Chandelis Duster is a Reporter for CNN’s Race & Equality team.

She joined CNN in August 2019 as a breaking news reporter on CNN Politics, where she covered a broad range of beats including the Supreme Court, elections across America, and the US Department of Agriculture. She’s revealed dozen of stories about the agency, including debt relief efforts for struggling farmers and lawsuits over loan forgiveness efforts for farmers of color

Prior to joining CNN, Duster was a reporter at NBC News covering politics, pop culture, red carpet events, race, and breaking news. During her tenure at NBC, Duster worked with NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, The Today Show, Morning Joe, and numerous other shows. Additionally, she also wrote stories for and managed NBCBLK, a section of NBCNews.com that focuses on the black community.

Duster started her career with internships at Shoals Radio Group in Florence, Alabama, and Radio One in Richmond, Virginia. Then she worked for Cox Media Group (now called SummitMedia) radio stations in Richmond, Virginia, working in promotions, production, hosting events, and voicing commercials.

In 2018, Duster received a Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalist as an editor of a feature story on Jamaica’s ‘Barrel Children.’ She was also nominated for a 2018 Salute to Excellence Award for editing a news story on Kenyan entrepreneurs in Africa’s emerging ‘Silicon Valley.’

Duster graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a concentration in broadcast journalism. She then earned a master’s degree from American University in journalism and public affairs and a concentration in broadcast. While at American University, she was a resident assistant and teacher’s assistant for the POLITICO Journalism Institute. She grew up in Florence, Alabama and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.