Carl William Kenney

Carl W. Kenney II is an assistant professor at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, where he teaches ”MEJO 153: News Reporting & Writing” and ”MEJO 459: Community Journalism.” He also serves as managing editor of  The Durham Voice, a community-based news publication. 

Kenney is an accomplished journalist, author, minister and public intellectual whose career bridges media, faith and social change. His reporting and commentary have appeared in The Washington Post, Religious News Services (RNS), Sojourner Magazine, The News & Observer, The Durham Herald-Sun, The Independent Weekly and The Columbia Missourian. He is the author of three books — Preacha’ Man, Backslide and My Daddy’s Promise: Lessons Learned Through Caregiving — which explore themes of faith, identity and resilience in the Black experience. 

Before joining the UNC Hussman faculty, Kenney worked as a pastor and community organizer, leading efforts to foster interfaith and interracial dialogue in Durham and beyond. His teaching and public work emphasize storytelling as a means of building understanding across lines of difference and holding institutions accountable to the communities they serve. 

At UNC-Chapel Hill, Kenney mentors aspiring journalists committed to community-centered reporting, critical thinking and ethical storytelling that uplifts diverse voices and lived experiences. 

EDUCATION 

• M.Div., Duke University 
• B.J., The University of Missouri at Columbia