Leonard Pitts
Leonard Pitts Jr. joined The Miami Herald in 1991 as its pop music critic. In 1994, he began writing a column on pop culture and social issues. Working out of Washington, D.C., Pitts continues to defend and define American culture in unique and interesting ways.
He is the author of several books, including “Freeman,” “Before I Forget,” and “Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood.”
Pitts began writing as a freelance music critic for Soul magazine in 1976 at 18. In the years since, Pitts’ work has appeared in Musician, Spin, TV Guide, Reader’s Digest and Parenting.
In addition, Pitts wrote, produced and syndicated “Who We Are,” an award-winning radio documentary on the history of Black America, and has written and produced radio programs on subjects as diverse as Madonna and Martin Luther King Jr.
Pitts is a four-time winner of the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors’ Award for Excellence in Commentary, a five-time winner of the National Headliners Award given by the Press Club of Atlantic City, and a six-time winner of the Green Eyeshade Award given by the Society of Professional Journalists. The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Editor & Publisher magazine and GLAAD Media, among others, have also honored him. In 2002, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists named Pitts Columnist of the Year, and in 2004 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
Readers may contact him via e-mail at [email protected].
Recent Work
So now Michelle Obama finally tells her truth. There has always been about her a sense that she did, indeed, ... Read More
So now Michelle Obama finally tells her truth. There has always been about her a sense that she did, indeed, have a truth of her own and that it was, if not at odds with the one her husband expressed with high-flown... Read More
"The fact that a man is a newspaper reporter is evidence of some flaw in character." -- Lyndon Johnson "They ... Read More
"The fact that a man is a newspaper reporter is evidence of some flaw in character." -- Lyndon Johnson "They are a sort of assassins..." -- John Quincy Adams "I look forward to these confrontations with the press to kind of balance up the nice and ... Read More
"What are these politicians going to do for us?" A guy in Texas asked that question a few weeks back ... Read More
"What are these politicians going to do for us?" A guy in Texas asked that question a few weeks back on "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," by way of explaining why he won't be voting in the most important midterm election... Read More
Rob Rogers is an editorial cartoonist who was fired in June after 25 years with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. His departure, he ... Read More
Rob Rogers is an editorial cartoonist who was fired in June after 25 years with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. His departure, he said, came after weeks of tension with a publisher who wanted a more pro-Trump stance. Read More
A word for young people, people of color and, in particular, young people of color: The Republicans are scared of ... Read More
A word for young people, people of color and, in particular, young people of color: The Republicans are scared of you. Maybe you find that hard to believe. Maybe you wonder how the party can be scared of you -- or of... Read More
What if the end of the world came and nobody noticed? It's not quite an idle question. You see, something ... Read More
What if the end of the world came and nobody noticed? It's not quite an idle question. You see, something remarkable happened last week. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of scientists... Read More
The other day, a woman confessed to me that she's a Republican. Republicans may bristle at the verb, but it's ... Read More
The other day, a woman confessed to me that she's a Republican. Republicans may bristle at the verb, but it's used advisedly. The lady admitted her party affiliation the way you would some personal failing. "I don't tell a . . . Read More
Let's get something straight: Men are not the victims here. It is a foolish and offensive line of reasoning, so ... Read More
Let's get something straight: Men are not the victims here. It is a foolish and offensive line of reasoning, so naturally it has caught traction on the political right. Indeed, for some, it is an article of faith as the... Read More
Give the Republicans credit: they worked hard to create the appearance of enlightened compassion. Meaning, of course, Thursday's Senate Judiciary... Read More
Give the Republicans credit: they worked hard to create the appearance of enlightened compassion. Meaning, of course, Thursday's Senate Judiciary... Read More
In The News
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WASHINGTON — A pair of yearlong clinical trials conducted by the drug maker Eli Lilly appear to show that its... Read More
WASHINGTON — A pair of yearlong clinical trials conducted by the drug maker Eli Lilly appear to show that its obesity drug, Zepbound, can provide considerable relief to overweight people who have sleep apnea. Though the findings have yet to... Read More
WASHINGTON — Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co., was accused of skimping on safety to maximize profits during two Senate hearings Wednesday.... Read More
WASHINGTON — Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co., was accused of skimping on safety to maximize profits during two Senate hearings Wednesday. The Senate committees are investigating recent dangerous mid-flight equipment failures blamed on faulty design and assembly of airliners. One of... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he strongly supports a proposal from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to provide... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he strongly supports a proposal from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending crucial bipartisan support to the effort this week to approve $95 billion in... Read More
Most of you have seen recent stories on European farmers organizing for better prices by blocking highways and business districts... Read More
Most of you have seen recent stories on European farmers organizing for better prices by blocking highways and business districts with their tractors. Older farmers might remember the 1979 Tractorcade by American farmers demanding “parity,” meaning farmers should get paid the cost... Read More
Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when... Read More
Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when she began to take medication to block the onset of puberty. The gender-affirming treatment helped the now-16-year-old find happiness again,... Read More
HONOLULU (AP) — When wildfires broke out across Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety... Read More
HONOLULU (AP) — When wildfires broke out across Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their engines. Another drove a moped into a burning neighborhood again and again, whisking people away from danger... Read More
