Farai Chideya

Farai Chideya is a CNN political analyst. She can be seen regularly on CNN's Inside Politics which airs weekdays from 4-4:30 and 8:30- 9p.m. (ET). She is also an author and political writer for MTV News.

In 1995, Chideya wrote Don't Believe the Hype: Fighting Cultural Misinformation About African Americans. Using statistics largely from government sources, she systematically undercuts the argument that African-Americans are at the root of problems like crime, welfare and drugs. The book also explores ways that all Americans can better participate in the media, government and society. Don't Believe the Hype is now in its fifth printing.

Chideya is also a political writer at MTV News covering the 1996 presidential campaign. Prior to working at MTV, she was a reporter for Newsweek in New York, Chicago and Washington for four years. From the Washington bureau, she covered national politics ranging from congressional pork to following the President as a pool reporter on Air Force One.

As a freelance journalist, she has written extensively about music, book and pop culture for The Village Voice and Spin, among others. On the more serious side, she's profiled white supremacists for Mademoiselle, examined child sexual abuse allegations for The Los Angeles Times and written on affirmative action for The Village Voice.

Chideya has a bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University.