Leah Hope
Prior to joining ABC 7, Hope worked at KATU-TV, the ABC affiliate in Portland, Oregon. At KATU-TV, she anchored weekend evening newscasts and reported during the week. Previously, she held the same positions at WISH-TV in Indianapolis, Indiana. Hope began her broadcasting career as a general assignment reporter at WBOC-TV in Salisbury, Maryland.
Hope's work covering issues in the African American community has been honored on both national and local levels. In 2003, she won two awards from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for reports on a group of "Lost Boys" attacked by a Chicago gang and changes in the cosmetic industry that reflect the changing face of America. The NABJ Chicago Chapter awarded Hope the 2003 Russ Ewing Excellence in Journalism Award and recognized her again with the 2004 Excellence in Enterprise Journalism Award for a series of reports on affirmative action.
Hope received an Emmy award for the half-hour primetime special, "9/11/02 The New Homeland." She contributed to "People, Places, and Things You Should Know: Women in Science and Technology," which won the 2001 Gracie Award from American Women in Radio and Television. Hope has been awarded several Peter Lisagor Awards, given by the Society of Professional Journalists, for stories ranging from breaking news coverage to consumer and business reporting. She was honored by the Chicago chapter of the Council on Islamic American Relations with the 2007 Media Award for ethical reporting. Hope was honored as the 2013 recipient of the Diogenes Award for Excellence in media from the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois. In addition to that she won an Emmy for reporting during the 2012 NATO Summit.
Hope is as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida. She is a Journalism Advisory Board member at Columbia College and belongs to several journalism organizations including: Investigative Reporters and Editors Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, American Women in Radio and Television, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Outside journalism, her community involvement includes work in the arts. She is a member of the Leadership Advisory Council at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art and Instituto Cervantes of Chicago. Hope's charitable work took her to Minneapolis on bicycle to participate in the 2001 Chicago AIDS Ride. She has been involved in several breast cancer awareness campaigns to promote early detection.
Hope received her B.S. degree in Broadcast Journalism/Political Science from Syracuse University in New York. She is the great-granddaughter of John Hope; the first African American president of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Hope lives in the Chicago area.
Leah's Stories
Nonprofit hosts 'field takeover' at Bronzeville school as alternative to disruptive teen gatherings
Among the participants were some young people and parents who appreciated having a safe, positive event on a Saturday.
Groups work on alternative options for young people to avoid 'teen takeovers' in Chicago
Leaders in Chicago blocked off access to Rainbow Beach Friday evening after flyers shared online advertised it as the scene of another "teen trend." It was unclear whether that's the reason police were there.
Students walk out of class at Hyde Park high school, say they need help dealing with grief, trauma
Some high school students on Chicago's South Side want help dealing with grief and trauma after multiple students died recently. They say their needs are being overlooked by their principal.
ABC7 gets inside look at Oval Office replica in Chicago's Obama Presidential Center
ABC7 takes you inside for a look at one of the highlights of former President Barack Obama's museum in Jackson Park.
Obama Foundation Scholars prepared as new generation of leaders, Presidential Center nears opening
There are less than six weeks until the opening of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side. Long before the center was erected, the Obama Foundation has been preparing a new generation of leaders.
Obama Presidential Center to serve as home base for some of Obama Foundation's programs
The Obama Presidential Center will be more than just a library. It will serve as home base for some of the Obama Foundation's programs.
Centenarians with Club 100 take tour of Obama Presidential Center ahead of June opening
Some local women who have witnessed history in person the last 100 years witnessed another piece of history. Centenarians were among the first the see inside the Obama Presidential Center.
Obama Center expects 700K visitors annually as local businesses eager for promised economic boost
The Obama Presidential Center's grand opening is less than one month away.
Chicago beaches open Friday as Mayor Johnson, officials outline summer safety plan
Chicago beaches open up Friday, marking the unofficial start of the summer.
Local artists' pieces among dozens featured at Obama Presidential Center
The public will even be able to admire some of the art pieces at the Obama Presidential Center for free.