Stephen Henderson, editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press won the Pulitzer Prize Monday for his work on the financial crisis plaguing Detroit.
Henderson was specifically recognized for “his columns on the financial crisis facing his hometown, written with passion and a stirring sense of place, sparing no one in their critique.”
He is one of seven other Black journalists to win in the commentary category since 1970.
Stephen is the only Black journalist mentioned individually for the esteemed honor, but other African-American journalists were on staff at the Boston Globe which picked up an award for their coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings.
At the Free Press, a celebration for Henderson ensued, including champagne, calls from the mayor and congressmen and a visit from his wife and children.
Henderson remarked on what it means to win the award for coverage of hometown of Detroit, “There is still greatness there and excellence. I feel like it’s ironic almost that I’m being honored for work about perhaps the darkest hour for my city, the city where I was born…we’re down but not out.”
Read excerpts from Henderson’s columns here.