Lee Hedgepeth is a digital investigative reporter at CBS 42.
Lee grew up in Grand Bay, Alabama, a small town in south Mobile County. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of South Alabama, as well as master’s degrees in journalism and political development from the University of Alabama and Tulane University, respectively.
An experienced political journalist, Lee has worked for outlets including Alabama Political Reporter, Lagniappe Weekly, and the Anniston Star, covering events ranging from impeachments to executions. His work has been cited by outlets like the New York Times and US News and World Report.
When snow fell on Birmingham in the first days of 2022, Rentle Lee Wilson was left out in the cold. The City of Birmingham said that Boutwell Auditorium had been “unavailable” as a warming center, and that reality had left individuals facing homelessness – folks like Wilson – without a place to keep warm.
In the days and weeks that followed that snowfall, Lee Hedgepeth worked to tell the story of Wilson and those like him, documenting the experiences of individuals often left out of Alabama’s story.
In his role as an investigative digital reporter for CBS 42 in Birmingham, Lee has developed meaningful connections across Alabama that have allowed him the opportunity to highlight the stories of people like Erica Connell, the mother of Keleen Connell, a 27-year-old shot and killed by Birmingham police. Lee has sat down to talk with folks like Hattie Collins, who waited for hours to see Vice President Kamala Harris speak in Selma. And Lee has interviewed leaders like La’Quaylin Parhm-Mack, who went from a ward of the state to become the first Black woman to serve as Assistant Chief of the Birmingham Police Department.
If you have story suggestions, news tips, or simply want to stay up to date with Lee’s work, you can follow or reach out to him on Facebook or Twitter.
