Chandelis Duster is an award-winning journalist, public speaker, and advocate for endometriosis awareness.

Duster covers national and international news on various topics such as space, politics and science for various organizations, including her media endeavor, Chandelis Reports, and newsletter “The C-Note.” She is also a Contributing Senior Correspondent for The Emancipator. As a reporter for NPR, her stories are broadcast to more than 43 million listeners on the network’s national newscasts, Morning Edition, All Things Considered and member stations. Before working at NPR, she was a reporter at CNN covering race and equality. Duster also served as a breaking news reporter for the network, focusing on various political topics such as Congress, the Supreme Court, and elections. She revealed numerous stories related to the US Department of Agriculture.

Born and raised in Florence, Alabama, she was inducted into the International Thespian Society in high school and was involved in various activities, including being co-captain of the dance team. She studied broadcast journalism at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and has a master’s degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University (AU). While studying at VCU, Duster was president of the Association of Black Communicators Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and a representative on VCU’s Mass Communications Student Advisory Board. As a graduate student at AU, she covered the 2014 Virginia Senate Race, contributing to live coverage for Beltway Ballots and 103.5 WTOP-FM. She was also a teacher assistant and resident assistant for the POLITICO Journalism Institute and a graduate assistant for AU’s Boot Camp for Journalists.

Duster started her career while still an undergraduate student with a radio internship at Shoals Radio Group in Florence, Alabama. She was also an intern for Radio One in Richmond, Virginia for iPower 92.1, working with nationally syndicated shows such as The Michael Baisden Show on 99.3/105.7 KISS. She worked for Cox Media Group in Richmond, Virginia for HOT 100.9 and 103.7 River (now owned by SummitMedia) working in promotions, hosting events, and voicing commercials. She joined Studio Center Total Production as a voice-over artist and has voiced national projects for television, radio and online media.

After graduate school, she joined NBC News and MSNBC as a Desk Assistant in the Washington, D.C. headquarters. As a Desk Assistant, she managed the overnight assignment desk and was weekend White House Producer. During her rotation at the White House, one weekend she traveled with former President Barack Obama as a TV pooler for the 5 major networks. She also produced for NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and shows on MSNBC, including “Andrea Mitchell Reports” and “Morning Joe.” She rose through the ranks, becoming an Associate Producer, then a Reporter for the two networks where she wrote and produced for on-air as well as digital. She wrote stories for TODAY.com and various NBC News platforms. She is also a former editor of NBCBLK, a vertical of NBC News that focuses on the Black community.

In 2018, Duster received a Salute to Excellence Award from NABJ as an editor of a two-part news feature on Jamaica’s ‘Barrel Children.’ She was also nominated for a 2018 Salute to Excellence Award for editing a news story on Kenyan entrepreneurs in Africa’s emerging ‘Silicon Valley.’

Duster is also passionate about providing support to people and their families for diseases such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Sharing her personal experiences with endometriosis and uterine fibroids that has been featured on The Today Show, CNN and Oprah.com, Duster has been at the forefront of international awareness for the diseases. She is a Founding Member of the Worldwide EndoMarch organization and Immediate Past President of the group’s Virginia chapter. She is also a co-founder of Virginia HOPE, a support group for people with endometriosis and has volunteered with the Endometriosis Foundation of America, teaching the organization’s ENPOWR program in schools.

She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, SAG-AFTRA, NABJ, the Washington Association of Black Journalists, and the National Press Club.