Podcast of Pitts' Commencement address available

Leonard Pitts, Jr. addressed Rowan's Class of 2008.

Pitts, whose syndicated column in The Miami Herald is read by thousands of people each week, won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2004. His columns often focus on pop culture, social issues and family life.

Also a finalist for the Pulitzer for commentary in 1992, Pitts joined The Miami Herald in 1991 as its pop culture critic. He began writing his column in 1994.

Pitts, who started his writing career with SOUL, a national black entertainment tabloid, has also written for Musician, Spin, Essence, TV Guide, Reader's Digest and Parenting.

Author of the 1999 book, Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood, Pitts is a former writer for all-news radio stations in Los Angeles. In 1988, he wrote, produced and syndicated "Who We are," an award-winning radio documentary on the history of black America.

Recipient of numerous awards, Pitts has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, among others. He is a five-time recipient of the National Headliners Award and received the prestigious American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for Commentary Writing.