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
4 Chicago firefighters injured, 3 seriously, battling South Side fire, CFD says
At least four Chicago firefighters were injured, three seriously, battling a South Side fire in a vacant building Thursday, Chicago fire officials said.
Illinois law requires culturally competent hair care plans for foster children
Learning how to care for curly and textured hair can be a challenge for any parent. For foster and adoptive parents caring for children of a different ethnicity, a new Illinois law is aimed at making it easier.
Supporters of Chicago mother call on state's attorney to drop charges ahead of murder trial
Supporters of a Chicago woman charged in the death of her boyfriend rallied at Daley Plaza on Thursday, calling on the Cook County State's Attorney's Office to drop the charges ahead of her murder trial.
Hinsdale woman drowns while saving son at Libertyville forest preserve: officials
A woman drowned while saving her son at the Independence Grove Forest Preserve on Sunday, officials said.
More storms possible this weekend amid power outages, cleanup after 6 tornadoes hit Chicago area
South suburban and northwest Indiana residents are cleaning up from storm damage and waiting for power to come back on Friday as more storms may be on the way.
Hazel Crest seeks temporary housing for families displaced by July 27 tornado ahead of school year
The village of Hazel Crest is seeking temporary housing options for families displaced by a tornado that struck July 27, as some residents continue to recover from earlier storms while also dealing with the effects of Tuesday's severe weather.
Cleanup continues after at least 5 tornadoes, derecho hit south, southwest suburbs
Neighbors in the south and southwest suburbs described their fear after at least five tornadoes and a derecho moved through the area.
At least 3 tornadoes down trees and power lines, cause flooding and damage across south suburbs
At least three tornadoes hit the south suburbs Tuesday morning.
Family of man killed in Humboldt Park CPD shooting sues police, city: 'They chased an innocent man'
The family of Derek Jordan spoke publicly Friday after attorneys filed a civil lawsuit against a Chicago police officer and the City of Chicago, alleging the officer used unjustified deadly force in the shooting that killed Jordan.
Former Lane Tech football player who suffered brain injury dies at 30, remembered as natural leader
Family, friends and former coaches gathered to honor Drew Williams, a former Lane Tech College Prep football player whose fight to recover from a traumatic brain injury inspired those around him for more than a decade.