Curtis Stephen is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The Daily Beast, Newsday, Newsweek, Am New York and City Limits.
In his work, Stephen has interviewed or profiled a broad range of personalities including actress-activist Ruby Dee, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, actor-activist Danny Glover, celebrated architect David Adjaye and author Chimamanda Adichie.
Stephen has also served as a stringer with Newsweek magazine and a media fellow with the Open Society Institute where he wrote a series of feature articles on wrongful convictions.
Stephen regularly covers the criminal justice system. Among his reports, Stephen chronicled the case of Colin Warner, a Trinidadian who was wrongfully incarcerated for 21 years in New York for murder in a cover story for City Limits magazine entitled “The Wrong Man.”
Mentored by the likes of Ed Bradley (the late CBS News “60 Minutes” correspondent) and Peter Jennings (the late ABC News anchor), Stephen aspired to a career in journalism beginning at the age of 12.
A graduate of Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus, Stephen received the Theodore E. Kruglak Award in International Reporting, which enabled him to work in India with The Times of India and CNN.
Prior to his work in print/online journalism, Stephen worked in network television – including CNN in Atlanta, ABC News (“20/20” and “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings”), and WNBC-TV in New York.
Since 2006, Stephen has served among a panel of judges for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Emmy Awards.
Stephen was one of the last journalists to interview New York City Councilman James E. Davis prior to his 2003 murder inside City Hall.
Currently, Stephen is working on a biography of the late, influential New York City radio DJ and longtime WBLS program director Frankie Crocker. He has conducted nearly 300 interviews for the book, entitled “Chief Rocker.”
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Born in Brooklyn of Trinidad and Tobago heritage
EDUCATION:
Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
OCCUPATION:
Associate Professor of Journalism
PERSON I ADMIRE MOST:
His mother: “I admire my mother for her courage in the face of many obstacles,” he says. “When she arrived to the United States with few resources, she made many sacrifices, and showed great resilience while fighting for a better life for me and my brothers.”
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“It is the essence of personal responsibility to put the public good ahead of personal gain.” – Robert F. Kennedy
