WSJ’s Hawkins is leaving

Lee Hawkins, a journalist at The Wall Street Journal, is leaving after nearly 19 years.

He plans to announce in the coming weeks a podcasting venture around race and equity.

He is a news editor and on-camera reporter for the Wall Street Journal, where he reports on the video, digital, print, and broadcasting platforms. He is also the author of the forthcoming book “Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free.”

Hawkins is a general assignment reporter and is also known for his on-camera interviews with superstars from the worlds of entertainment and sports, as well as influential newsmakers and icons. He has reported from around the U.S. and world and has written hundreds of stories for all sections of the WSJ, including Page One.

Hawkins previously covered General Motors Co. from the Journal’s Detroit bureau. Before reporting on GM and the challenges facing America’s “Big Three” automakers, he worked as a business reporter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal. He has covered a wide range of industries during his career, including electric and telecommunications utilities, markets, manufacturing and technology.

Hawkins holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was editorial page editor of the Badger Herald student newspaper.