Investigative reporter Cheryl Whitlow Thompson on growing up in Illinois, journalism today, and the lost Tuskegee Airmen
Portrait: Marvin Joseph via NPR
Born and raised in Chicago, Cheryl Whitlow Thompson’s career in journalism goes back more than four decades — from her days as a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to hard-hitting investigative work at the Washington Post and NPR.
Thompson is also the daughter of one of the Tuskegee Airmen, William E. Whitlow Jr. Her forthcoming book, Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen, tells the stories of Tuskegee pilots who were killed in action.
Guest
Cheryl Whitlow Thompson
Investigative correspondent, senior editor for member station investigations, NPR
Author, “Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen” (coming January 2026)
