Be the One

Emmy Award–winning ABC News chief national correspondent and Nightline coanchor, Byron Pitts shares the heartbreaking and inspiring stories of six young people who overcame impossible circumstances with extraordinary perseverance.

Abuse.
Bullying.
War.
Drug Addiction.
Mental Illness.
Violence.

None of these should be realities for anyone, much less a young person. But for some it is the only reality they have ever known. In these dark circumstances, six teens needed someone to “be the one” for them—the hero to help them back into the light. For Tania, Mason, Pappy, Michaela, Ryan, and Tyton, that hero was themselves. Through stirring interviews and his award-winning storytelling, Byron Pitts brings the struggles and triumphs of these everyday heroes to teens just like them, encouraging all of us to be the source of inspiration in our own lives and to appreciate the lives of others around us.

About the Author

Byron Pitts is a multiple Emmy Award–winning journalist known for his thoughtful storytelling, on-the-ground reporting, and in-depth interviews. A news veteran with over thirty years of experience, Mr. Pitts has traveled around the world to cover some of the biggest news stories of our time including the Florida presidential recount, the tsunami in Indonesia, the refugee crisis in Kosovo, and the Boston marathon bombing investigation.

He joined ABC News in April 2013 as anchor and Chief National Correspondent covering national news stories and in-depth features for all broadcasts and platforms including Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline, This Week, 20/20, and ABCNews.com, and was named ABC News Nightline coanchor in 2014. Prior to joining ABC News, Mr. Pitts spent fifteen years at CBS News where he served as Chief National Correspondent for The CBS Evening News, filed regularly for 60 Minutes, and won an Emmy for his coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He was named the National Association of Black Journalists Journalist of the Year in 2002. His 2009 memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges chronicled his journey overcoming illiteracy and a stutter to become a journalist. Mr. Pitts is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and currently lives in New York City.