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.

Colorado Supreme Court Justice Monica M. Márquez
Colorado Matters

Sept. 24, 2024: Chief Justice Monica Márquez on the responsibility of being a role model and pioneering judge

Monica Márquez’s name is synonymous with firsts. In 2010 Governor Bill Ritter appointed her to the Colorado Supreme Court, making her the first Latina and the first openly gay justice to serve on Colorado’s highest court. As of 2021, she is the longest-serving of eleven openly LGBTQ-plus state supreme court justices in the United States. And on July 26 this year, she was sworn in as the chief justice for the state’s high court, again making her the first-ever Latina to serve in that role in Colorado. Chandra Thomas Whitfield sat down with Justice Márquez at the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center in Denver, to talk about her journey, the responsibility she feels as a role model, and her priorities for the court.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Colorado Matters

Sept. 17, 2024: More wolves heading to Colorado; Sharing stories of culture and heritage

More gray wolves are coming to Colorado, nearly four years after voters decided to reintroduce them to our state. But the process has not been without problems. CPR climate and environment reporter Sam Brasch joins us with an update. Then, for Hispanic Heritage Month, we share stories of family, culture, and community with ¿Quién Are We? and one man’s special connection with his father.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Colorado Matters

Sept. 12, 2024: What’s next for MDMA after FDA rejection? Interpreting a lost Euripidean find

Researchers hoped the FDA would approve the drug commonly known as “ecstasy” to help treat PTSD. But now that the FDA has rejected it in a surprise decision, what’s next for the psychedelic? Then, two CU Boulder scholars interpret what they believe to be previously unknown fragments of two lost tragedies by the Greek playwright Euripides. And, using mammograms to increase awareness of dense breast tissue.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Three parents in the CPR News studio talking about the causes of parental anxiety and ways to cope.
Colorado Matters

Sept. 10, 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’ve 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
brainmri
Colorado Matters

Sept. 5, 2024: Clinical trials hope to curb and reverse Alzheimer’s; EVs drive a shift for firefighters

There’s a clinical trial underway in Colorado that is recruiting participants in an effort to treat and reverse Alzheimer’s disease. Then, electric vehicles are changing how firefighters respond to car fires. Plus, Native American skier Ross Anderson from Durango will be inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame this weekend! And, Mount Blue Sky, the highest road in North America, is now closed for repairs until spring of 2026.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
TWO WOMEN ARTISTS STAND NEAR THEIR FARMER MURAL
Colorado Matters

Sept. 2, 2024: Labors of love on Labor Day

On this Labor Day, people who work, to make a difference for others, including two artists, whose goal is to “paint the plains” from Bennet to Burlington, Lamar to Limon. Plus, a Colorado non-profit that makes sure working single moms have a reliable car. Also, a men’s clothier that’s making more than a fashion statement. And coffee with a cause.
By Ryan Warner and Chandra Thomas Whitfield
The four Wells family children and their cousin pose outside a sign in a community in Mexico.
Colorado Matters

Aug. 27, 2024: Worldschooling encourages families to use the world as a classroom

Imagine living abroad, or even in another part of the country 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, as well as a Denver family who took up the adventure.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Members of the Wells family seated at a table in Mexico.
Colorado Matters

For this Denver family, worldschooling was a life-changing adventure and opportunity

For Marlon and Jouanna Wells of Denver, the chance to spend four months in Mexico with their four children and two cousins was a chance to break from the routine of daily life and give their family a unique experience to learn while immersed in another culture. Chandra Thomas Whitfield talks with the Wells family about their worldschooling experience and their advice for others who want to try it, but might be hesitant to do so.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Angela Heisten, Annika Paradise, and Julie Frieder seen in front of a lake. They co-authored "Wonder Year: A Guide to Long-Term Family Travel and Worldschooling."
Colorado Matters

Making the world a classroom for your children

Worldschooling is when when families, usually those with school-age children, leave their day-to-day lives to live abroad or in another part of the country or a community, using the world as a classroom. Julie Frieder co-authored the book, “Wonder Year: A Guide to Long-Term Family and Worldschooling” with fellow Boulder moms Angela Heisten and Annika Paradise.
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield
Sherie Simonsen, 65, sits in a chair in her Denver home. She received free mental health counseling sessions from the Colorado Gerontological Society to help her cope with grief after her mother’s death.
Colorado Matters

Aug. 22, 2024: Aging and mental health; A healthcare victory for veterans who served at K2

As people age, physical health is often top of mind, and mental health is overlooked. For “Aging Matters on Colorado Matters,” we’ll talk about ways to cope with the Colorado Gerontological Society, a nonprofit that offers support programs for older adults including free mental health counseling. Then, what’s it like to be a Colorado delegate at the DNC? And, victory for veterans fighting for medical benefits after serving at the K2 military base in Uzbekistan. And a unique trail of dinosaur tracks!
By Chandra Thomas Whitfield