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News anchor, TikTok star, descendant of Thomas Jefferson. What can't this
Cincinnatian do?





NEWS ANCHOR, TIKTOK STAR, DESCENDANT OF THOMAS JEFFERSON. WHAT CAN'T THIS
CINCINNATIAN DO?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Haadiza Ogwude   Cincinnati Enquirer


Emmy award-winning news anchor, social media influencer, author: the list goes
on for Cincinnati native Shannon LaNier.



LaNier, 43, has spent his life building a comprehensive resume that highlights
his professional achievements and reflects his love of fatherhood and his
efforts to preserve his familial ancestry.

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Before his current role as an anchor for the live streaming news network Cheddar
News, LaNier held anchor positions at Black News Channel (BNC), CW39 Morning
show in Houston and the global pop culture show “Arise Entertainment 360” on
BET. But how did LaNier get his start in journalism?


SHANNON LANIER'S AWARD-WINNING START IN NEWS

While attending Hughes STEM High School, he hosted the 1997 regional Emmy
Award-winning television show "Real Exchange" with WCPO-TV, which explored
issues important to young people in Greater Cincinnati.



"It was like a teen summit kind of vibe... It was about the young people of
Cincinnati giving their voice. That opportunity to be heard. We talked about
important issues to us, and it was a pretty amazing opportunity," LaNier said.



During his time on the show, he also had the opportunity to interview Jerry
Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati and host of the syndicated talk show
"Jerry Springer."

"It was a pretty fun experience to go to Hughes and to be part of everything
that was happening in Cincinnati," he explained.

Upon graduation, LaNier attended Kent State University, receiving a bachelor's
and a master's in media management and electronic media production. It's also
where he met his now wife, Chandra. This incredible experience, as he describes
it, led him to New York City where he would grow a successful career as an
on-air news anchor and start a family of five.




About his interest in journalism, LaNier said, "There wasn't like a certain
moment where I was like, oh, this person inspires me...No one in my family was
involved in it. It's just one of those things I gravitated to, loved being
creative and doing me."

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But the path to success has not always been easy for the local media
personality. Before landing his current gig as a Cheddar News Anchor, LaNier
worked for Black News Channel (BNC) and had only been there one year before the
company filed for bankruptcy.

"I just loved the thought of Black News Channel and what they were trying to
create, but then they filed for bankruptcy. So I had to take a turn in
direction... I had to figure something else out. And that's when I changed
directions and started looking for opportunities. And luckily, Cheddar was
looking for somebody, and it was perfect timing," LaNier explained.


HOW SHANNON LANIER BECAME A VIRAL TIKTOK DAD

After nearly two decades in the industry, LaNier has cultivated a successful
broadcast career. Now he's using his on-air talent to grow a brand on the
popular short-form video app, TikTok. Posting under the username
@MrShannonLanier, what began as a hobby has grown into a full-fledged social
media influencing gig with over 468,000 followers.



LaNier told The Enquirer that he never imagined his platform would take off the
way it has.

"I just started posting videos that I love, and it's given me an opportunity to
spend time with my kids and to show a positive image of an African American
father who was very involved, positively in his kid's lives," he said.



LaNier has since utilized his growing platform to highlight not only himself but
other involved dads by starting his podcast "Daddy Duty 365," where he
interviews celebrity dads about the good, the bad and the ugly of fatherhood.
Some of the podcast guests include Sting, Chris Pratt, Omari Hardwick, Paul
Wall, Boris Kodjoe and more.

"Hey, it's not just me. I'm not a unicorn. There's other dads out here doing
great stuff," he said.

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videos so far


DESCENDANT OF THOMAS JEFFERSON: A COMPLICATED FAMILY LINEAGE

LaNier's emphasis on family also led him to dive deeper into his lineage and
ancestral connection to one former U.S. president: Thomas Jefferson. LaNier is
the great, great, great-grandson of the Founding Father and third U.S. president
and an enslaved woman, Sally Hemmings, a fact he's known about himself since
childhood.



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"My mother, Priscilla, who still lives in Cincinnati, she taught my brother and
I about the oral history of our family and the lineage that we come from, just
like many other families when they find out who their grandparents are," he
said.

It wasn't until he met Jane Feldman, the co-author of his 2000 book "Jefferson's
Children: The Story of One American Family," that he began to meet more of
Jefferson and Hemmings' descendants. He said that the ability to travel the
world, meet his extended relatives, hear their stories and turn them into a book
for the world to read was a life-changing experience.



The news anchor said the journey of documenting his family history had been one
of healing and exploration. He hopes that readers of his book get a glimpse into
his life, find a deeper appreciation for their own lives, and leave with a
willingness to explore the complexities of our world by focusing on what
connects us rather than what divides us.

"If my family can come together, despite being separated from years of slavery
and discrimination, if we can come together and unify and consider each other as
family, then maybe one day the world could get past the issues that they have
and come together and unify for better a cause."



Watch "Wake up with Cheddar" weekdays, 7-9 a.m. ET and check out LaNier's new
show "Celebrity Lemonade Stand" Sundays at 9 p.m. exclusively on Cheddar News.


CHECK OUT ONE OF SHANNON LANIER'S MOST VIRAL VIDEOS


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