Soledad O'Brien facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Soledad O'Brien
O'Brien at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah
Born	María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien (1966-09-19) September 19, 1966 (age 58) St. James, New York, U.S.
Education	Harvard University (AB)
Occupation	Broadcast journalist
Spouse(s)	Brad Raymond ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	4

María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien (born September 19, 1966) is a well-known American journalist and TV producer. Since 2016, she has hosted Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien. This is a weekly talk show shown across the country.

Soledad O'Brien also leads Starfish Media Group. This company creates and shares different types of media. She is also part of the board for the Peabody Awards. These awards celebrate excellent work in TV, radio, and online media. Before this, O'Brien was a co-anchor for CNN's American Morning from 2003 to 2007. She also anchored Starting Point on CNN from 2012 to 2013.

People often praise O'Brien for her smart reporting. They also like her sharp interviews and how much research she does. She believes that telling a story well can inspire people to take action.

Early Life and School Days

Soledad O'Brien was born and grew up in St. James, New York. This town is on Long Island. Her parents were Edward Ephrem O'Brien and Estela O'Brien. Her father was a professor of mechanical engineering. Her mother taught French and English.

Both of her parents came from other countries. They met while studying at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father was from Australia. He had Irish and Scottish family roots. Her mother was from Havana, Cuba. She came to the United States when she was 14 years old.

In 1958, her parents got married in Washington, D.C.. At that time, it was against the law for people of different races to marry in Maryland. After they married, the O'Briens moved to Long Island. Soledad is the fifth of six children. All of her siblings also went to Harvard College. Her siblings include a law professor, a lawyer, a businessman, an eye surgeon, and an anesthesiologist. Her niece, Antonia Hylton, is also a journalist.

O'Brien finished high school in 1984. She went to Radcliffe College from 1984 to 1988. She first studied to become a doctor and also English literature. But she left college to work at a TV station called WBZ-TV. Later, she went back to school. She earned her degree from Harvard in 2000. She studied English and American Literature.

Soledad O'Brien's Career

O'Brien began her journalism career as a medical reporter. She worked at WXKS-FM in Boston. This was because she had studied to be a doctor in college.

Early Years at NBC and MSNBC (1991–2003)

O'Brien started at WBZ-TV as a producer and news writer. She joined NBC News in 1991. She worked in New York as a producer for Nightly News and Weekend Today. Then, she spent three years as a reporter in San Francisco. She worked for KRON-TV, which was an NBC station then.

From 1996, O'Brien hosted MSNBC's weekend morning show. She also hosted The Site, a technology show. This show was special because she talked with a computer character named Dev Null.

From 1999 to 2003, O'Brien was a co-anchor for Weekend Today on NBC News. She also reported for the weekday Today Show. She covered important stories like the plane crash of John F. Kennedy Jr. She also reported on the school shootings in Colorado and Oregon in the 1990s.

Working with Warner Bros. Discovery (2003–Present)

CNN: American Morning (2003–2007)

O'Brien moved to CNN in July 2003. She was a co-anchor for American Morning until April 2007. This was CNN's main morning show, broadcast live from New York City.

In 2004, she was named one of Crain's New York Business "40 Under 40." This list highlights successful people under 40 years old.

In 2005, she reported on the damage after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. She interviewed Michael Brown, who was in charge of FEMA at the time.

O'Brien in 2008

CNN: Starting Point (2012–2013)

From January 2012 to March 2013, O'Brien anchored Starting Point on CNN. CNN changed its morning shows in 2011. O'Brien started hosting Starting Point on January 2, 2012.

In February 2013, it was announced that O'Brien would leave Starting Point. She would start her own company, Starfish Media Group. CNN agreed to help fund her company. In return, CNN would have some rights to her documentaries. Her last day as an anchor on CNN was March 29, 2013.

HBO: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (2013–2023)

On June 12, 2013, it was announced that O'Brien would join HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. This was a sports news show. She worked as a correspondent until the show's final episode in December 2023.

Investigation Discovery: Quiet on Set (2024)

In 2023, O'Brien led a discussion with former child stars from Nickelodeon. This discussion was the final episode of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. The show was about issues at MTV Networks.

Other Work at Warner Bros. Discovery

In 2009, O'Brien finished a documentary called Latino In America. It showed the lives of Latinos in America. She kept working as a reporter for CNN. She mostly hosted "In America" documentaries. She also sometimes filled in for Anderson Cooper on Anderson Cooper 360.

O'Brien hosted a CNN special called Black in America in July 2007. This program looked at the successes and challenges faced by Black people. It aired 40 years after the death of Martin Luther King Jr.. The fifth part of the Black in America series aired in December 2012. Her report on children and race looked at how children view different colors.

O'Brien's company, Starfish Media Group, made a deal with HBO. This deal gave HBO the first chance to see any new shows or ideas her company developed.

Podcasting

In January 2022, O'Brien and financial journalist Jean Chatzky started a podcast. It is called Everyday Wealth. It talks about personal money matters and the economy. In the fall of 2023, O'Brien worked with actor Rob Reiner on a podcast series. It was about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The podcast is called Who Killed JFK?.

Other Work

On February 24, 2021, O'Brien spoke at a hearing for the United States House Committee on Ethics. The hearing was about "misinformation and extremism in the media."

Starfish Media Group

In June 2013, O'Brien started her own company, Starfish Media Group. This company creates and shares TV shows and films. Starfish Media Group made a deal to produce a series of hour-long documentaries for Al Jazeera America.

In September 2016, O'Brien became the host of Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien. This show is from Hearst Television. It is broadcast on TV and also shown on FYI on Sunday mornings.

In 2018, O'Brien hosted the documentary series Mysteries & Scandals on Oxygen.

Other Projects

From 2013 to 2016, O'Brien was the host of the National Geographic Bee. This is a competition about geography. She took over from Alex Trebek.

In 2014, O'Brien taught a class at Harvard University Graduate School of Education. The class was about helping the public understand education better.

On May 1, 2016, O'Brien hosted PBS NewsHour Weekend. She filled in for Alison Stewart.

On January 12, 2016, O'Brien appeared on the PBS show Finding Your Roots. This show explores people's family history. The episode focused on O'Brien's Irish family background.

In 2016, O'Brien presented the 'I Am Latino in America' tour. This tour traveled to different cities across the United States. It was streamed live around the world.

In May 2022, Soledad O'Brien worked with JP Morgan. She advised and gave a talk at an event in Dallas. This event aimed to help Black and Hispanic communities with financial education. O'Brien said her goal was to make sure the event led to real action. She also talked about plans for future events.

Personal Life

In 1995, O'Brien married Bradford "Brad" Raymond. He works in investment banking. They have four children. They have two daughters, Sofia (born in October 2000) and Cecilia (born in March 2002). They also have twin sons, Charles and Jackson (born in August 2004).

On the NPR quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, O'Brien explained her full name. In Spanish, it means "The Blessed Virgin Mary of Solitude." When she started working in TV, many people told her to change her name. But she chose not to. She is Catholic.

O'Brien has said that she does not speak Spanish very well.

O'Brien has enjoyed riding horses since she was 13. Now, she enjoys this hobby with her family. She and her husband also run a foundation. It is called PowHERful Foundation. This foundation helps mentor young women and supports them in going to college. The foundation started in 2011.

On February 7, 2011, O'Brien became an Honorary Member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Awards and Recognitions

• 1995: Local Emmy for The Know Zone
• 1997: Hispanic Achievement Award in Communications
• 2000: Newsweek named her one of "20 for 2000"
• 2000: People magazine listed her among the "50 Most Beautiful"
• 2004: Crain's New York Business "40 Under 40" honoree
• 2004: People en Español listed her among the "50 Most Beautiful"
• 2005: Black Enterprise Hot List
• 2005: Catalina magazine named her Groundbreaking Latina of the Year
• 2005: Peabody Award for CNN's coverage of Hurricane Katrina
• 2006: Newsweek listed her among "15 People Who Make America Great"
• 2007: NAACP, President's Award
• 2007: Gracie Allen Award
• 2008: Morehouse School of Medicine, first recipient of the Soledad O'Brien Freedom's Voice Award
• 2008: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Goodermote Humanitarian Award for her work on Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
• 2009: Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Medallion of Excellence for Leadership and Community Service Award
• 2010: National Association of Black Journalists, Journalist of the Year
• 2010: Edward R. Murrow Award, RTDNA/UNITY Award for Latino in America
• 2010: Peabody Award for CNN's coverage of the BP oil spill
• 2011: Emmy for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story for Crisis in Haiti (about the 2010 Haiti earthquake)
• 2016: Vanderbilt University, The Nichols-Chancellor's Medal
• Irish American Magazine, Top 100 Irish Americans" (twice)
• Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
• Emmy for 2012 election coverage
• Emmy for "Kids on Race"
• 2022: Peabody Award for The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
• 2023: Television Academy Honors for The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Leadership and Memberships

• 2007: Bryant University, Doctor of Humane Letters
• 2011: Delta Sigma Theta, Honorary Member
• 2013: Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Distinguished Visiting Fellow
• 2013: Foundation for the National Archives (Washington, DC), Board of Directors
• 2014: Spelman College (Atlanta, GA), Doctor of Humane Letters
• 2016: Stony Brook University, Honorary Doctorate of Letters
• ExpandED Schools, Leadership Council
• National Association of Black Journalists, Member
• National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Member
• The Harlem School of the Arts, Board Member

Film and TV Appearances

• 1989: Second Opinion, WXKS-FM (Boston) – Host
• 1989: Health Week in Review, WXKS-FM (Boston) – Host
• 1989: Eyewitness News First Edition, WBZ-TV (Boston) – Producer, Writer
• 1991–1993: NBC Nightly News – Producer
• 1991–1993: Today – Producer
• 1993: KRON-TV (San Francisco) – Reporter
• 1993–1996: The Know Zone (TV Series) – Co-host
• 1996–1997: The Site, MSNBC (TV Series) – Host
• 1997: Imaging America, WNET (New York) – Host
• 1997–1999: Morning Blend, MSNBC (TV Series) – Host
• 1997–2003: Today, NBC (New York) – Host
• 1997–2003: Weekend Today, NBC (New York) – Host
• 2003–2007: American Morning, CNN (TV Series) – Co-Host
• 2007–2011: Special Investigations Unit, CNN – Host
• 2007–2011: AC360, CNN – Host
• 2007–2011: In America, CNN – Host
• 2012–2013: Starting Point, CNN – Host
• 2013: America Tonight, Al Jazeera America – Host
• 2013–2015: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel – Correspondent
• 2013: Black in America: Black & Blue – Soledad O'Brien Reports (TV Movie documentary) – Producer, Director, Writer
• 2014: Da Sweet Blood of Jesus – Producer
• 2014: The War Comes Home: Soledad O'Brien Reports (TV Movie documentary) – Producer, Director, Writer
• 2015: Kids Behind Bars: A Soledad O'Brien Special Report (TV Movie documentary) – Producer, Director
• 2015: Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America (TV Movie) – Producer
• 2015: Billboard Women in Music 2015 (TV Movie) – Producer
• 2015: Babies Behind Bars (Documentary) – Producer, Co-director, Writer
• 2016: Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, Hearst Television – Host
• 2016: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Herself
• 2019: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Herself

Works and Publications

• 2008: Black in America (CNN)
• 2009: Latino in America (CNN and CNN en Español)
• 2009: Black in America 2 (CNN)
• 2010: The Atlanta Child Murders (CNN)
• 2011: Don't Fail Me: Education in America (CNN)
• 2011: The Women Who Would be Queen (CNN)
• 2012: Who Is Black in America? (CNN)
• Almighty Debt (Black in America) (CNN)
• Beyond Bravery: The Women of 9/11
• Children of the Storm
• Crisis in Haiti (Anderson Cooper 360, CNN)
• Don't Fail Me: Education in America (CNN)
• Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination (CNN)
• Gary and Tony Have a Baby (CNN)
• Her Children of the Storm
• Latino in America: Courting Their Vote
• Latino in America 2: In Her Corner
• One Crime at a Time
• Pictures Don't Lie
• Rescued
• The New Promised Land – Silicon Valley (Black in America) (CNN)
• The Women Who Would be Queen
• Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door (CNN)
• Words That Changed a Nation (CNN)
• “Who shot Biggie and Tupac”