Member Raspberry dies at 76

July 19, 2012

William Raspberry, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and one of the most widely read black journalists of his generation, died July 17 the age of 76.

Raspberry, who was inducted into the hall of fame in 1993, wrote an opinion column for the Post for nearly 40 years, and more than 200 newspapers carried his column in syndication.

Raspberry won the Pulitzer for commentary in 1994, becoming the second black columnist to achieve the honor. His winning columns covered topics including urban violence, the legacies of civil rights leaders and female genital mutilation in Africa.

From 1956 to 1960, he was a reporter-photographer-editor for the Indianapolis Recorder. He then joined the Army and was hired at the Post in 1962.