Quite simply, Ananda Lewis (B.A. ’95) was the voice of a generation. At a time when Black women in broadcast journalism struggled to gain visibility, Lewis shined in the spotlight. She was a trendsetter and a groundbreaker, ensuring that perspectives that would normally be overlooked were instead given a mainstream airing. Lewis died from breast cancer on June 11, 2025.

In BET’s infancy, it pioneered a revolutionary concept — Teen Summit, a talk show that gave an unfiltered voice to Black teens and the issues they cared about, from everyday challenges to those unique to their communities. National issues were also raised. Though the members of their audience often felt marginalized elsewhere, the Teen Summit hosts ensured that they were taken seriously, including Howard alumna Ananda Lewis, who hosted the nationally aired program from 1997-1999, just two years after her Howard graduation. 

At Howard, Lewis had quickly became highly visible and influential. A history major known for her intelligence as well as her grace and beauty, she was chosen to appear in the video for “Baby I’m Yours,” a song recorded by her fellow Bison, the music group Shai. She was an inspiration to her fellow students.

"She remained disarmingly down to earth.  She was a unique soul."

She is remembered fondly by Ben Talton (B.A. ’96), Ph.D., professor and director of the Moorland Spingarn Research Center.

“Ananda and I were both history majors in the early 1990s, so we crossed paths often,” said Talton. “What struck me about Ananda, and I know that most people who met her had a similar impression, was that she was intelligent, stunningly beautiful, and very kind. It seemed to me that she always had a smile on her face. Despite her popularity on campus, particularly after she appeared in Shai's music video in 1993, she remained disarmingly down to earth. She was a unique soul. Ananda will be deeply missed.”

Lewis was particularly gifted in ensuring that all people felt included in the global moment. At Howard, she majored in history, graduating cum laude, but always had a desire to help and empower others. Growing up in San Diego, California, she volunteered to work with youth in the Head Start program, and then worked with an at-risk youth program in Washington, D.C. It was the students in that program who actually pressured her to audition to become the Teen Summit host, Lewis told CNN. 

“You always tell us that life brings you great opportunities and it’s your job to step up.” 

Her students told her, “you always tell us that life brings you great opportunities and it’s your job to step up,” Lewis reflected in her CNN interview, recalling how her students used her own words to inspire her to seize the opportunity to audition for Teen Summit. She took her own advice and landed the job. Among the guests Lewis and her audience engaged on the show were NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and then United States First Lady Hillary Clinton.

After hosting Teen Summit, Lewis got the job any self-respecting twenty-something in the 1990s would have envied: MTV video jockey (VJ). As  a VJ, she helped viewers engage with the music videos which were a staple of entertainment in the 90s, particularly among younger demographics. She hosted MTV’s Total Request Live and Hot Zone, interviewing celebrities as she explored influences on culture and exposing audiences to both new and popular music and visual art. She didn’t just talk about pop culture, however. As she did on Teen Summit, she used her history training to lead discussions about history in the making, including the Columbine shooting and racial profiling. She won NAACP Image Awards for both her work on BET and her work on MTV. 

“Ananda was truly radiant, a bold, yet friendly force on campus.  It was no surprise that she became the face of BET and eventually MTV, serving as a cultural and pop icon for a generation.”

“Ananda was truly radiant, a bold, yet friendly force on campus,” said Monica M. Lewis (B.A. ’96), the senior director of athletics communications at Howard, who attended Howard with Ananda Lewis. “I remember seeing her in Shai's ‘Baby I'm Yours’ video one day and simply hanging out on The Yard with her friends or sitting in Blackburn the next. You knew there was something special about her, so it was no surprise that she became the face of BET and eventually MTV, serving as a cultural and pop icon for a generation. And she fought cancer just as she lived--with determination, with confidence and with grace. It's been difficult to see how this has impacted so many with whom I literally grew up during my time as a student at Howard, but if any good comes from this, may it serve as reminder to make our health our priority and encourage our peers to do the same."

Ananda Lewis took that same thoughtful approach throughout her career, as she served as a navigator on humanity’s shared journey. She hosted the syndicated The Ananda Lewis Show, designed to tackle serious subjects as opposed to more sensationalized counterparts such as the Ricki Lake Show and the Jerry Springer Show. After a break from television, she became a correspondent for The Insider, delving into the intricacies of the entertainment industry. 

Proof of her down-to-earth mentality was evident later in her life. Even though her career was built on her relationships with A-list celebrities, she took on the role of caregiver for her grandmother and needed to take care of her home. Instead of relying on others for repairs, she enrolled in a Los Angeles community college and earned an associate’s degree in carpentry,  embodying the “you’re never too old to learn something new” mantra. Shortly thereafter, she hosted TLC’s While You Were Out, which showed audiences how to remodel living spaces. 

Perhaps her bravest moments came as she battled stage four breast cancer. Despite pain and other life challenges, she used her platform to educate others. She never stopped working to help women understand the disease, the most effective means of treatment, and even pointed out her own mistakes during the process. Her ultimate goal was to help others thrive, as noted by CNN journalist Stephanie Elam (B.A. ’95), who paid a touching tribute on the network to Lewis, her good friend and Howard classmate.

“Two thirds of my life, she has been my ride or die,” said Elam. “I’m so proud of her, for being open and honest and courageous. If she has encouraged anyone to get their mammograms, to get all the testing done, please do it. Save a life. Be here. Thrive. That’s what she wanted people to know.”

Howard University Hospital President Roger Mitchell (B.S. ’96), M.D., also attended Howard with Lewis. He summed up the feelings of scores of Bison across the country.

“Ananda Lewis was a bright star,” Mitchell said. “She will be sorely missed.”