White House Journalist April Ryan will be at Baldwin Public Library on Friday, Janurary 27th from 7-8 PM. She will be talking about her new book, At Mama’s Knee. The library will be serving Prosecco. If you have any questions, or would like to reserve a book beforehand, please call Book Beat at (248) 968-1190. This event is free and open to the public, although registration is required. You can register here.
April Ryan, a 30-year journalism veteran, has been the White House Correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) since January of 1997, covering three Presidents. Ryan is also the author of the best- selling book, The Presidency In Black and White: My Up Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America.
The Presidency in Black and White was named by NBC NEWS as one of 14 books to read during Black History Month 2015. As a White House Correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief, Ryan has been afforded the opportunity to write The Presidency in Black and White through her daily responsibilities at the White House, including hosting the daily feature, The White House Report, which is broadcast to AURN’s nearly 300 radio affiliates. On behalf of the American Urban Radio Networks, and through her “Fabric of America” news blog, she delivers her readership and listeners (millions of African Americans and close to 300 radio affiliates) a “unique urban and minority perspective in news.” Her position as a White House Correspondent has afforded her unique insight into the racial sensitivities, issues, and political struggles of our nation’s last three presidents.
Prior to working for AURN, Ryan worked for several radio stations in Baltimore, including WXYV-FM, where she was news director. Over the past 18 years, Ryan has conducted one-on-one interviews with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Senator John Kerry and a host of others. Ryan has been credited by a White House historian as having the most radio interviews with then President Bill Clinton during his White House years.
Prior to working for AURN, Ryan worked for several radio stations in Baltimore, including WXYV-FM, where she was news director. Over the past 18 years, Ryan has conducted one-on-one interviews with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Senator John Kerry and a host of others. Ryan has been credited by a White House historian as having the most radio interviews with then President Bill Clinton during his White House years.
In 2006, Ryan has also traveled with First Lady Laura Bush to Mississippi to meet with New Orleans Hurricane Katrina survivors. In September 2005, Ryan flew to Haiti with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. While under the protection of the United Nations Blue Helmet Security forces, Ryan reported on America’s support for democratic elections there. April Ryan has also traveled to Africa on presidential missions with President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and President George W. Bush. Ryan provided exclusive coverage of the Presidential activities in Africa, and gathered newsworthy information for a 10-part series AURN broadcast in June, 1998 for the Clinton historic six nation African tour.
An exclusive interview with Hillary Clinton followed and was not only broadcast by AURN, but was featured on the CBS evening news, among other national television and radio broadcasts.April Ryan’s career has also afforded April the opportunity as a U.S. Young Leader to travel to China and Switzerland. Over the years many of her breaking news stories and interviews have found their way to the pages of some of the nation’s top newspapers. Those stories have also been featured in television newscasts on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC and FOX. In September 2005 Ryan’s breaking news coverage with First Lady Laura Bush was also highlighted on NBC’s Today show.
April Ryan was elected July 14, 2011 to serve on the board of the prestigious White House Correspondents Association for a three year term. She is one of only three African Americans in the association’s 100-year history to serve on the WHCA board. Ryan is one of the esteemed members of the National Press Club. Ryan participated in the 8th annual Black Policy Conference at the Harvard Kennedy School, March 2012. In 1997, Ryan was named one of the Outstanding Young Women in America. In 2004 Ryan was named an American Swiss Foundation Young Leader. Among her many accolades and various duties, Ryan also served as The Washington Insider for the Art Fennell Reports Show on Comcast Network where she provided a unique perspective of urban and mainstream politics inside Washington and the White House.
Ryan has appeared as a roundtable panelist on NBC’s Meet the Press, ABC’s This week with George Stephanopoulos, and on CBS’s Face the Nation. Ryan also analyzed the changing political climate for then President-Elect Barack Obama on NBC’s Today show. Ryan is also a regular guest on MSNBC and fill in host on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Ryan was a finalist for the National Association of Black Journalists – Salute to Excellence Award for Radio-Public Affairs: Interview/Discussion – April Ryan, American Urban Radio Networks “Interview with Minister Louis Farrakhan”. The 2014 recipient of the Capital Press Clubs North Star, Voice of Black America Award. POLITICO has named Ryan, one of the top 50 in Washington to watch for 2011-2012. April Ryan was seated in 2013 to the Board of Trustees of Cambridge College in Massachusetts.
The Baltimore native is a second generation Morgan State University graduate (following in her mother’s footsteps). She is the daughter of Robert C. Ryan Sr. and the late Vivian Ryan. April Ryan is also a proud mother of two daughters.
In her first book, The Presidency in Black and White, journalist April Ryan examined race in America through her experience as a White House reporter. In this book, she shifts the conversation from the White House to every home in America. At Mama’s Knee looks at race and race relations through the lessons that mothers transmit to their children. As a single African American mother in Baltimore, Ryan has struggled with each gut wrenching, race related news story to find the words to convey the right lessons to her daughters. To better understand how mothers transfer to their children wisdom on race and race relations, she reached out to other mothers—prominent political leaders like Hillary Clinton and Valerie Jarrett, celebrities like Cindy Williams, and others like Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother, whose lives have been impacted by prominent race related events. At a time when Americans still struggle to address racial division and prejudice, their stories remind us that attitudes change from one generation to the next and one child at a time.
Features interviews with: Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; John Lewis, congressman; Hillary Clinton, former First Lady, Secretary of State, Presidential candidate; Cindy Williams, actress known for role of Shirley on Laverne & Shirley; Cory Booker, United States senator; Christopher Darden, OJ Simpson prosecutor; Michael Cole, actor best known for role of Pete on The Mod Squad; Valerie Jarrett, presidential advisor; Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy; Iyanla Vansant, author, life coach and television personality; Harry Belafonte, singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist; President Barack Obama; and President Jimmy Carter.
“In her latest tome, At Mama’s Knee, April Ryan brings a needed and necessary conversation on race to the forefront. That she chooses to tell these precious stories on race through the voice of a mother is worthy of perking our ears to listen. Mothers are the backbone of our society. They set the stage for how we will address the world. And in today’s racially charged climate, there are far too many mothers crying. It’s time that we lean into the wisdom emanating through these poignant expressions of joy and pain.” (T. D. Jakes, senior pastor, The Potter’s House of Dallas, host the “T.D. Jakes” show)
“Ryan’s emotionally-rich exploration of the influences race, identity and family have on our life experiences reminds us just how powerful an imprint mothers make on us all.” (Vanessa De Luca, Editor-in-Chief, Essence Magazine)
“From her humble beginnings in inner city Baltimore to the heights of serving as a White House correspondent, April Ryan has seen it all. From this unique perspective, she shares her life experience as a black daughter and now as a black mother in today’s racially complex world.” (Bobby Scott, U.S. House of Representatives)
“April Ryan has written a truly amazing book. At Mama’s Knee is powerful and personal; insightful and moving; loving and gracious. I learned so much. Anyone who reads At Mama’s Knee will emerge smarter and stronger.” (Wolf Blitzer, CNN Anchor, The Situation Room)
“With passion and precision, April Ryan examines race, gender, and family at the dawn of a post-Obama, and an anything but post-racial America…. Incisive, intelligent and interesting page after page.” (Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO, NAACP)