Ananda Lewis

An African-American TV host who got her start on the topical BET discussion series "Teen Summit" before moving to MTV and later to her own syndicated talk show, California native Ananda Lewis turned her desire to work with children into stardom. This Howard University graduate made the most of her Washington, DC locale and auditioned at BET, winning a co-hosting job on "Teen Summit" in the mid-1990s. On this series, Lewis discussed with a panel of teens and experts issues pertinent to American youth and the black community. Striving to both interest its young viewers in important social and political issues and represent their views and concerns, the series was known as a venue for intelligent and provocative discourse. While hosting "Teen Summit," Lewis was given the opportunity to interview then First Lady Hillary Clinton, and was honored with an NAACP Image Award in 1997 for her efforts. Her work on BET led to a job at MTV, where she worked as a VJ and host for various specials and series.