As a Black female voice in media, Ananda Lewis’s impact broke many invisible barriers, challenging stereotypes and paving the way for the generation that followed.

CNN anchor Sara Sidner and CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam tearfully mourned the death of their close friend, former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis.

Ananda Lewis, a former MTV VJ who connected a generation of music fans to their favorite celebrities in the network’s heyday, has died. She was 52.