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Baldwin Alumnae Spotlight: Cherranda Smith ‘15, Associate Editor, Black Information Network, iHeartMedia

Published By Cherranda Smith / published on: March 15, 2022

Cherranda Smith ‘15 shares how her current job at iHeartRadio's Black Information Network allows her to meaningfully explore her interests in both social work and digital media. “I have an awesome opportunity to integrate my social work skills with writing — an activity that used to just be a hobby/calling for me,” she says.

The following piece is reprinted from Duke Baldwin Scholars’ July 2021 newsletter.

Major: Psychology

Sometimes people hear “social worker” and rely on narrow narratives to picture what a day in my work life looks like. Many are pleasantly surprised to learn that social workers are everywhere!

Right now, I am a social worker working in digital media. As an Associate Editor for the Black Information Network at iHeartMedia, I have an awesome opportunity to integrate my social work skills with writing — an activity that used to just be a hobby/calling for me.

Prior to joining BIN last October, I got together with friends who’d also moved back home to Athens, Georgia amid the pandemic and started serving our hometown community. We organized pop-up COVID-19 testing sites, supported voter registration efforts, and got to meet with community leaders about the challenges and growth of our cherished home. That work was both exciting and fulfilling because I got to implement all previous work experience and leadership roles to be a part of a group handling real social issues in real time.

I try to bring that same energy to my work at the Black Information Network. Our dynamic team all works together to develop a platform where the Black experience is centered and comes first. Telling news stories that might get missed by other outlets, spotlighting our legends and legends-in-the-making, bringing dignity into our storytelling, all of that makes me excited about my work. In a time such as this, our truth really does matter.

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