The National LGBTQ Task Force will honor MSNBC anchor and Associate Editor of The Washington Post Jonathan Capehart with the National Leadership Award at the 26th Annual National LGBTQ Task Force Gala on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
The National Leadership Award is presented each year to an individual or group that embodies the Task Force’s vision for a society where LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves and is committed to the work to transform society for future generations and advance freedom, justice, and full equality for all LGBTQ+ people and their families.
“When I was a kid and dreamed of being a journalist, it was all about reporting from the middle of the action. Being Black and gay were two things I couldn’t hide, so I pursued my dream with determination and without apology,” said Capehart. “To receive the 2022 National Leadership Award from the Task Force is a humbling reminder that being in the middle of the action means you are in service to something bigger than yourself. What an honor it is to be recognized for just being myself and for doing all I can to help others do the same.
Kierra Johnson, National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director
Jonathan Capehart is a nationally respected journalist and is uncompromising and relentless in his pursuit to report the truth in a time when misinformation erodes the very foundation of our democracy. He has used his platform to shape the national conversation on important social issues and to make visible the invisible, marginalized people in our country. He has helped tell the stories of LGBTQ people who inspire us and move us. And he has done it all with integrity as a journalist who holds the intersectional identities of being both Black and a member of LGBTQ+ community. For all of these reasons, we are proud to honor Jonathan Capehart a champion who exhibits and inspires courage, authenticity and a ferocious quest for truth and justice.”
Capehart is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Associate Editor of The Washington Post. Since 2007, he has been an opinion writer and member of The Post’s editorial board. He hosts a weekly Opinions podcast “Capehart” (formerly named “Cape Up”) and the weekly Washington Post Live show “First Look,” which is also streamed on “The Choice MSNBC” on Comcast’s Peacock streaming service.
At MSNBC, Capehart is the anchor of “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.” His MSNBC special “A Promised Land: A Conversation with Barack Obama” was nominated in 2021 for an Emmy for “Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis.” His MSNBC special “Pride of the White House” won a GLAAD Media Award for “Outstanding TV Journalism – Long Form” in 2022.