Mary Mitchell

Mary A. Mitchell is an editorial board member and columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a recipient of numerous journalism awards, including the Award of Excellence from the National Association of Black Journalists; the Studs Terkel Award from the Community Media Workshop; the Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headliner Club; the Phenomenal Woman Award-Media from the Expo for Today's Black Woman; and the Humanitarian Award from the 100 Black Men of Chicago. In 2004, Crain's Chicago Business honored Mitchell as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in the city.

Mitchell earned a B.A. in journalism at Columbia College Chicago. She joined the Chicago Sun-Times as an education writer in 1991, and has covered City Hall and the U.S. Federal Courts.

Mitchell’s columns continually raise community awareness about important advocacy issues, such as the questionable practices of Utah adoption agencies and the sexual abuse of women in Illinois prisons. In both of these cases, Mitchell’s reporting led state legislators to strengthen laws protecting the rights of women and children.

Mitchell’s reporting often rallies African American readers to empower their communities by promoting education and by protecting the most vulnerable members of our society -- our children and our elderly.

Her column appears on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Mitchell is also co-host of “Chicago Speaks,” a public affairs program that airs on Sundays from 6-8 a.m.. She is a frequent panelist on WTTW's Week In Review, and has appeared on national news programs, including Meet The Press.