I watch Jonathan on the PBS NewsHour and really like him, so I was very interested to read his book. I enjoyed it very much! I appreciate his perspective and loved hearing about his life so far.

Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man’s Search for Home by Jonathan Capehart is a deeply personal and quietly powerful memoir that reflects the same clarity, conviction, and grace I’ve admired in him for years as a devoted MSNBC viewer. Watching Capehart religiously on television, I’ve always been struck by his calm defiance and incisive commentary qualities that shine just as brightly in his writing. This book is not just a recounting of his life; it’s a meditation on identity, belonging, and the pursuit of truth in spaces that weren’t built to welcome him.

Capehart traces his journey from a bookish, “funny” (a word I grew up hearing to describe queer people) kid growing up in New Jersey and spending summers in North Carolina, to becoming a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and respected media voice2. The memoir explores his reckoning with race, sexuality, and ambition, including painful moments like learning the truth about his absent father and resigning from the Washington Post editorial board when he realized he’d never be fully accepted as a bridge between Black and white America. His mother’s lessons on how to be Black in white spaces, and his own experiences navigating elite institutions, form the emotional backbone of the narrative.

What makes Yet Here I Am especially resonant is Capehart’s refusal to be silent. He writes with candor about panic attacks, professional setbacks, and the cost of speaking unpopular truths even when it meant challenging sacred cows. The memoir doesn’t rely on dramatic flourishes; instead, it offers a steady, illuminating look at a life shaped by resilience and integrity. For longtime viewers like me, it’s a rewarding glimpse behind the screen a reminder that the voice we trust on air is grounded in hard-won wisdom and unwavering authenticity.

Jonathan Capehart's memoir Yet Here I am is powerful, moving, emotional and amazing. Capehart provides an insightful look into his personal journey, family history and shares an in-depth look into the path that led him to journalism and his rise through the profession. The most moving part in the book was when Jonathan coming out as gay to his family. The book was entertaining, inspiring and informative. Yet Here I am is one of my favorite memoirs of 2025.

"Blackness is always at the mercy of someone else's judgment."

"When someone asks what you want, tell them."
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A wonderful and moving account of a remarkable man's journey. I was touched and enlightened by Jonathan 's accounting of growing up black and gay and following his dreams. I love watching him on the PBS news hour and now I admire him even more. His stories of the Obama White House brought me to tears. A true journalist. I'm so glad I read it.

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.

Jonathan Capehart's Autobiography - Yet Here I Am, is a great read and story about growing up and achieving dreams while still maintaining your sense of self and your background. Told with anecdotes from his life growing from child into adult and work in the area of journalism while still being himself a gay black man really told the story of resilience. This is a good read and I highly recommend it to anyone who has had to fit in several worlds at the same time.

Journalist, commentator, and Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Jonathan Capehart relates his life experiences in his memoir, "Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man's Search for Home". He recounts painfully growing up with a cruel stepfather, searching for identity and navigating life and career as a gay black man. However, there’s so much more. In fact, there is something for everyone to personally take from this book.

He shares the valuable lessons he has learned throughout his career. Among them is that he went anywhere his talents were sought, often with meager or no pay. He also learned that you are not as invisible as you may think. People are always watching, rendering judgements about you based on clues you don’t realize you’re providing. These insights helped him to eventually achieve his professional goals. He would make each job work for him and not take one solely for the money.

That said, his journey has been far from easy. New York slapped him down more than a few times, and he shares how he tended to withdraw into himself. He has also experienced severe panic attacks. Somehow, he manages to maintain a positive tone throughout the book, which is a testament to his resilience.

What I particularly appreciate is his fearless commitment to the truth. He provides examples of when he wrote unpopular opinions, no matter what side was involved, no matter the consequences.  This often meant taking on a “sacred cow” to get to the truth.

I admit I have been a fan of Jonathan Capehart for years, enjoying his shows regularly on MSNBC. Even if you are not familiar with him, you will appreciate "Yet Here I Am", his journey to self-awareness and thoughts of the future of the world. You may even see yourself and others a little differently.

YET HERE I AM by Jonathan Capehart is subtitled "Lessons from a Black Man's Search for Home" and provides ample insight into the background and influences on this award-winning journalist who appears regularly on PBS NewsHour with David Brooks (How to Know a Person). Capehart shares stories about his childhood including being raised by a single mother and her re-marriage when he was a sophomore in high school (hard on any kid), "a suburban middle-class Black kid who grew up playing with white kids now back in a majority Black city [Newark] with no clue about how to relate or fit in." Writing about college at Carleton, Capehart says, "without a doubt, just about every wonderful thing that has happened in my life can be traced back to my decision to go to that small liberal arts college in Minnesota." He continues with engaging stories about his work in the news media, including Washington Post and MSNBC, and offers unique perspective on being gay and Black, commenting, "Blackness is always at the mercy of someone else's judgment. You can be too Black, not Black enough, or not Black at all, and I have run the range my entire life." YET HERE I AM received a starred review from Kirkus and praise from, among others, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Katie Couric, Michele Norris, and Jon Meacham.

I’ll start off this review by saying I’m a fan of Jonathan Capehart. He’s one of my favorite hosts on MSNBC. His book is just as delightful as he is. He takes a fairly deep dive into explaining what historical,events were occurring during the periods he’s writing about, which made the book even more special for me. Jonathan writes w candor, humor and empathy. Recommended for all public libraries.

Jonathan Capehart shares with us his life his growth.He is an exceptional reporter and his life story is interesting and i inspiring.Enjoyed from first to last page.#NetGalley #yes,here iam

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.

I used to frequently watch Jonathan Capehart when he was a contributor and then when he became an anchor on MSNBC, so I was very interested in his story. I am always intrigued to learn about the pathways of those in media.

Capehart provides an insightful look into his personal journey and shares an in-depth look into the path that led him to journalism and his rise through the profession.

Those who enjoy his media platforms - hosting and writing - will learn a bit more about the person behind the pen and screen.

Don't call Jonathan Capehart a token Black.

The Washington Post editor, MSNBC weekend anchor and PBS News Hour commentator has earned every prestigious position on his resume.

Capehart tells the story of his life so far in "Yet Here I Am." It offers hope to teens stuck in Southern backwaters, to young men afraid to come out of the closet, to anyone stuck in a stifling job.

The book is fast paced and entertaining. News junkies will enjoy backstage visits to the Today Show and details of White House dinners. Capehart drops lots of names in the style of one who can't believe his good fortune.

A very good read.