BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Suzanne Malveaux, CNN national correspondent
December 4, 2020
How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “If tradition holds, I’ll wake up to a ‘surprise’ breakfast in bed from my partner and our 6-year-old daughter, complete with flowers, balloons and cards. Since it’s the 6-year-old ‘cooking,’ breakfast will likely consist of coffee, blueberries and a previously boiled egg. I’m a twin, and for many years my twin sister and I celebrated our special day together, with a cocktail in hand, usually on a beach in the Caribbean. This year we’ll be Zooming through a touch-up filter, still raising a glass! Since this is my first birthday without my parents, I will go say ‘hello’ to them at their gravesite to thank them. That always lifts me.”
How did you get your start in journalism? “As an early student, my two loves were science and storytelling. While I started in pre-med, I pivoted quickly after I discovered the workload. In college, I interned at various radio and TV stations. I began my journalism career off camera doing documentaries in Kenya and Egypt. The late Tim Russert plucked me from local news at Washington D.C.’s WRC to report for a new start up called MSNBC. From there, I covered all things politics, breaking news and White House for NBC and subsequently here at CNN.”
What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading during coronavirus social distancing? And why? “I absolutely love the late Rep. Elijah Cummings’ book ‘We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of our Democracy.’ It was his last call to action before he passed away. He was not able to finish it, so his wife Maya, finished it for him. I had a wonderful opportunity recently to discuss Elijah’s life and the book with her, for an event for D.C. Public Libraries and a writers group for authors of color called Inkpen.”
What’s a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “I believe stories around struggle and resilience are critical now as we’re all being challenged like never before with the coronavirus. People around the globe are trying to cope, stay healthy and take care of their families. They often tell me their stories. I believe mental health care needs much more attention. There is so much more we could be learning from each other if we shared our stories of struggle and strength.”
What are you watching for in the Biden presidency? “I’m very curious as to what it would look or feel like covering the Biden administration. Trump White House aside, will the new administration feel frenetic like Bill Clinton’s, somewhat tense like George W. Bush’s, or disciplined like Barack Obama’s?”
What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I love to dance! If you’ve ever been to one of my ‘epic’ parties you’d probably laugh at my version of the robot, pop-locking and break dancing. But at family gatherings growing up we’d love doing ‘The Soul Train line’ (Millennials google it), as I aspired as a kid to be a ‘Soul Train dancer.’ As I grew older, my dancing goals evolved to Solid Gold, Fly Girl and hip-hop videos. I think my desire to dance comes from our New Orleans tradition of doing ‘The Second line’ a group dance parade that celebrates everything from birthdays to funerals. I haven’t broken anything yet so I’ll keep dancing.”
Source: https://www.politico.com/
