About
The Story Behind the Stories
I'm Colette Coleman, a writer exploring the intersections of race, real estate, travel, education, and wellness, through the lens of belonging.
Developing the Lens: A Non-Traditional Trajectory
My path to journalism wasn't linear. I've investigated bank fraud while working at the Federal Reserve, taught children in Los Angeles and Central Java, Indonesia, and traveled around the globe, everywhere from Venezuela to Vanuatu.
Each chapter taught me something different about belonging: who gets to feel at home, who gets locked out, and what happens in the spaces between. These questions drive every story I write.
I'm a regular contributor to The New York Times, and a 2025–2026 Spencer Fellow at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
Outside of journalism, I bring the same rigor to marketing strategy work with mission-driven ed tech and health and wellness companies, helping them craft narratives that resonate and reach the audiences who need them most.
Journey
The Path So Far
Bachelor's degree, laying the foundation for a career in service and storytelling
Investigated fraud and terrorism-related banking transactions, building the research and analytical rigor that would later define my investigative journalism
Served as an educator and earned a Master’s degree in education, deepening a commitment to equity and community
Lived and worked internationally, gaining a global perspective on the issues I cover and honing my Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia skills
2025–2026 Spencer Fellow at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism
Philosophy
What Guides My Work
“Every story is, at its core, about the human need to belong — to a place, a people, a purpose.”