Throughout history, few journalists have shown more integrity than Gwen Ifill.  Her ability to remain unbiased made her a skilled interviewer, moderator, and news anchor.  In 2020, Ifill was honored on the 43rd stamp in the Black Heritage Series.

Gwendolyn L. Ifill was born on September 29, 1955, in Queens.  She was the fifth child of an African Methodist Episcopal minister, and spent much of her childhood moving around to different East Coast cities.  In 1977, Ifill graduated with a degree in communications from Simmons College in Boston.  It was during her time there that she interned for the Boston Herald-American and began cultivating her passion for journalism.

Ifill startedher first television job in 1994, and five years later, was the first black woman to host a national political talk show.  From there, Ifill quickly became one of the most trusted names in journalism.  She was the first African-American woman to moderate a vice-presidential debate, doing so in both 2004 and 2008.

Upon her death in 2016, President Obama said of Gwen Ifill, "She was an extraordinary journalist.  She always kept faith with the fundamental responsibilities of her profession, asking tough questions, holding people in power accountable, and defending a strong and free press that makes our democracy work."