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, Ga. Hope is married and resides in the Chicago area.
Leah's Stories
Mayor lays out timeline to address crisis of migrants in Chicago, including use of 'base camps'
He is also pushing for a real estate transfer tax devoting more resources to the unhoused and mental health services.
Man gets 15 months in prison under Scott's Law for striking IL State Police trooper in Will County
A man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for striking an Illinois State Police trooper two years ago in Will County.
120 migrants start moving into Lake Shore Hotel in Hyde Park
Over 13,500 migrants are trying to find a home in the city.
Emmett Till, mother honored in Chicago area with gift from Mississippi
Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, were honored Thursday in the Chicago area with a gift from the people of Mississippi.
US migrants: 1 year after migrants began arriving by bus load, Chicago struggling to find shelters
Since Aug. 31, 2022, 13,500 migrants have arrived in Chicago.
Secretary of state announces new 'Skip the Line' program for IL DMV locations
He explained it's an effort to reduce the frustrations of unpredictable wait times.
Migrants Chicago: As housing crisis continues, some expected to move into Lake Shore Hotel
The city is struggling with the constant influx of migrants.
FEMA disaster relief centers open in Cook County after summer floods
More help is on the way for people still recovering from flooding this summer.
Migrant mother's little girl becomes 'the baby' of Grace and Peace Church after being born there
Crisbely Ramirez was seven months pregnant with Kamila. Friends helped her cross four rivers and the jungle. In one video she is heard saying, "Go ahead. I can't!"
Chicago weather: Temperature records tied and broken over 2-day heat wave
Temperatures at O'Hare officially hit 100 degrees Thursday, the first time that's happened since 20212.