Who is Suzanne Malveaux? CNN journo’s partner Karine Jean-Pierre is 1st openly-gay woman to brief WH press
Deputy White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre grabbed headlines on Wednesday, May 26, when she took the White House podium as the first black woman to conduct the briefing since 1991.
Jean-Pierre, a longtime Democratic operative, filled in for Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who wished her well on her "big day" before she faced the press. That said, Jean-Pierre also made history by becoming the first openly gay woman to brief the press from the historic podium. She lives with her partner CNN journalist Suzanne Malveaux in Washington DC with their adopted daughter Soleil.
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Who is Suzanne Malveaux?
Born on December 4, 1966, in Lansing, Michigan, Suzanne Malveaux is the daughter of Floyd J and Myrna Maria Ruiz Malveaux. Her father was doing his PhD when she was born and went on to become a notable physician and professor. Meanwhile, her mother was an early childhood educator, CNN reported.
Malveaux credits her parents' leadership and guidance for her success in elementary school. She obtained her BA degree in sociology from Harvard University and her M.A. degree in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. During that period, she spent time as an intern in Africa, working on documentaries in Kenya and Egypt. She has also contributed to a documentary about the Great Depression with Henry Hampton, founder of Blackside, Inc.
Malveaux landed her first gig in television news as a general assignment reporter for New England Cable News in Boston, Massachusetts. She began reporting local and crime news for NBC affiliate WRC-TV before joining NBC Network News in 1999. Her NBC stint lasted six years, during which she covered national stories such as the Kosovo War, the 2000 Presidential Election, as well as 9/11.
Malveaux joined CNN in May 2002 as a White House correspondent. She played an instrumental role during the 2004 and 2006 elections, helping her station earn an Emmy Award in 2006. Throughout her decade-long career as a White House correspondent, Malveaux has conducted interviews with Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama.
Aside from journalism, Malveaux also served as a panelist during the Democratic presidential primary debate in January 2008 and even anchored a documentary on then-presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama. That same year she interviewed former first lady Hillary Clinton and also served as the primary fill-in host on CNN's 'The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer'.
Malveaux earned an Emmy Award for her work at the New England Cable News Network, which won the “Best Newscast in Boston” award. Meanwhile, her role in CNN's coverage of natural calamities Hurricane Katrina and the Southeast Asia Tsunami disaster helped CNN earn both a Peabody Award and an Alfred I DuPont Award. In 2004, she was awarded Communicator of the Year by the National Black MBA Association. The following year, she was named one of “America’s Most Powerful Players Under 40” by Black Enterprise magazine. In 2009, she was named Journalist of the Year by Essence magazine.
Malveaux was promoted to anchor 'CNN Newsroom' in 2011. The accomplished journalist has traveled the world and notably interviewed all six living U.S. presidents.