part of a sorority called Alpha Kappa Alpha. She also received a special scholarship, the Chips Quinn Freedom Forum Fellowship. After her undergraduate studies, she went to the University of Maryland, College Park. There, she studied journalism even more. In 2001, she joined The Washington Post as a summer intern.

Career at The Washington Post

Krissah Thompson has spent her entire career working for The Washington Post. She has written about many different topics. These include financial news, national politics, and lifestyle stories.

She also helped create a collection of essays called "Being a Black Man." This project explored ideas about race and Black identity. During the time Barack Obama was president, Krissah Thompson was an editor for the newspaper's Style section. She also covered news about Michelle Obama during the second part of Barack Obama's presidency.

Important Projects

After the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Krissah Thompson helped lead the newspaper's coverage. She was the acting bureau chief during the Ferguson unrest.

In 2018, she co-led a video project called "The N-Word Project." This project asked readers of The Washington Post to share their thoughts and experiences with the n-word. The project was recognized for its important work. It was nominated for an Emmy Award and also for an Online Journalism Award.

Leading Diversity and Inclusion

In 2020, Krissah Thompson was given a new and very important role. She became the Managing Editor of Diversity and Inclusion at The Washington Post. This made her the first African American woman to hold such a high position at the newspaper.

At the same time, The Washington Post announced it would hire more journalists. These new journalists would focus on stories about race and different communities. Krissah Thompson has said that she wants The Washington Post "to look like America and the communities we cover.” This means she wants the newspaper's staff and its stories to reflect all kinds of people in the country.

Selected Works

• Thompson, Krissah. "Being a Black Man: A 20-Year Journey." The Washington Post, 2018.
• Thompson, Krissah. "The N-Word Project." The Washington Post, 2018.