Farai Chideya

Farai Chideya, host of Our Body Politic, has covered the economy and jobs, politics, and race relations during her thirty-year career as an award-winning journalist, author, professor, and speaker. With her deep knowledge of the future of work, politics, culture, and race, Chideya speaks on a range of topics: from unconscious bias to media equity, to African American history and culture, and to motivational speeches about finding your right livelihood. She brings up issues that people find difficult to talk about in a way that encourages openness and new understandings within communities, campuses and workplaces.

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Farai is the creator and host of "Our Body Politic," a weekly sociopolitical audio show by and for women of color. This newly syndicated public radio show and podcast is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they're impacting those very issues.

During the 2016 election she was a Senior Writer covering politics and data at ESPN's FiveThirtyEight, and a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is the author of six books, including The Episodic Career: How to Thrive at Work in the Age of Disruption and The Color of Our Future, a deep dive into the changing racial demographics of this country from the perspective of young Americans. Chideya frequently appears on public radio and cable television, and has worked for CNN, ABC, and NPR. She is also the former longtime host of NPR's News & Notes.

Chideya was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, with strong family ties to Zimbabwe. She graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University, where she was elected Chief Marshal, the highest honor accorded to a member of the graduating class at their 25th reunion.

Farai Chideya, brings up issues that people find difficult to talk about in a way that encourages openness and new understandings within communities, campuses and workplaces.

• The future of work
• DEI
• Politics
  

Bridging the Cultural Divide Among Women

Available for viewing from Vest Her

Interview with CNN's Reliable Sources

How to cover diversity, political division in a divided America

Available for viewing from It's All About Journalism

"Farai delivered an eloquent and relevant keynote address at the Boston University Power of Narrative conference. She powerfully detailed how journalism is missing important diverse voices and how that puts our industry–and our democracy–in peril. She provided our attendees with solutions on how we can be better, more inclusive storytellers. Her message was profound and incredibly well-received."

- Mitchell Zuckoff, Sumner M. Redstone Professor of Narrative Studies, Boston University

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"I'm so amazed at how powerfully insightful and passionate Farai was around women, culture and bridging divides. Farai helped kicked off our conference, and I'm still hearing attendees say how thought provoking and inspiring she was – how she was their favorite speaker. Working with her was phenomenal and enlightening, and she definitely left us more resilient to go forth in life with the reminder that, "this is going to be hard, but we'll get through it together."

- Shertease Wheeler, Senior Events Program Manager of Conference + Events, Working Mother Media

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"Farai spoke at the 2017 Australian Market & Social Research Society Conference in Sydney and she was a pleasure to work with from the outset. As for her presentation... interesting, insightful and entertaining. Farai was definitely one of our conference highlights and feedback from delegates was excellent. Our national broadcaster the ABC also picked her up for an interview."

- Tiina Raikko, 2017 Conference Co-Chair & Current Vice President of AMSRS

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