Honored as the 2017 Broadcast Journalist of the Year by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ), Aundrea Cline-Thomas is a reporter whose stories focus on issues that push beyond commonly covered headlines to discover and share textured stories that reflect and impact people in Black Communities.
Cline-Thomas’ drive and autonomy have taken her career in journalism from her hometown of Silver Spring, MD to Macon, GA, Charlotte, NC, Nashville, TN, and currently Philadelphia, PA, where she is a reporter for NBC 10.
Also celebrated as an Emmy award winning journalist and bestowed the title of Woman of Influence by FunTimes Magazine, she understands that her success does not solely belong to herself. Born in D.C. to two proud, hard-working Sierra Leonean parents, Cline-Thomas emphasizes their resourcefulness and drive as her motivation.
“My parents always find a way. They made us advocate early on for ourselves…they never made an excuse for not being involved or finding out [information about the educational system etc.]. So, if I didn’t know how to get from point A to B, I had already been taught that I had to figure it out. That meant putting [myself] in uncomfortable situations, asking people for help, trying new things, doing the research because not knowing or not having a connect was not an excuse not to succeed.”
“I will never forget the PABJ award because of what it represented to me. I’ve only been in Philadelphia for two years. And to be honored in that way was just so special and it was even more special because my parents had an even better time than I did. They finally feel like they’ve made it in this country because of what we’ve [Aundrea and her siblings] have been able to do as their children.”
“I think it’s important for immigrant parents to really share their story with their kids,” Cline-Thomas explains as she recalls how her parents were able to make something out of nothing in her youth. She reminisces on her high school years, then, she worked at a doctor’s office.
“When I started working my high school job, my mom would split the check and send it home [Sierra Leone]. It lets me know I have a responsibility to other people; I was literally raised by a ton of people, so the check is not for me alone. Also, I can’t come from a lineage of people who have made something out of nothing and complain when I have an overabundance of resources.”
From her success recipe, Cline-Thomas is ready with the following words of wisdom for her fellow sisters in the African diaspora. “All you have to do is figure it out one step at a time. What can you do now? Keeping something in your head does nobody a service. Action needs to be put into it and mistakes are sometimes inevitable. However, your dream should be big enough that it scares you.”
Despite Cline-Thomas’ accomplishments, the award-wining journalist and woman of influence is still humble. “I’m still learning my craft,” she articulates, “I’m refining it, and I have belief in my capacities to learn and to work. Because at the end of the day if you don’t bet on yourself, nobody else will.”
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