Cheryl Burton Biography
Cheryl Burton is an American Emmy-Award-Winning Anchor/Reporter working for ABC 7 News as a co-anchor for ABC 7 News where she co-anchors the Evening News at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. alongside Alan Krashesky. She joined the station in the year 1992 where she was working as a weekend co-anchor/reporter.
Cheryl Burton Date of Birth / Birthday
Burton was born on the 25th of 1962 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. She is 59 years old as of 2021.
Cheryl Burton Measurements/Height
She stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 7 inches.
Cheryl Burton Partner/ Husband or Wife
Previously, she was in a marriage to her husband, and ABC 7 sports reporter Jim Rose. The two tied knot in the year 1986 before they later separated in the year 1995. Jim had been dating Burton when she was a cheerleader for Super Bowl XX in New Orleans.
He later went ahead to propose to her aboard the President riverboat, the scene of a pep rally party for the Bears. Rose proposed to her as they were sitting together under the moon after Burton had finished a dance number with the Honey Bears. He proposed to her matching the first time they had met and coincidentally these dates matched with the Super Bowl XIX party in Chicago. Currently, she still resides in Chicago.
Cheryl Burton Kids/Children
Burton prefers to keep information about whether or not she has any children away from the public hence it is not known if she has any children at the moment. However, we will update the information once it’s available.
Cheryl Burton Relatives/ Family
Burton was born in Chicago to her loving parents, Hattie, her mother who was a Chicago Public Schools teacher, and Simpson Burton, her father who happened to be a U.S. Air Force veteran. She grew up in a family of five children, having three sisters and one brother, and she is the fourth born in her family.
Cheryl Burton Schooling/Education
She is a proud graduate of Chicago’s Robert Lindbloom High School where she was the first alumnus to be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in the month of April 2007. Later on, she joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Biology. While still there, she was a proud member of the Marching Illini. This is one of the nation’s premier college marching bands. Burton also had the opportunity to march in the Rose Bowl and the Liberty Bowl.
Burton announced her scholarship to her alma mater, Lindblom Math and Science Academy, during her ceremony honoring her with a Chicago Journalists Association 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. The scholarship was to be awarded to a graduating senior going to college to study journalism.
Cheryl Burton Profession
Through her journalism career, she has been able to move to the heart of Chicago and neighbors all across the United States and the world at large. Among the highlights of her career includes covering the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. She always brings compelling stories home, whether it is exposing the plight of one of Illinois’ poorest schools, assessing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, or covering the opening of Oprah’s school for girls in South Africa.
She has a great dedication to exposing injustices and bringing stories of the underprivileged to the forefront. In addition, she interviews political candidates, sports figures, celebrities, ordinary citizens ad world leaders with her trademark warm and insightful approach which gives the viewers a unique perspective of the people in the news industry. Her reporting style is described as informative, investigative, smart, refreshing, and committed.
She goes ahead to note that some of her most special life moments include her annual winter holiday toy drive benefiting children living in domestic violence shelters, in addition to the once-in-a-lifetime experience as an honored guest at the Oprah’s Legends Ball.
Burton was granted the only and final interview with Oprah Winfrey which was before she bid a farewell to her daytime talk show after 25 years. This exclusive interview covered a quarter of a century of love lessons, legacy, and joy, and what the “Queen of Talk” called an adventure of a lifetime. Additionally, Winfrey also talked about her favorite guests, the interviews she wanted but was never able to land, and how Chicago changed her life. Additionally, she discussed why she credits her success to Windy City and her future. This exclusive interview was featured on Good Morning America.
Prior to ABC 7, she was working as a weeknight anchor for the 6 pm news for KWCH-TV located in Wichita, Kansas. While there, she was recognized for her role in a campaign to reduce the number of low birth-weight babies and infant deaths and was quite instrumental. Additionally, there she also hosted a talk show titled “Viewpoint” between the years 1990-1992.
Previously, in the year 1990, she served as a general assignment reporter for WMBD-TV located in Peoria, Illinois. However, Cheryl began her television career working at Chicago’s WGN-TV where she was a co-anchor for the nationally syndicated weekly series “MBR: The Minority Business Report” in the year 1989.
She is a very active community member in society and loves giving much of her time to non-profit groups and charities, Additionally, she is a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club of America which is in addition to serving as a motivational speaker for the Chicago Public Schools. Burton also serves on the boards of City Year, the Life with Lupus Guild, and the Multicultural Dance Center.
Additionally, she participates in the Rush-Presbyterian/St. Luke’s fashion show. This is in addition to being honored with the DuSable Museum History Maker Award, Girl Scout Camp CEO Leader, and a Grace and Beauty Award. Additionally, she is a lifelong and proud Girl Scout.
Cheryl is also a member of the Chicago Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Society of Professional Journalists. This is in addition to being a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
Cheryl Burton Income
Burton receives an annual income ranging between $30,000 and $90,000.
Cheryl Burton Net Worth
Through Burton’s career as an Anchor/Reporter, she has been able to accumulate a net worth that ranges between $1million and $1.5 million.
Cheryl Burton Awards
Throughout her career, she has been able to receive several awards. This includes being a fifteen-time Emmy Award winner. Through her covering of Journey to Witness History, and the inauguration of Chicago’s Barak Obama, she was able to earn a 2009 Emmy Award. Still, in the same year, she was able to receive the 2009 Procter and Gamble Pioneer Award for community service. The year 2008 also saw her win the coveted 2008 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Salute to Excellence International Award. This was for her coverage of the opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa. Still, in the same year, she was awarded the Vernon Jarret Par Excellence Award in Journalism.
Burton was the first recipient of 2005, “Sister in the Spirit” Award which was given to her by the Chicago area gospel singers to persons who exemplify a faith-based life. In the years 2004 and 2005, she was honored with the Thurgood Marshall Award. Later on, the Chicago Association of Black Journalists(CABJ) presented her with the 2004 Russ Ewing Award for the emotional story of a mother-to-daughter kidney donation.
Prior to this, in the year 2003, she received the same award from CABJ for her coverage of the E2 nightclub tragedy. The coverage of the Pope’s Visit in the year 2002 was lauded. Burton was also recognized with a 1998 Kizzy Image and Achievement Award. This award honors black women who have excelled in their professions. The year 1997 saw her win the Phenomenal Woman Award from the expo for Today’s Black Woman.
Burton’s coverage of the Million Man March earned her another CABJ award in 1995. In addition, for her role in inspiring women across the country, Burton was chosen to receive an “Unsung Sheroes” honor awarded by the National Basketball Association Wives Association Inc. The Girl Scouts of Northwest Indiana and Greater Chicago paid their tribute to her by honoring her with their prestigious Luminary Award.
Cheryl Burton Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Burton is active on her social media accounts. She has about 42,000 followers on her Facebook Page, about 15,150 on her Twitter account, and around 380 followers on her Instagram account.