Soledad O'Brien at the Facing History School

The Facing History School's annual Speaker Series continued this October, with CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien addressing the student body. The series brings scholars, activists, and artists to the school to broaden students' understanding of "choosing to participate" and demonstrate the power of a single individual to make a difference in his or her community. O'Brien had previously been the school's "Principal for a Day," as part of an ongoing PENCIL initiative that allows New York business leaders to experience the ins and outs of a New York City public school day and develop long-term partnerships with their sites. 

O'Brien spoke about the complexities of identity, sharing the struggles that arose throughout her own life as she negotiated a multiracial background. This included her account of a series of failed job interviews at a New England news station, during which she was told "We're only hiring one black anchor, and your skin isn't dark enough." However, she reminded the students that, while she faced classmates' taunts as a child as the daughter of an Afro-Cuban mother and Australian father, the ability to identify with a multiplicity of perspectives has ultimately enriched her work as a journalist.

Drawing from personal anecdotes as well as the stories of ordinary Americans encountered over the years through her work, especially during her Hurricane Katrina coverage, O'Brien reminded the student body that no obstacle is insurmountable. She urged perseverance and resolve, sharing her conviction that the audience possessed the power to "change people's thinking" and take charge of their own lives. "What do you see is possible," she asked, "for your future, your school, your community, and the world?"

Following her speech, O'Brien was swarmed with questions from eager students. Many of them concerned about her recent reportage for the documentary CNN Presents: Black In America, a piece they had watched in advisory; what followed was a candid and impassioned discussion surrounding issues of race and racism. Responding to several students' suggestions that the piece focused too heavily on negative depictions of African-Americans, O'Brien replied that her goal was to present a "realistic, balanced portrait" of Black America that neither perpetuated the stereotypes so often found in media representations nor sidestepped a penetrating, nuanced exploration of the subject matter.  Ultimately, she told the students, she was proud that the piece "stimulated an important dialogue" around the nation about these very issues, one clearly sustained in the school's auditorium.

O'Brien will continue to sustain her relationship with the Facing History School and has already invited a group of students to have lunchtime discussions at her office at CNN.