Gwen Ifill

Gwen Ifill (1955-2016) was an American journalist, television newscaster, and author. She made history in 1999 as the first African-American woman to host a nationally televised U.S. public affairs program with Washington Week in Review. Ifill served as the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and co-anchor and co-managing editor of the PBS NewsHour. She was a respected political analyst and moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice-presidential debates. Ifill authored the best-selling book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Born in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, she was the fifth of six children. Ifill received posthumous recognition with the Dunnigan-Payne Prize for lifetime career achievement.