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Isha Isatu Sesay (; ; born 6 January 1976) is a British journalist of
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
an descent. From 2005 to 2018, she worked as an anchor and correspondent for
CNN International
CNN International (CNNI, simply branded on-air as CNN) is an international television channel that is owned by CNN Global. CNN International carries news-related programming worldwide; it cooperates with sister network CNN's national and inte ...
. Originally based at CNN's world headquarters in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, U.S. and now based in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, where she hosted the news programs ''
CNN Newsroom
''CNN Newsroom'' (also simply known as ''Newsroom'') is an American news programming block that airs on CNN.
Broadcasting for 43 hours each week, ''Newsroom'' features live and taped news reports, in addition to analysis from experts on the iss ...
Live from Los Angeles''. In addition, she was the presenter of the ''360 Bulletin'' on ''
Anderson Cooper 360°
''Anderson Cooper 360°'' (commonly shortened to either ''AC-360'' or ''360'') is an American television news show on CNN and CNN International, hosted by CNN journalist and news anchor Anderson Cooper.
Since May 20, 2019, ''360°'' has been b ...
''. In 2012, Sesay also joined
HLN as a co-anchor for ''Evening Express''. She left CNN in 2018 to support a girl's education project called
W.E. Can Lead for African girls, write a book and follow various other personal projects.
[
]
Youth and education
Born in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England in 1976 to Temne parents from Sierra Leone, Sesay returned with them at the age of seven to their homeland. Raised in their Muslim faith, she lived in Sierra Leone for most of her childhood. She is one of three children, with an older sister and a younger brother. Isha's mother is Dr. Kadi Sesay
Kadi Sesay (born March 4, 1949) is a Sierra Leonean politician, feminist, pro-democracy advocate and the vice presidential candididate of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). She served as Sierra Leone Minister of Trade and Industry from 200 ...
, a former lecturer at Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College is a public university in the neighbourhood of Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Founded on 18 February 1827, it is the first western-style university built in Sub-Saharan Africa and, furthermore, the first university-l ...
. Dr. Sesay, in 1992, was appointed as an advisor to the government of Valentine Strasser
Valentine Esegragbo Melvine Strasser (born 26 April 1967) is an ex-military leader who served as head of state of Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. Previously a junior military officer he became the world's youngest Head of State in 1992, seizin ...
. Isha's father worked as a legal advisor to the SLPMB (Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Board); he died in 1988.
Sesay studied at the private Fourah Bay College School in Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...
. She also attended St. Joseph's Secondary School in Freetown. At the age of 16, in 1992 she moved to the UK for further study and college. After completing her A-levels
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...
, she was accepted into Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...
, where she read English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
. She worked as a waitress in a bar while studying.
Career
Post college
After graduating, Sesay began her television career as a researcher for the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
talk show ''
Kilroy'', initially as an unpaid intern. She later was hired as a full-time paid employee. In 1998, she moved to
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
to work for
BBC Scotland, and, after a period behind the camera, got her first job as a TV announcer on ''
BBC Choice
BBC Choice was a British digital television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 23 September 1998. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, as well as the BBC's second non-analogue-terres ...
''.
[Benjamin, Chantal]
"Isha Sesay: A star is torn"
''Mano Vision'', 2000. Retrieved 2 August 2008. She went on to present a variety of programmes for the BBC,
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
and TWI, before joining
Sky
The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space.
In the field of astronomy, ...
in March 2002.
[Presenter Profiles – Isha Sesay]
''Sky Sports'', 19 July 2004. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
Sky
At Sky, Sesay spent over three years as an anchor on ''Good Morning Sports Fans'' for
Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News (SSN) is a British paid television sports news channel run by Sky, a division of Comcast.
History
Since 1992, Sky Sports had broadcast sports news, initially a brief ''Football Update'' and later this was expanded into a ...
.
[Anchors & Reporters – Isha Sesay]
CNN. Retrieved 2 August 2008. She considers the high points of this period to be meeting former boxer
Michael Watson
Michael Watson (born 15 March 1965) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1991. He held the Commonwealth middleweight title from 1989 to 1991, and challenged three times for a world title between 1990 and 1991. Wats ...
, interviewing
Ellen MacArthur
Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur (born 8 July 1976) is a retired English sailor, from Whatstandwell near Matlock in Derbyshire, now based in Cowes, Isle of Wight.
MacArthur is a successful solo long-distance yachtswoman. On 7 February 2005, ...
, and travelling with members of the
Arsenal football team following an
exhibition match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
at
Reebok Stadium
The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England.
Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming ri ...
in support of
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu (born 1 August 1976) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was a member of the Nigeria national team, and played for Nigerian team Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Dutch side Ajax, Inter Milan of Italy, ...
's heart foundation.
She later moved to
ITN, where she anchored the ''
ITV Morning News'' programme, and was also a newsreader on breakfast programme ''
GMTV''.
CNN
In November 2005, Sesay became a news anchor and correspondent at
CNN International
CNN International (CNNI, simply branded on-air as CNN) is an international television channel that is owned by CNN Global. CNN International carries news-related programming worldwide; it cooperates with sister network CNN's national and inte ...
, based at the network's global headquarters in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia, in the United States. She traveled to
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
in April 2007 to cover Nigeria’s election; the
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
, where she conducted one-on-one interviews with both outgoing president
Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its presid ...
, and the newly elected president
Umaru Yar'Adua
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who, was the President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. He was declared the winner of the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 20 ...
. Later that year, she was in South Africa to cover the launch of the
Global Elders.
''International Desk''
In 2009, Sesay became the host of the first edition of the weekday news program ''International Desk''.
''BackStory''
In 2011, she swapped roles with Michael Holmes, and was assigned as the presenter of ''BackStory''.
''CNN NewsCenter''
On 16 April 2012, ''BackStory'' was changed to a weekend-only show. Sesay was assigned as the anchor of a new show, ''CNN NewsCenter''.
In addition to her duties as an anchor on CNN International, Sesay contributes to ''
Anderson Cooper 360°
''Anderson Cooper 360°'' (commonly shortened to either ''AC-360'' or ''360'') is an American television news show on CNN and CNN International, hosted by CNN journalist and news anchor Anderson Cooper.
Since May 20, 2019, ''360°'' has been b ...
'' on
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
as presenter of the ''360 Bulletin,'' a position she has held since 17 January 2011. The following year, she also took up the role of presenter on ''Evening Express'' on
HLN. She is currently based in Los Angeles, United States.
Leaving CNN
On 2 August 2018, Sesay announced that she was leaving CNN after 13 years. She cited the media's focus on
United States President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
as a reason for her decision.
Sesay announced that she will be writing a book about the
abduction of Chibok girls, and that she plans to continue her engagement with African issues.
[
]
W.E. Can Lead
In 2014, Sesay launched W.E. Can Lead (Women Everywhere Can Lead), an education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
al, humanitarian 501(c)3
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 5 ...
, non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization.Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
n girls, but it is open for girls from everywhere in Africa.financial literacy
Financial literacy is the possession of the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources. Raising interest in personal finance is now a focus of state-run progr ...
, critical thinking and good health practices as well how to build self-esteem and self-awareness, they can apply to take part in the Young Leader development program. Those who do not gain a place may attend annual empowerment camps and an inspirational speaker series.Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna Elba (; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor. auctioned a date with him to raise money for W.E. Can Lead. They cooperated again in 2019, when they started a tombola in which donors could win a McLaren 720S Coupe.
Independent activities since 2018
Sesay works as a freelance presenter and speaker (whereby this list is not intended to be complete).
Sesay partnered with Bellanaija and AWB for a five-day series, “#ENDSARS: The Struggle to Save Nigeria” which investigated the core of the youth-led movement and stories of heroism, patriotism, and defiance associated to the fight for Nigeria’s future.
Sesay, alongside the Senegalese journalist Aboubacry Ba, was the emcee of the Aiteo CAF Awards 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, celebrated at the Centre international de conférences Abdou Diouf (CICAD) on Tuesday, 8 January 2019 in Dakar, Senegal.
In June 2018, she led a Q&A round with the director of the documentary ''Youth unstoppable'' Slater Jewell-Kemker and her executive producer Adrian Grenierdes. The documentary is about the green youth movement.
On the occasion of the 2018 World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day is an international day organised every year on 20 June by the United Nations. It is designed to celebrate and honour refugees from around the world. The day was first established on 20 June 2001, in recognition of the 50th anniv ...
, Sesay spoke with Samantha Nutt
Samantha Joan Nutt (born October 1969) is a Canadian physician and philanthropist who is the founder and president of War Child Canada. She has more than sixteen years of experience working in war zones. Her 2011 book ''Damned Nations: Greed, Gu ...
, founder of ''War Child the USA'', an organization to help and protect children from warzones.
In April 2019, she hosted a public discussion with Michelle Obama under the name ''Becoming: an intimate conversation with Michelle Obama'' in front of 20.000 guests at the Accor Hotel Arena in Paris and in Amsterdam.
Her book '' Beneath the Tamarind Tree'' about the abduction of Chibok girls in 2014 was published in July 2019 by HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...
and as an audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
on different platforms.
In June 2019, Sesay was a speaker at the ''Women Deliver
Women Deliver is a global advocacy organization that works to generate political commitment and financial investment for fulfilling Millennium Development Goal 5, which is improving maternal health. This is a multifactorial approach, involving acce ...
'' Conference in Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The ''Women deliver'' conference is an international conference around topics like gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
, health and wellbeing of girls in the 21st century.
She was a speaker at the 2019 ''Brilliant minds'' event in Stockholm, Sweden. The event was initiated in 2015 by Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
founder and CEO Daniel Ek
Daniel Ek (born 21 February 1983) is a Swedish billionaire entrepreneur and technologist. He is the co-founder and CEO of music streaming service Spotify.
Early life and education
Ek grew up in the Rågsved district of Stockholm, Sweden. He gra ...
and serial entrepreneur Arash Pournouri. The event claims to support open thinking in the music and technology industry.
In September 2019, Sesay was invited as a guest speaker in the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
program ''Africa today'' for two days, where she talked on women's representation in the media.
In September 2019, she was one of the hosts of the