Heather McGhee Biography  

Heather McGhee was born June 6, 1980, in Chicago, Illinois. She received her bachelor’s degree in American studies from Yale University and a law degree from University of California, Berkeley. After college, McGhee briefly lived in Barcelona, Spain, where she taught English until returning to the United States in 2001 to become a television writer. She answered an ad for the nonpartisan think tank Demos. She got the job and eventually became its president. While still at Demos, McGhee appeared on C-SPAN, filming a video where she advised a confessed racist viewer that “We have to foster relationships.” It went viral. Shortly thereafter, McGhee embarked on the journey, both geographical and personal, that became the subject of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, her first book. The book was long-listed for the National Book Award.

As a frequent contributor to many forms of media, McGhee has published numerous articles and op-eds. She has also appeared on Meet the Press, The Rachel Maddow Show, and Morning Joe and is a contributor to NBC as well as appearing on many podcasts. She has received numerous awards and serves as a distinguished lecturer for City University of New York’s School of Labor and Urban Studies.