Nikole Hannah-Jones is an award-winning investigative journalist whose reporting has reshaped public understanding of civil rights, racial inequality, and the long-term legacy of slavery in the United States. Born in 1976 in Waterloo, Iowa, Hannah-Jones has built a career documenting how segregation and systemic racism continue to shape housing, education, and opportunity for Black communities. She is best known as the creator and lead writer of The 1619 Project, a groundbreaking New York Times initiative that reframes U.S. history by placing the experiences and contributions of enslaved Africans and their descendants at the center of the national narrative.
Over the course of her career, Hannah-Jones has reported for outlets including The Oregonian, ProPublica, and the New York Times Magazine. Her investigative work has exposed persistent school segregation, discriminatory housing practices, and government policies that reinforce inequality. For this reporting, she has received numerous honors, including a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, a MacArthur Genius Fellowship, and multiple National Magazine Awards.
Beyond journalism, Hannah-Jones has become a leading public voice on historical truth-telling and education equity. She founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting to expand opportunities for journalists of color in the field, and she currently serves as the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she continues to mentor and support the next generation of storytellers and movement-builders.
