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170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting

Cheryl Corley

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Based in NPR's Chicago Bureau, Cheryl Corley travels throughout the Midwest covering issues and events from Ohio to South Dakota as a National Desk reporter.

In recent years, Corley has reported on the political turmoil of Illinois state government surrounding the impeachment and trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, the campaign and election of President Barack Obama, the battle over the Senate seat he once held and Chicago's losing effort to land the 2016 Olympics. She reported on the housing boom and bust, on efforts to revamp public housing and a new approach to home building — miniaturization. Her story about designer living in extraordinarily tiny homes on wheels became one of NPR's top emailed stories.

In 2005, Corley was among the group of NPR reporters covering the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as they tore through the Gulf Coast. Five years later she returned to the area and joined the reporting team covering the impact of the BP oil spill. Corley also has served as a fill-in host for NPR shows, Tell Me More, the weekend edition of All Things Considered and Morning Edition.

Prior to joining NPR, Corley was the news director at Chicago's public radio station, WBEZ, where she supervised an award-winning team of reporters. She also has been a frequent panelist on television news-affairs programs in Chicago.

Corley has received awards for her work from a number of organizations including the National Association of Black Journalists, the Associated Press, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. She earned the Community Media Workshop's Studs Terkel Award for excellence in reporting on Chicago's diverse communities and a Herman Kogan Award for reporting on immigration issues.

A Chicago native, Corley graduated cum laude from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, with a Bachelor of Arts degree and is now a Bradley University trustee. While in Peoria, Corley worked as a reporter and news director for public radio station WCBU and as a television director for the NBC affiliate, WEEK-TV. She also serves on the board as Acting President of the Association for Women Journalists in Chicago.

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Law
3:03 am
Fri June 8, 2012

After NAACP Marriage Stance, Discord And Discussion

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Originally published on Mon June 11, 2012 3:03 pm

The NAACP recently took what was for some in the organization a controversial step, when it endorsed same-sex marriage. That move has now led some local officers around the country to resign — including the group's most outspoken critic of gay marriage.

The NAACP board says it stands by its resolution calling for marriage equality. But as the nation's oldest civil rights group prepares for its national convention in July, some in the ranks say the resolution caught them by surprise, and that such an important decision deserved open debate.

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History
4:20 pm
Mon April 23, 2012

Discovery Sparks Interest In Forgotten Black Scholar

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Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR
Three years ago, Rufus McDonald found historic documents in an abandoned house and took them to a rare-books dealer. The papers and books belonged to Richard T. Greener, a 19th century intellectual who was the first African-American to graduate from Harvard University.
Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR
Greener's 1870 Harvard diploma was among the items found.
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Originally published on Mon April 23, 2012 7:39 pm

Three years ago, just moments before sledgehammers ripped through an abandoned home in Chicago, the head of a demolition crew decided to save the contents of an old steamer trunk stored in the attic.

"They were about to demolish it because they couldn't get it down the stairs," says Rufus McDonald, who gathered what was inside the steamer trunk — documents and old books — and took them to a rare-book dealer in Chicago.

"He said, 'Do you know who this is?' I said, 'Nah, who is it?' He said, 'It's Richard Theodore Greener," McDonald recalls. "I said, 'Who is he?' "

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Remembrances
4:27 am
Wed April 11, 2012

Tulsa Shooting Victim Had Turned Her Life Around

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Dannaer Fields, who went by Donna, is shown in this undated photo. She was one of three people killed in Friday's shootings in Tulsa, Okla.
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In Tulsa, Okla., the families of the three victims killed during a shooting rampage Friday are planning funerals. Police say William Allen, 31, Bobby Clark, 54, and Donna Fields, 49, were shot in a predominantly black neighborhood on the north side of Tulsa by two white men.

Fields was walking home after playing a game of dominoes with friends. She was called Donna, but her given name was Dannaer. Her brother Kenneth says she was named after an aunt.

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Around the Nation
4:00 am
Tue April 10, 2012

Police: Suspects Confess To Tulsa Shooting Spree

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Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

We're going to spend this part of the program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a deadly shooting spree in a black neighborhood has revived memories of a long ago race riot.

INSKEEP: First, we have an update on the news here. Police in Tulsa confirm that the two men accused of shooting five black people and killing three confessed shortly after they were arrested on Sunday.

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Around the Nation
2:35 am
Mon April 9, 2012

'Premature' To Call Tulsa Shootings Hate Crimes

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Alvin Watts (left), 33, and Jacob England, 19, were arrested following an appeal to the public to help police solve the five shootings that happened Friday. A police spokesman said the two face three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of shooting with intent to kill.
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Police in Tulsa, Okla., say it is much too early in their investigation to describe the murder of three black residents and the wounding of two others as a hate crime. Two men were arrested early Sunday morning and are expected to face charges of first-degree murder and shooting with intent to kill.

Soon after Friday's shooting, authorities reached out to the public for help. Police Maj. Walter Evans, the head of a task force looking into the murders, says information started pouring in shortly after that.

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Election 2012
4:57 am
Mon March 19, 2012

Jesse Jackson Jr. Makes Final Push To Win Primary

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Credit M. Spencer Green / AP
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Chicago alderman Sandi Jackson, ask each other for their support and votes as they arrive at a polling station for early voting in Chicago on March 9.
Credit M. Spencer Green / AP
Democratic congressional candidate Debbie Halvorson greets commuters in East Hazel Crest, Ill., on Jan. 31.
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Originally published on Mon March 19, 2012 9:06 am

The next primary election takes place in President Obama's home state of Illinois on Tuesday. While Republicans are looking to capture delegates in the presidential race, there are several House races on the ballot — mostly due to redistricting.

In one of the most closely watched of those races, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is facing a challenge from fellow Democrat and former Rep. Debbie Halvorson.

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Race
12:01 am
Thu March 15, 2012

Voters May Break Up Fight Over 'Fighting Sioux'

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Credit Josh Holmberg / AP
The University of North Dakota's Brad Eidsness makes a save during a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Since 2005, there have been a series of lawsuits and legislative actions over the nickname for the school's athletic teams, the "Fighting Sioux."
Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR
One of the 2,400 Fighting Sioux logos located throughout the University of North Dakota's hockey arena.
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Originally published on Thu March 15, 2012 8:34 am

The state Supreme Court in North Dakota is about to consider this question: Can lawmakers require a college to name its sports teams after a Native American tribe?

For decades, University of North Dakota teams have been known as the "Fighting Sioux." It's a name some see as an honor and others find demeaning. Now, the long fight over the Fighting Sioux may be settled in a courtroom.

2,400 Logos And A 'Vexing' Dispute

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Around the Nation
4:00 am
Thu March 1, 2012

Midwest Hit By Massive Storms

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Originally published on Thu March 1, 2012 12:18 pm

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We're going next to the town of Harrisburg, Illinois, one of many Midwestern towns struck by tornados. Harrisburg suffered the most of those towns. The tornado killed six people, with winds of up to 170 miles per hour. NPR's Cheryl Corley is there.

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Around the Nation
3:49 am
Tue January 24, 2012

Online Lottery Could Be Coming To A State Near You

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Several states — including Illinois and New York — are now pushing forward with plans to offer lotteries on the Internet.
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Several states — including Illinois and New York — are now pushing forward with plans to offer lotteries on the Internet. That's in the aftermath of an opinion from the Justice Department, which reverses a long-standing policy and says states are free to conduct online gambling within their borders.

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Business
3:00 pm
Tue December 27, 2011

At Least 100 Sears, Kmart Stores To Close

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Sears Holdings announced Tuesday it will shutter at least 100 stores as a cost-cutting measure following a disappointing holiday season. The retailer's namesake Sears and Kmart stores have struggled against competitors such as Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot. Sears says it will save as much as $170 million through the store closings. It did not say how many employees will lose their jobs.

Still No Job: Over A Year Without Enough Work
12:01 am
Fri December 23, 2011

For Black Americans, A Longer Time Without Work

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Credit Lynne Sladky / AP
Applicants fill out forms at a Miami jobs fair hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus. An NPR/Kaiser survey found blacks make up about 10 percent of the full-time working population but 27 percent of the long-term unemployed.
Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR
Willa Booker, 53, has been out of work for more than two years. A former medical records administrator in Chicago, Booker says she just wants someone to give her a chance.
Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR
Jonathan Gandy worked as a project coordinator for an insurance company and then as a computer consultant for a nonprofit through Americorps. He's been searching for a full-time job for a year and a half.
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Originally published on Fri December 23, 2011 11:32 am

Although the U.S. gained more than 120,000 jobs last month, the numbers of long-term unemployed barely shifted, and unemployment rates for African-Americans continued to go through the roof.

A recent NPR and Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows that although the long-term unemployed face many of the same difficulties regardless of race, there are distinct differences between blacks and whites struggling to find work.

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U.S.
4:00 am
Thu December 8, 2011

Blagojevich's 14-Year Term Starts In February

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Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison following his bribery and extortion convictions. He is expected to begin serving the sentence in February.

U.S.
4:00 am
Tue December 6, 2011

Blagojevich Sentencing Hearing Starts

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A hearing that will determine the sentence for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich begins Tuesday. The ex-governor, convicted on corruption charges, is expected to testify.

NPR Story
3:00 pm
Wed November 30, 2011

Occupy Chicago: A 'Dry Run' For Upcoming Events

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In Chicago, city officials and demonstrators say the recent Occupy Chicago protests are a sort of dry run for next year's simultaneous NATO and G-8 summit meetings.

Crisis In The Housing Market
12:14 am
Sun November 13, 2011

Would-Be Sellers Become Reluctant Landlords

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Credit courtneyk / iStockphoto.com
Many homeowners find they can't sell their homes so instead they reluctantly become landlords.
Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR
In Chicago, there's a hot market for condominium rentals, which means owners who weren't able to sell have a shot at covering their costs by becoming landlords.
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In this sagging economy, homes can sit on the market for weeks or months. So, would-be sellers often move on, and instead of handing the keys over to new owners, they hand them to tenants. Sometimes that goes well — sometimes not.

"This is the new reality," says Chicago Realtor Frank Maguire. "Our market is, you might sell your home or you might not. There's a whole world of people who are unintentional landlords."

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Election 2012
5:40 am
Mon October 31, 2011

Chicago Leaders Spar Over Redistricting

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Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR

Merle Huckabee is one of the 200,000 people who moved from Chicago since 2000.

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All across the country, it's been map-drawing time as cities and states create new districts for state lawmakers, members of Congress and city council members based on 2010 Census numbers.

In Chicago, where African-Americans left in droves during the last decade and the Latino population rose, leaders are redrawing the boundaries of the city's 50 wards. What's at stake is representation and political clout.

Population Changes

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Animals
5:05 pm
Thu September 29, 2011

Chicago-Area Skunk Population Raises A Stink

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Credit Cheryl Corley / NPR
This small juvenile skunk was caught by Des Plaines, Ill., homeowner Richard Kaulback. He says there have always been raccoons and opossums in the Chicago area, but this year, skunks have become prolific.
Credit Phil Coale / AP
Kids from a Tallahassee day camp hold their noses as they get up close and personal with a live striped skunk during their field trip to the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science on July 19, 2005.
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Originally published on Thu September 29, 2011 6:15 pm

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Media
12:01 am
Thu September 22, 2011

'Ebony,' 'Jet' Parent Takes A Bold New Tack

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Credit NPR
Circulation figures for Johnson Publishing's flagship Ebony and Jet magazines is up substantially in recent months.
Credit NPR
A portrait of Johnson Publishing Company founder John H. Johnson hangs in the company's lobby, embellished with the word "succeed." Ebony's September issue included an article on how to raise a high achiever.
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Johnson Publishing Company, the black American icon based in Chicago, is hiring. It's a sharp turnaround for a company that saw circulation numbers and revenue for its flagship Ebony and Jet magazines plummet over a number of years. Those numbers are on the rise now, and company officials say questions about Johnson Publishing's ability to survive the turmoil in the media industry are no longer relevant.

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