Chandra Thomas Whitfield

Host/Producer, Colorado Matters

[email protected]

Chandra Thomas Whitfield joined CPR as a host and producer of its daily interview show, Colorado Matters, in 2022.

Professional background:
Whitfield has produced stories for NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Essence, Ebony and a number of other national media outlets. She also hosted and produced the award-winning podcast “In The Gap” from In These Times magazine, which explored how the gender pay gap and pay discrimination affects the lives and livelihoods of Black women who work in America.

A New Orleans native by way of Atlanta and Clark Atlanta University graduate, she is also an alumna of a diverse mix of journalism fellowship programs, including the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at the Ohio University and Ted Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder. Most recently she completed the Medill and The Garage Media Entrepreneur Fellowship with Northwestern University’s esteemed Medill School of Journalism.

Education:
Bachelor's of Arts degree in Journalism, Clark Atlanta University.

Awards/recognition:
Whitfield is the recipient of numerous awards for her writing, including “Journalist of the Year” awards from the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Atlanta Press Club, as well as honors from the Association for Women in Communications, the Colorado Association of Black Journalists and Mental Health America. An award-winning feature story she penned for Atlanta magazine is widely attributed with helping contribute to a change in Georgia law and a young man's early release from a 10-year prison sentence.

Photo shows a father, his granddaughter, and daughter in seats at a theater awaiting a performance.
Colorado Matters

Dec. 10, 2024: Password posting investigation; Aging Matters with the gift of time

An investigation into passwords posted online by the secretary of state’s office is finished. We talk through recommendations to keep it from happening again. Then, when Bev Marsh gave her father a calendar last Christmas he was a bit confused, until he realized it truly was the gift of time. Plus, Sheridan Guerin, the first Black dancer in Colorado Ballet history to perform as Clara in the Nutcracker, one again takes on the role in the holiday classic. We revisit Chandra Thomas Whitfield’s interview with Guerin and young dancers of color.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Colorado Matters

Dec. 3, 2024: Aging Matters: ‘Change Makers’ helps navigate life’s next chapter; Avoiding real estate scams

People approaching retirement often face many challenges, such as how to manage finances and healthcare. But they also often grapple with questions about identity, self-worth and, ultimately, what to do next with their lives. Change Makers, a new program offered at the University of Colorado Denver, offers older adults and others a way to navigate those important questions. Plus, a reminder about how to avoid real estate scams.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Members of the Wells family seated at a table in Mexico.
Colorado Matters

Nov. 28, 2024: ‘Wonder Year’ teaches families how to use the world as a classroom

Imagine living abroad, or even in another part of the U.S. for a few months or longer, with your family in tow and using the world as your classroom. It might not be as far-fetched as you think. Three Boulder moms wrote a book on how to do it: “Wonder Year: A Guide to Long-Term Family Travel and Worldschooling.” Chandra Thomas Whitfield spoke with co-author Julie Frieder in August, as well as a Denver family who took up the adventure.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
John Akinboyewa is pictured sitting in a CPR News studio.
Colorado Matters

Have leftover food? Or need food? A Colorado engineer’s developed an app to solve the huge problem of wasted food

Many of us have been there: you host a gathering at your home, attend a wedding, or there’s a team meeting at work, and when it’s over, there’s plenty of food left over. And many times, it ends up in the trash. An engineer in Colorado has come up with a way to keep that extra food out of landfill and help someone in need at the same time.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Colorado Matters

Nov. 21, 2024: Denver City Council considers a flavored tobacco ban; How hard is it to quit smoking?

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, causing about 1 in 5 of all deaths; the rate is similar in Colorado. During the Great American Smokeout — when the American Cancer Society encourages people who smoke to make a plan to quit — we look at a proposal in Denver’s city council that aims to address the issue, calling for an end to the sale of all flavored tobacco products in the city to protect kids and advance health equity. Then, we speak with a vape shop owner. Also, quitting smoking is hard, but there are health benefits to be found with success, and the impact of menthol cigarettes on communities of color.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Three parents in the CPR News studio talking about the causes of parental anxiety and ways to cope.
Colorado Matters

Nov. 20, 2024: Why parents are stressed out, and ways to cope

The U.S. Surgeon General says almost half of American parents report feeling completely overwhelmed by stress. He now calls it an “urgent public health issue.” To get perspective, we asked three parents to join us: Craig Knippenberg of Denver is a dad and family counselor, Kelli Clifton Ogunsanya is a mom and the chief operating officer at local corporation, and Jess Pramov is also a mom and a telecom executive.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
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Colorado Matters

Nov. 19, 2024: Colorado begins racial equity study; Will recreational cannabis come to Colorado Springs?

The state is launching a racial equity study to research whether systemic harm has been done to Black Coloradans. We hear from state Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, who co-sponsored the bill to create a new commission to carry out that work, and from advocate Sade Cooper, executive director of C.H.I.C., the Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities. Then, the debate continues after voters allow the sale of recreational cannabis in Colorado Springs. Plus, the benefits, and pressure, of the Michelin guide. And the Swans of Harlem on their dancing legacy.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield