LEE HAWKINS
Wall Street Journal Reporter


Lee Hawkins is a Wall Street Journal staff reporter. He has been an on-air contributor at CNBC Television as part of the Journal's content sharing agreement with the network since 2007.

Hawkins is the host of “Newbos: The Rise of America’s New Black Overclass.” The primetime one-hour documentary is based on some of the reporting from his forthcoming book of the same title.

The New Black Overclass, a term Hawkins coined, is made up of black celebrities and creative entrepreneurs in the sports, entertainment and media industries who have arisen in the last decade to create the largest population of black multimillionaires in history.

The book, which is available for pre-order online, will be launched during the NBA Finals in June, in conjunction with a speaking tour and a promotional campaign. It includes statistical and earnings data related blacks in the three industries and in-depth narrative reporting based on the lives of several of the most influential young black celebrities and behind-the-scenes entrepreneurs in America.

Hawkins hopes to spark a national conversation about the role of black celebrities in the Obama age. The special and the book call for a new era of entrepreneurship, collaboration, intergenerational mentorship, educational advancement, social awareness and accountability within this growing class. The project inspires, encourages and educates the millions of young Americans who hope to build brands, businesses and careers in the sports, entertainment and media industries.

Previously, Hawkins covered General Motors Corp. from the Detroit bureau for the Journal.

Hawkins began the assignment with CNBC in after appearing frequently on CNBC as a guest commentator.

Prior to covering GM and the challenges facing America's Big Three automakers for the Journal, Hawkins worked as a business reporter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal.

A native of Minneapolis-St. Paul, he is a member of the National Association of Black journalists. Hawkins earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was the editorial page editor of the Badger Herald student newspaper.