As senior vice president of Current Programs at The CW Network, Traci Lynn Blackwell, C'90, oversees the day-to-day production of some of television’s most talked-about shows including Vampire Diaries, The Originals as well as the prequel to Sex and the City, The Carrie Diaries. Other shows Blackwell has shepherded include Everybody Hates Chris, The Game, Girlfriends, Eve and Half and Half.
Blackwell is an active member of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, the organization responsible for the Emmys; and Colour TV, a networking and support group for television executives. In 2014, Blackwell earned a place on Essence Magazine’s Hollywood Hot List. Other such honors include Blackwell being named as one of the Top 10 Industry Impact Players by the NAACP in 2011, earning The Black Women Film Network’s prestigious Pinnacle Award for her work in television in 2012, and Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 List for 2010. Most recently, Blackwell was honored by Spelman College with the 2014 National Alumna Award and the Game Changer Award.
Blackwell is not only impacting what’s on the screen but also opening doors for others. Her ability to move more writers and directors of color to work in scripted television, and the mentoring projects Blackwell does with young women, are among her proudest achievements.
“We’re here to be a blessing to other people and to live out the life that God intended,” she says. “I’m very clear on what I consider to be success – living and walking out your purpose. “It’s not about money, about career, about fancy titles, or finding your dream mate,” explains Blackwell, who says all those things are wonderful and, in proper perspective, necessary. But first and foremost, for this media maven, it’s about following God’s script.
Blackwell is a native of Silver Spring, Maryland. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Spelman and a master’s degree in Communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Blackwell is currently studying for a Masters of Theology degree at Fuller Theological Seminary.