Leonard Pitts Jr. to discuss politics and race at the University of Idaho

Columnist and author Leonard Pitts Jr. will talk about the polarization of American politics, the presidential campaign and the media’s coverage of racial issues at the University of Idaho on Feb. 18.

Pitts, a Pulitzer Prize-winner whose column appears in The Spokesman-Review, is the keynote speaker at UI’s fifth annual Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium. The event is free and open to the public, and will be held at 7 p.m. in the Bruce Pitman Center on the UI campus.

“Leonard Pitts has been a consistent voice for justice for all Americans, especially during the past year when racial tensions have escalated in many American cities,” said Patricia Hart, interim director of UI’s School of Journalism and Mass Media, in a news release.

Besides his syndicated column, Pitts is a best-selling author. He recieved the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2004.