CNN is a global news network famous for delivering global news and shaping broadcast journalism through a talented roster of journalists. Among them are several Black CNN anchors.
In addition to delivering news, these anchors serve as a voice for Black people. Below, we have compiled a list of black CNN anchors who are leading the way when it comes to black representation.
1. Abby Phillip
Abby Phillip is one of the most prominent black CNN anchors. Born to immigrant parents from Trinidad and Tobago, she currently anchors NewsNight with Abby Phillip and hosts Table for Five on weekends.
Phillip joined CNN in 2017, initially covering the Trump Administration before becoming the anchor of Inside Politics Weekend Edition. Before CNN, she worked for The Washington Post, where she reported on politics and other general assignments.
She has also worked for Politico, where she covered the Obama Administration, and ABC News, where she was a digital reporter covering politics.
2. Laura Coates
Laura Coates anchors Laura Coates Live, which airs weeknights, in addition to serving as CNN’s chief legal analyst. She also anchors CNN’s special event coverage and The Laura Coates Show on Sirius XM.
A former federal prosecutor, Coates is widely recognized as the first black woman to hold CNN’s chief legal analyst position. She has also published a memoir, Just Pursuit, which chronicles her experience as a black prosecutor serving in a legal system with deep systemic biases.
Laura Coates joined CNN in 2016 as a senior legal analyst. Before that, she had a successful legal career, working as a private attorney before moving to the United States Department of Justice as a prosecutor.
3. Victor Blackwell
Victor Blackwell is one of the few black male CNN anchors. He currently serves as the co-anchor of CNN This Morning Weekend, host of First All with Victor Blackwell, and a CNN correspondent covering breaking news, civil rights issues, and investigative stories.
Blackwell joined CNN in 2012, initially serving as a correspondent before becoming a co-host for New Day and CNN Newsroom. Before CNN, he worked as an anchor at various local stations, including WPBF in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was the station’s first black main anchor.
An openly gay black man, Victor Blackwell is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community, people of color, and marginalized communities.
4. Zain Asher
Zain Asher is a British news anchor of Nigerian descent (Igbo ethnic group) who works for CNN International out of New York City. She currently anchors One World with Zain Asher and Bianna Golodryga and hosts CNN International’s weekly business show, Marketplace Africa.
Asher also anchors breaking news for CNN and has covered several major stories, including Queen Elizabeth’s death, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gaza War, and the war in Ukraine. She also covered the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping incident by Boko Haram from Abuja, Nigeria.
Zain Asher joined CNN in 2013 after a network executive invited her for a screen test. Before that, she worked as a news reporter for News 12 Brooklyn and a financial reporter for Money magazine.
5. Audie Cornish
Audie Cornish is an African American journalist of Jamaican descent born to Jamaican immigrant parents. She anchors CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish for CNN and CNN International.
Cornish also co-hosts Engagement Party, a weekly CNN podcast and serves as a senior analyst for the network. She joined CNN in 2022, initially serving as a host for a weekly show on CNN+.
Before CNN, she worked for NPR, where she famously co-hosted All Things Considered, the network’s flagship news program. She has also worked for WBUR in Boston and the Associated Press.
6. Fredricka Whitfield
Fredricka Whitfield is an African American journalist and news anchor, and the daughter of Mal Whitfield, an Olympic champion and former Tuskegee Airman. She was born in Nairobi, Kenya, while her father was stationed there as a diplomat.
She is an anchor for CNN, where she hosts the weekend edition of CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield. Additionally, she serves as a fill-in anchor for CNN weekday programs, including At This Hour.
Whitfield, who joined CNN in 2002, also serves as a breaking news correspondent for the network. She has covered several breaking news events for CNN, including the death of Ronald Regan, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and the death of Kobe Bryant.
7. Ben Hunte
Ben Hunte is a British journalist of Afro-Caribbean descent born to Jamaican and Guyanese immigrant parents. He is another one of the most prominent black openly gay CNN anchors.
Hunte anchors weekend editions of CNN Newsroom. He also serves as a correspondent, primarily covering LGBTQ and social justice issues for various CNN programs.
He joined CNN in 2024 and has worked out of the network’s Atlanta and London offices. Before that, he worked as a Global Correspondent for Vice News, where he specialized in covering human rights and LGBTQ issues.
Hunte also previously worked for various BBC platforms, including BBC News and BBC News Africa. Before becoming a journalist, he worked for Google Ireland as a strategic partner manager.
8. Sara Sidner
Sara Sidner is a biracial American journalist born to an African American father and a British mother. She is a co-anchor for CNN News Central and also serves as a senior national correspondent for the network.
As a correspondent, she has covered several major stories, including the George Floyd protests and the trial of Derek Chauvin. She has also covered major international stories, including topics like terrorism, business, and cultural issues.
Sidner joined CNN in 2008 and covered Asia and the Middle East before becoming a national correspondent. Before joining CNN, she spent 13 years working at various local news stations, including WUFT-TV, KFVS-TV, WINK-TV, KDFW-TV, and KTVU.
9. Brad Smith
Brad Smith is another prominent black CNN anchor. He serves as an anchor on CNN Headlines, the network’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) channel, where he covers major stories, including business, politics, entertainment, culture, and international news.
Smith joined CNN in 2025 after previously working for Yahoo! Finance as the host of Morning Brief. Before that, he served as an anchor for Cheddar News and Cheddar Business, where he notably hosted Search for a Cure: COVID-19 and All Hands: Race to Inclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
Before becoming a journalist, Smith also worked as a Global Listing Services marketing specialist at the Nasdaq Stock Market.