Maudlyne Ihejirika is an award-winning, longtime Chicago Sun-Times Reporter and Columnist, with a career spanning Journalism, Public Relations and Government. In 29 years with the Sun-Times, she served as assistant city editor and covered beats from crime and the inner city to housing and education, politics and philanthropy. She penned the Sun-Times “Chicago Chronicles” long-form columns of diverse and untold narratives focusing on racial, social and economic justice issues impacting Black and Brown communities from 2016 until November 2022.

Retiring from the newspaper, she now covers racial equity issues for myriad national publications, is a frequent public speaker, and a consultant to philanthropy on initiatives to fund local journalism and diverse narratives. Ihejirika is Immediate Past President of both the Chicago Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists Chicago Chapter. She holds an M.S.J. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Iowa. She is the author of "Escape From Nigeria: A Memoir of Faith, Love and War" (Africa World Press, 2016).