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
City launches Operation Clean in Back of the Yards weeks after woman found dead in trash bin
The cleanup comes weeks after the body of Zenobia Weatherspoon was found in a trash bin in an alley behind 54th Street on July 11.
West suburban food pantry throws away 3 tons of food after storm-related power outage
Three days after Monday's storms, the impact is still being felt at a Wheaton food pantry that was forced to discard three tons of food after losing power for 14 hours.
Volunteers pack 36K backpacks with school supplies in Chicago
Volunteers and staff with Cradles to Crayons packed 36,000 backpacks with school supplies in less than two hours during the organization's 11th annual Backpack-a-thon at Wintrust Arena Wednesday.
4 tornadoes confirmed in south, west suburbs as residents clean up extensive damage across area
At least four tornadoes touched down in the Chicago area on Monday, the National Weather Service confirmed.
Strong storms tear through Chicago area, ripping roofs from buildings and trapping man inside home
Severe weather spawning tornado warnings moved through the Chicago area Monday afternoon.
6 wounded, 2 critically, after gunfire erupts at large gathering in Humboldt Park: police
Detectives are investigating an overnight mass shooting in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood that left six people wounded, including two men who were critically injured.
Chicago Park District says widespread changes implemented after shooting involving ex-lifeguard
Douglass Park Pool reopened this summer, along with other park district pools. But due to what happened there last summer, the Park District reports widespread changes.
Illinois designates July 25 as Emmett Till Day
July 25 will officially be known as Emmett Till Day in Illinois.
Chicago officials working to ensure grocery store access as 7 Save A Lot stores face closure
Residents and community leaders continue to express concern over the potential closure of several Save A Lot stores in Chicago, including locations in West Garfield Park and Englewood, citing the impact the stores have on access to groceries and healthy food options.
New Blue Envelope program to help drivers with autism during traffic stops in Illinois
The program is designed to reduce stress for drivers with autism and help officers better understand how to handle the traffic stop.