Ghanaian-American journalist and Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah announced on Monday, Sept. 15, that she had been dismissed from her role following a series of social media posts about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a Substack post, Attiah said she was “being silenced” after sharing her views on gun control and race in the wake of Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10.
“As a columnist, I used my voice to defend freedom and democracy, challenge power and reflect on culture and politics with honesty and conviction,” Attiah wrote. “Now, I am the one being silenced — for doing my job.”
Attiah, whose parents are Ghanaian, had built a reputation as one of the most prominent Ghanaian-American voices in U.S. media, frequently writing on issues of race, culture, and international politics. She first joined the Post in 2014 and rose to become a key voice in its Opinions section.
According to Attiah, she only referenced Kirk in one of her Bluesky posts. In that message, she highlighted a past remark attributed to Kirk in which he dismissed the intelligence of prominent Black women, including former First Lady Michelle Obama, suggesting they had to “steal a white person’s slot” to succeed.
When reached by USA TODAY, the Washington Post declined to comment, stating it does not discuss personnel matters.
The Washington Post Guild condemned Attiah’s dismissal, describing it as wrongful. “The Washington Post wrongly fired Opinions columnist Karen Attiah over her social media posts. We stand with her,” the Guild said in a statement.
Over her decade-long career at the Post, Attiah became known globally for her commentary, including her coverage of the 2018 assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. She has also been recognized as a strong advocate for African and African diaspora perspectives in international media.
Source: ameyawdebrah.com/
