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.

Students wearing outfits they designed from trash are seen in a line on stage.
Colorado Matters

Feb. 20, 2025: Colorado students ‘trash the runway’ in the name of sustainability; Diversifying snow sports

Students across Colorado are getting ready to “Trash the Runway”… on purpose. They’re learning about fashion and sustainability by using the stuff we throw out to create high-end design. They’re also learning critical problem solving and confidence at the same time. Then, thousands of skiers and snowboarders of color are hitting the slopes of Keystone starting this weekend, to support diversity in snow sports, along with future Olympians.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
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Colorado Matters

Feb. 18, 2025: Colorado’s billion dollar budget hole; Amphitheater CEO on success, noise complaints

State lawmakers are faced with closing a potentially billion dollar budget gap; Purplish explores how Colorado got here and possible solutions. Then, the CEO of VENU, which built the Ford Amphitheatre in Colorado Springs, answers questions about its success, and the noise complaints it’s generated. Plus, we salute a 101-year-old Tuskegee airman in Colorado for Black History Month.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
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Colorado Matters

Feb. 13, 2025: Help for sex trafficking survivors; Colorado Wonders about potholes

Sex trafficking is a growing problem in Colorado — the state now ranks 10th for the most reported cases. We hear from a survivor who shares how she took back control of her life. Then, imagine driving along a rough road when two of your tires pop. It happened to one Colorado driver — and Colorado Wonders about the state paying for the damage. Also, her mother marched on Washington more than 60 years ago with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We’ll re-share her daughter’s journey back to D.C. for Black History Month. And History Colorado incorporates works by living artists — to connect past and present.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
A penny in front of a dark background.
Colorado Matters

Feb. 11, 2025: Dean says she was fired for objecting to book ban; A history of pennies

A Black middle school dean says she was fired by a school district in Colorado for objecting to a book ban. Now she’s filed a civil rights complaint. Then, President Trump has told the Treasury Department to stop making pennies. They’re minted in Denver. We’ll talk about the history and cost of the one cent coin. Plus, Chandra tries to up her “Colorado street cred” by taking on skiing thanks the BIPoC Mountain Collective. And author Laura Krantz asks, “Do you believe in magic?”
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Federal law enforcement outside the Cedar Run Apartments
Colorado Matters

Feb. 6, 2025: ICE roundups in Denver; Studying psilocybin’s effect on depression

Early Wednesday morning, immigration agents, along with local and federal law enforcement officers, descended on an apartment complex in Aurora. We look at what happened — and what happens next. Then, researchers in Colorado want to know if psilocybin – also known as psychedelic mushrooms – can help people process past trauma. And, with a pair of Black quarterbacks facing off in Sunday’s Super Bowl, we revisit a book focused on African-Americans and their evolution at the position.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Professional organizer Denine Moser smiles and hugs Colorado Matters host Chandra Thomas Whitfield in Chandra's home office which was a cluttered mess.
Colorado Matters

Getting organized can be as easy as just getting started! Helpful hints for decluttering

We’re just weeks into a new year, which for many of us is the perfect season to set new goals, plan out the year ahead and, yes, finally get more organized. Colorado Matters host Chandra Thomas Whitfield has already checked off a big item on her 2025 “to do” list: decluttering and organizing her home office with the help of Denine Moser of Serenity Now Professional Organizing of Castle Rock. Moser shared some helpful tips on how to tackle a big reorganization project.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Colorado Matters

Feb. 4, 2025: Legislature debates the Labor Peace Act; AI judging and the X-Games

Colorado’s Labor Peace Act makes it harder to organize unions compared to other states. Now, Purplish weighs in as the legislature debates if the unique, more-than-80-year-old law should be repealed. Also, this year’s X Games competition in Aspen featured something new — Artificial Intelligence. Could the trial run start a revolution to replace human-judged competitions going forward? And, the 155-acre, former Park Hill Golf Course has been at the center of a years-long battle. Soon it will become Denver’s newest public park. And, tips for decluttering.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
An oak wood desk displays a light blue and white MacBook desktop and other items from the era. The exhibit is modeled after a bedroom from the time.
Colorado Matters

Jan. 30, 2025: Colorado seniors navigate the digital divide; Planning for wildfire before it happens

Healthcare, housing, entertainment, and even friendships are all pretty much managed by technology, whether it’s on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Many people 65 and older are still on the wrong side of the so-called digital divide, but there are programs designed to help. Then, amid the devastation left by wildfires in California, or the Marshall Fire, an expert weighs in on how your family can plan and prepare before a disaster happens. And, Bill Frisell earns another Grammy nomination.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
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Colorado Matters

Jan. 28, 2025: Transparency, accountability at the state capitol; Courts reject autonomy for elephants

They’re called SMART hearings, designed to create accountability for state lawmakers, but do they actually make a difference? We’ll explore that with Purplish. Then, a group that wants to remove elephants from a Colorado zoo says it’s not giving up, even after the state supreme court rejected the idea. Plus, join CPR’s Sam Brasch for a discussion about wolf reintroduction on February 6. Plus, how the country’s highest suspension bridge came to span the Royal Gorge. And getting ready to celebrate the state’s sesquicentennial.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Colorado Matters

Jan. 23, 2025: Colorado may be in conflict with new immigration directives; Remembering Bill McCartney

New guidelines from the Trump administration regarding federal standards on immigration enforcement could conflict with state laws. Just how far will the new federal directives on immigration enforcement go? And, how far will Colorado go to stop them? Then, the University of Colorado remembers Bill McCartney, the winningest football coach in school history. Also, an up and coming writer and director from Denver talks about his new film, “Breakup Season.” And, what a way to “kick off” the year for Colorado born-and-raised jazz musician Tony Exum, Jr.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
A wolf sprints out of a gray metal crate
Colorado Matters

Jan. 21, 2025: More wolves released in Colorado; Ripple effect of wildfires on insurance rates

Colorado has released more wolves to the Western Slope, this time in Eagle and Pitkin counties, but the effort to reintroduce the endangered species continues to divide. Then, how the wildfires in California could have a ripple effect on home insurance in Colorado, which is already outpacing the national average. Plus, how a small Colorado business is bracing for tariffs. And former Denver Nugget and NBA superstar, the late Dikembe Mutombo, is honored for his humanitarianism.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield