Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man’s Search for Home

by Jonathan Capehart

Pulitzer Prize winning writer, editor and TV host Jonathan Capehart recounts powerful stories from his life about embracing identity, picking battles, seizing opportunity and finding his voice.

MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart is one of the most recognizable faces in cable news. But long before that success, Capehart spent his boyhood growing up without his father, shuttling back and forth between New Jersey and rural Severn, North Carolina, and contemplating the complexities of race and identity as they shifted around him. It was never easy bridging two worlds; whether being told he was too smart or not smart enough, too Black or not Black enough, Capehart struggled to find his place. Then, an internship at The Today Show altered the course of his life, bringing him one step closer to his dream. From there, Capehart embarks on a journey of self-discovery. 

Yet Here I Am takes us along that journey, from his years at Carleton College, where he learns to embrace his identity as a gay Black man surrounded by a likeminded community; to his decision to come out to his family, risking rejection; and finally to his move to New York City, where time and again he stumbles and picks himself up as he blazes a path to become the familiar face in news we know today.   

Honest and endearing, Yet Here I Am is an inspirational memoir of identity, opportunity, and finding one's voice and purpose along the way. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Politics, Biography, LGBT, Biography Memoir

272 pages, Hardcover

Published May 20, 2025

Reviews

[Deborah J. Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You, Jonathan

The next time I feel my body tensing up after reading or hearing about the latest horrendous thing Trump has done or said, I am going to say aloud, "Yet Here I Am" to remind myself of your life story, my family's life story, and that of the millions of people in this country who have made choices to make it "a more perfect union."

I love watching you on MSNBC and absolutely love "The Weeknight" and "The Weekend." I'm 76 years old, but I'm going to stay alive and sane long enough see our democracy survive! Thank you so much for writing this book!

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read but an interesting one for those who appreciate Jonathan Capehart’s contributions and insights on MSNBC and the PBS New Hour. His career is a testament to hard work, tenacity and talent.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The raw honesty and introspection of this Black gay man who grew up and “adulted” primarily in a white world is an essential voice to our understanding of the complexities of identity. I have watched Jonathan Capehart for years on The PBS NewsHour and so picked this book up—and enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. His self reflection and conviction regarding the killings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown; the ignorance of Washington Post editorial colleagues; the learning curve regarding career advancement and priorities. And love. And his mom—a big shout out! I was also my child’s plus one at a WH holiday party (just once however) so memorable!
Keep fighting the good fight Jonathan, and thank you for sharing your journey and wisdom as we keep plowing forward. Your voice is one that helps me keep the faith in this complex world.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulitzer Prize winner, commentator, and tv host Jonathan Capehart’s new book takes readers through Capehart’s many influences on his life and successful career. It is an appreciation of the many people who influenced him, from his mother to his grandmother to professional mentors and rivals. As a young man, Capehart struggled to fit in, as his career advanced, he sometimes fought feelings of self doubt. Along the way he found good friends and helpful professional mentors to guide him.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy for review.

[Dianne Guhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

This book is so inspirational. It speaks about the true meaning of never saying “I Can’t.” I have so much respect for Jonathan Capehart knowing his whole story inside out. He’s a wonderful writer.

[Rick B Buttafogo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been a fan of Jonathan Capehart. As a resident of the Jersey Shore, I did not know he was raised by a single mom in Hazlet, NJ - a town 10 miles from where I live. A quick little memoir about what it was like growing up Black, growing up gay, and then being that Black gay journalist and all the expectations put on him to “represent”. From working at the Today Show as an intern, to working at Bloomberg’s leading to working on Bloomberg’s successful NY mayoral campaign to ultimately witnessing the election of a Black president and everything in between. The part where he was able to bring his mom to meet President Obama brought tears to my eyes. Capehart’s journey that brought him a Pulitzer Prize, a gig at MSNBC, PBS, etc is a great read for those that want to know the struggles of a Black man to become one of the most recognized faces and respected faces in political journalism today. A great message of hope living through these current times. It’s worth the time to read it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a fan of Brooks and Capehart that airs Fridays on PBS Evening News, I was eager to read this memoir. It did not disappoint! Tracing his life as a black child living between New Jersey and North Carolina in the summer, the change in his living experience happens early. Becoming an adult and grappling with his identity as a gay, black man is - of course- quite a wrenching journey. Add the excellent portrayal of politics and his drive to succeed as a journalist and television commentator and I was fascinated as his story unfolds. The author provides an honest and at times heart wrenching account of his life so far. And yet, here he is.

[Charles C Greenwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthwhile memoir that should be read & applied to our individual life challenges.

I'm familiar with Jonathan from his varied appearances on TV. Reading him in Cogent & well developed narratives reveals his depth of thought not often available in brief TV comments.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice read! I'm happy Jonathan has kept his sweet personality after all he has gone through.

[Aimee F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" connection which led me to listen to this audiobook. I appreciated the journey and perspective of this book.

4/5⭐

[Stephen O Arneson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnathan’s Book of Achieved Dreams

The book is an amazing account of a life that is rarely achieved in today’s racial world. He has succeeded in living life to its fullest despite almost all the barriers for blacks and gay men in our repressive country today. His account is amazing by its reach and his achievements. An almost unbelievable account of a life well lived

[Carolyn Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely/never reach for biographies or autobiographies, but made an exception for Jonathan Capehart. I’ve been a fan of his political insights and commentary since he started on PBS Newshour Friday nights. It was interesting (and impressive) to learn of the many stepping stones in his career ~ and to get to know him a bit better.
‘Everything we do in life is an audition for something else’ … a thought that’s worth remembering & reflecting on.

[Lauren Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a bit disappointed. I hoped for more heartfelt insight. Large portions of this book seemed dry. I wish more of this memoir would have been written like the ending, where Jonathan spoke from the heart about his wedding. Jonathan is someone I admire, as I have followed him on "Brooks and Capehart" on PBS News. I also follow him on Instagram where I enjoy peeks into his busy life.

[WM D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I just finished reading by Jonathan Capehart was in my opinion a very good memoir. It takes the reader into how he grew up wanting to know about his father who had passed away. In time his mother told him about what happened. It also takes you through his own journey through adulthood and how he became the person he was born to be,

[Anne Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting insights about the world of print and television journalism through the eyes and experience of a gay Black man

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Capehart tells his story as completely as he is able. He was raised by a single mom in both New Jersey and rural North Carolina and knew from an early age that he was gay. His mother valued education and saw that he had good schooling including Carleton College which seemed like an unlikely choice but where he was welcomed and flourished. Capehart had to deal with his sexuality, and the complexities of being a black man who is succeeding -- is he too smart or not smart enough; too black or not black enough. As he finally achieves not only success as a journalist, but peace in his life, he was able to share this journey fully.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In May 2025 when Jonathan Capehart's memoir came out, he was the associate editor of the Washington Post, the newspaper where he had analyzed and written about the news since 2007. Eventually, with a mandate from the top to write optimistically about the country and the future, he left the paper, saying he could not write optimistically about "democracy in peril" as he (and many others) see it.

He remains a political analyst for PBS News and is launching a Substack presence. (I write this cautiously, knowing that plans can change in the blink of an eye.)

Jonathan's father died when Jonathan was four months old, and he was raised by his mother, largely in Newark, N.J., scarcely known as the land of opportunity. Summers he spent with relatives in rural North Carolina. Yet, Capehart worked as hard as anyone I've ever read about, becoming one of the country's most respected journalists, winner of a Pulitzer Prize.

He went to a small, highly respected Midwestern College, Carleton, and worked day and night, sometimes for free, building a network of people who knew him and knew his work. Gene Shalit, the guy with the mustache on The Today Show, taught the earnest intern to tie a bow tie. Jonathan and his spouse Nick were married by former Attorney General Eric Holder.

If a young, gay, Black man with no family connections can scale the journalistic heights as he has, it should encourage and inspire us all.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook, 4.5 Stars!

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy the author's work on MSNBC, but unfortunately didn't enjoy listening to this audiobook. I hope the disappointment in the book doesn't affect my appreciation of Capehart on the news.

[Sid Groeneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am familiar with Jonathan Capehart from watching him on television (on MSNBC and PBS’s “News Hour”) and from reading his columns in the Washington Post. I became especially interested in following him after learning he’s a graduate of Carleton College, the same small school in rural Minnesota that my son attended, albeit years later.

“Yet Here I Am” is a brutally honest autobiography which holds nothing back, including intimate details of his life as a gay black man. Capehart mentions how the book was inspired by the similarly candid memoirs authored by former Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham and New York Times columnist Charles Blow.

The book traces critical periods of Capehart’s life—living with the disliked stepfather his mother remarries, moving to and from Newark and attending a private Catholic school there, making summer trips to small town North Carolina to spend time with his father’s relatives, working at the New York Daily News and Bloomberg Financial News, a series of encounters with adult boyfriends that do not work out, his painful experience serving on the Washington Post’s editorial board, attending gala events hosted Barack and Michelle Obama, and the romance with the man he eventually marries.

The book reveals how Capehart has struggled with multiple identities while eventually gaining enough confidence to realize his personal and professional dreams. I was struck by how someone so bright and accomplished has suffered so much from insecurities, perhaps resulting from the absence of his biological father and likely heightened by the challenges of being black and gay (although not poor). His mother proves to be a central figure in Capehart’s life, whom, along with various key friends and notables, he credits for believing in him and encouraging him during his early years and later as a journalist, editor, and TV personality in Washington and New York.

Capehart imparts an important life lesson—that “everything one does in life is an audition for something else; we just don’t know what it is.” His fans eagerly await what follows from the latest audition.

[Christine Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook…, read by the author.

[Evelyn Petschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars rounded up. I love memoirs, and this was no exception. I admire the author’s journalism, and this made me appreciate him even more. Great audio narration by the author.

[Spencer Reads Everything · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet Here I Am by Jonathan Capehart is a thoughtful and reflective political memoir that aims less at persuasion than at context. Rather than offering a dramatic narrative of ascent or a sweeping political argument, Capehart presents his life as an ongoing negotiation between identity, belief, and public responsibility.

The memoir is structured thematically rather than chronologically, moving between childhood, family life, faith, professional experience, and moments of public visibility. Capehart writes movingly about growing up Black in New Jersey, losing his father at a young age, and being raised by a mother whose expectations emphasized discipline, education, and perseverance. These early experiences provide a foundation for the book’s larger concerns with endurance and belonging.

Faith is a central and complicated presence throughout the memoir. Capehart, a Jehovah’s Witness, reflects on the tensions between religious commitment and his identity as a gay man. The book does not attempt to resolve those tensions neatly. Instead, it presents faith as both sustaining and constraining, a source of meaning that exists alongside real limits and exclusions. This refusal to simplify is one of the book’s strengths.

Capehart’s professional life in journalism and political commentary forms the second major axis of the book. He reflects on working within elite newsrooms and highly visible public institutions, including his role on PBS NewsHour, where he replaced the indomitable Mark Shields on the Friday political analysis segment. Capehart is clearly aware of the weight of that transition and of the responsibility that comes with occupying such a prominent space. The memoir also offers glimpses into the burden of visibility and the expectation that one speak not only for oneself, but symbolically for others.

The book is at its most affecting when it turns to Capehart’s personal life, particularly his relationship with his husband, Nick Schmit. These sections ground the memoir emotionally and provide a counterbalance to its institutional focus. Capehart’s account of their marriage, officiated by former Attorney General Eric Holder, underscores the intertwining of personal commitment and public life that runs throughout the book.

That said, I remain somewhat skeptical of political memoirs, including those written by media figures rather than elected officials. Yet Here I Am does not fully escape that genre. While the book is candid and well written, it ultimately remains rooted in political media and public institutions. Readers who share that skepticism may find the book more informative than transformative.

Still, I enjoyed reading it. The memoir adds depth to a familiar public voice and offers a clear-eyed account of resilience without resorting to triumphalism. Yet Here I Am succeeds not by redefining political memoir, but by executing it with restraint, honesty, and reflection. For readers interested in how identity and public life intersect, this is a worthwhile and thoughtfully composed example of the form.

For more check out my video:
https://youtu.be/mvXdkOPhsgs
For more reviews, check out my channel:
www.youtube.com/@SpencerReadsEverything

[Sue Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I watch Jonathan Capehart on PBS so felt a desire to learn a little more about him. His memoir helped me to understand how he went from being a poor young boy to being the successful man he is today. Possibly because I knew of his achievements including a Pulitzer prize, I expected more from this book.

He starts by letting us know that he was raised by his mother in New Jersey yet visited his grandparents each summer in North Carolina. Those worlds were and still are completely different and provided varying perspectives. His father was not in the picture and his step father was not a good influence so he mostly learned things on his own.

Somehow as a young man, he knew that he wanted to be a journalist which seemed improbable for a black man. It seemed even less likely since he was also a gay man. Getting an internship opened his eyes put him on the path for success. He worked hard and had some failures along the way but he stayed mostly steady in his goals. He also discovered a community of people willing to support him. It was hard work plus those opportunities that helped him along the way.

Eventually he was able to land jobs that helped him thrive and that he enjoyed. He was also able to fall in love and marry the man who shares his life. Neither of these things seemed possible for a black, gay man but somehow he persevered. There is not doubt that Jonathan shared is honest thoughts about his success but his writing seemed guarded. I'm sure there is a lot more depth that he could have shared. Overall this is an easy read but not memorable.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing memoir by Jonathan Capehart both in his honesty about so many events in his life and his dealings with his life experiences. His experiences with growing up was akin to living two different lives while he spent his winters with his mother and his summers at his grandparents in the south. Without those summers his life would have been different. I’ve been a fan of his as an MSNBC viewer but learned so much more about him through this book. His resilience in plans changing with different job situations whether they felt they were promotions or sidesteps along of the way to his profession. His decision to attend a midwestern college was perhaps one of his best decisions to making his awareness of the influences on his life and one that stood out to him. It is a unique experience that he has had and while there was a bit more name dropping and emphasis on brand names than I felt necessary, I feel Mr. Capehart is still pinching himself as to how his professional and personal life has evolved. I particularly like the factor that Mr. Capehart was able not to “burn bridges” as his career progressed and remembered to tell with honesty what it was he wanted in his life and profession. Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this book; this is my honest review.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Capehart has been through some things. And in his book, "Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man's Search for Home," he shares quite a lot, and frankly, about his journey. Capehart was two years behind me at Carleton and we worked together at the student newspaper, The Carletonian. I remember a bright, energetic, preppy-dressing 18-year-old from New Jersey who was eager to experience college, and who was clearly ambitious. But I learned much about Capehart's journey that was never on display during those years: That he had an emotionally abusive step-father; that he'd spent summers with family in North Carolina; that he often felt alienated as a gay Black man. I give him credit for putting out there so much about his struggles, both personal and professional. It can't be easy to lay all of that out there for the world. I value the insights he shares, such as his exhortation to go where you and your skills are wanted and to "get along" one way or another when things in your workplace aren't going right. It's great to know Capehart has found happiness and home with his husband, even as his professional star has risen all the way to that of a nationally known TV political commentator. Kudos to you, Jonathan!!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it as on audiobook at 1.5x.

As a Carleton alum, we’re of course very proud of Jonathan and proud of how proud he is of Carleton as a trustee, commencement speaker and devoting a Carleton chapter in the book. Was fun to know most of the people he mentioned. I have met Matthew multiple times and friends with his younger sister. Over the years at various reunions I’ve heard stories about him very similar to Jonathan’s. As Jonathan shared, any LGBTQ people on campus during that time likely found inspiration in Matthew kindness and dignity. Carol Barnett is a gem as a leader and connector, and I feel honored to have served with her as trustee.

Some of the book can be a little dry with this happened-then this happened and frequent interactions with powerful people, but Capehart’s core morality and commitment to truth in journalism creates compelling drama as he navigates the complexities that creates for him as a Black out gay man when the identity matters and when it doesn’t.

Memoirs often don’t cover the writer’s romantic life, and of course gay people are underrepresented in memoirs, so I liked his choice to include his whole life.

Enjoyed seeing him talk in Northfield last week as well and got a signed copy of his book.

[Jennie Apter · Rating 4 out of 5]

So great to read more of the story behind Jonathan Capehart, a beloved writer and thinker, whose work has been so needed/important, particularly in these times, someone I read and watch most consistently, regularly turn to first. I learned so much, including about a life in politics he had I was largely unaware of — his path is impressive, built on hard work, perseverance, grit, and principle with large doses of talent, humor, joy. His writing has always made me feel we’d be friends, so reading the autobiography was interesting and at times strange to face how much I did not know, and some similarities too.

It is hard to review ( and to write I imagine!) an autobiography. I loved most the pieces that were less plot and more that wonderful weave he is so good at of heart and theme and lessons emerging. And i think that was harder to do in a longer piece and one where the plot, the story of what happened matters more, is the purpose in some ways more than in his columns.

Mostly I was glad to have read it, and to read his columns. “ Yet, here I am” indeed!

[Bhadra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing in (I estimate) his late forties or early fifties, Capehart offers an interesting description of his early years, when his African American mother had very high standards for him, which he successfully met. His early years were spent alone with her, in Newark, and later in a mostly white New Jersey suburb, where he learned to fit in with his schoolmates. Summers were always spent in the South with his mother's family, giving him the opportunity to observe and reflect on serious discrimination against African Americans.
I found his portrayal of his adult years less interesting. There is a formidable amount of name-dropping, as he names his work associates in jobs at the New York Post, Bloomberg News, the Washington Post and MSNBC. He was fascinated by news from late adolescence to the present, which is interesting, but I would have liked to read a more detailed analysis of how he managed to be successful in predominantly white settings throughout all of those years.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jonathan Capehart – and I thoroughly enjoy listening to what he has to say against David Brooks each Friday night on the News Hour. The book does, as he suspects, allow me to get to know him better. Regardless, I think it’s a bit early in life to be writing an autobiography. While he’s accomplished a tremendous amount – and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing how he’s dealt with each part of it, I hope there’s more to come. I fully expect his career to continue to grow. Right now, we’re all stuck in the Trump mess. If we can get out of it – and I hope we can, I fully expect Capehart’s career to move forward in ways we can’t now define. If we can’t – what a horrible thought, what will happen to people like Jonathan? They certainly aren’t good fits for the world Project 2025 envisions. Let’s hope we recover our democracy and return to a world where people like Jonathan can blossom.