Karen Attiah, the Washington Post’s last full-time Black opinion columnist, says she was fired over posts on gun violence and Charlie Kirk’s legacy.
The Washington Post has dismissed Karen Attiah, its last full-time Black opinion columnist, after posts she made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
Attiah, who joined the Post in 2014 and became Global Opinions editor in 2016, announced Monday that she was fired for “gross misconduct” after criticising America’s culture of violence and sharing one of Kirk’s past racist remarks.
“I wish I had hope for gun control… but we live in a country that accepts white children being massacred,” she posted. Referring to Kirk, she added: “Refusing to… mourn for a white man that espoused violence is not the same as violence.”
Attiah said the Post found her posts “unacceptable” and claimed they endangered colleagues. She described the move as “a violation of journalistic fairness.”
Her dismissal, she argued, reflects a wider backlash against diversity efforts. Attiah plans to continue her work through her Substack, The Golden Hour.
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