CB Cotton Shares Her Black & Irish Story: “It’s All In My Heart And Soul.”
By Cíara Marie Emmanuel
July 10th, 2024
To a Black American father of Nigerian, Ghanian and Congolese descent & an Irish American mother with family roots in Eastern North Carolina was born CB Cotton, a voice that would grow to be heard by viewers across the country.
No stranger to the gaze of the public eye, Ms. Cotton has served as a New York-based FOX News Channel correspondent reporting breaking news coverage from the network’s NY headquarters since 2023. She had previously served as the lead night side reporter for ABC affiliate KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado since late 2020. Previously, Cotton worked at WKRN in Nashville, Tennessee and she received an Emmy nomination for her broadcast coverage of the social justice protests there.
Cotton graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill carrying a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast and electronic journalism—a moment that signified both a foreshadowing into her successful future as a reporter & journalist and a memorialization of her family’s generational connection to the home state.
She reflects on her Irish American maternal grandfather, Jimmy, who was born into a farming family during the 1920s in eastern North Carolina. “The family had fallen on hard times and things were tough,” she says, acknowledging the history. “He was the only boy with five sisters; the family situation was a product of its time, and Jimmy had to step up in more ways than one – the pursuit of higher education wasn’t an option for him. He tapped into his natural skills and intuition and later, became a successful, accomplished electrical lineworker. His story makes me very proud,” she shares, “He always did what needed to be done for his family.”
CB recalls the meeting of her mother and father and the relational dynamic they would begin to share with her grandfather Jimmy. “I know my grandfather reflected on some of the similar struggles between the country’s earliest Irish immigrants and the Black community,” she says, “His heart opened, and the rest is history. The two men bonded over their love of fishing, hunting and the great outdoors. How can a story like that not propel you?” she beams. “I was young when my grandpa passed away,” she continues, “but my memories of him and his love for me will last an entire lifetime.”
Using her voice to deliver countless impactful and relevant stories to the public throughout her impressive career, it is no surprise that the sharing of her own story would be so inspiring. Cotton says she is motivated and influenced by other Black Americans with similar experiences as well, mentioning Lenny Kravitz as a notable inspiration, which is fitting being that CB is a guitarist herself. “He doesn't claim Irish ancestry, but he is biracial and an absolute icon,” she shares, “He did a recent interview with People magazine and his perspective on his ancestry really struck me. He told the publication that while he identifies, ‘as a Black man completely, there are all the other things there too, and I will not discount my father and that heritage.’ I’d say that sums up how I feel about my mother and my grandpa Jimmy,” she continues, “It’s all in my heart and soul.”
Cotton shares her appreciation for communities such as the African American Irish Diaspora Network, which foster the nurturing of the shared experiences revealed within the celebration of diversity. “There was certainly no semblance of a community like this when I was growing up,” she says, adding, “I believe now, more than ever, people embrace the concept of celebrating cultural backgrounds.”
You can catch CB’s work at her current network FNC as well as on her socials!
*Fun Fact: CB Cotton’s favorite Jimi Hendrix record is Electric Ladyland.
Pictured above: CB's mother and her parents.