Somebody Had to Speak Up

A Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post columnist's timely collection looks at community issues of equity and justice

The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Colbert I. King has been speaking up his entire life, most recently as a columnist for the Washington Post. For thirty years, until his retirement in 2025, he chronicled stories ranging from global crises to national tragedies, from triumphs to local and community issues of equity and justice.

A lifelong resident of Washington, DC, King has deep reverence for the history of the nation's capital and the circumstances of its residents. His columns showcase a writer who is fueled by a lifelong sense of responsibility of service to his fellow citizens and to humanity at large. Somebody Had to Speak Up covers topics ranging from the impact of failing schools and gun violence on Black families in DC, to racism and bigotry, the government's duty to constituents, the seminal mayoralty of Marion Barry, home rule, and profiles in leadership.

This collection is for civic-minded readers interested in key moments of American and DC history, scholars of journalism and media studies, and readers compelled to use their own voices to stand up for what is right.