The Washington Post fired a left-wing columnist Karen Attiah over social media posts she made during the time of Charlie Kirk's assassination and a school shooting in Colorado.
Sharing the news of her dismissal, Attiah wrote on Substack, “As a columnist, I used my voice to defend freedom and democracy, challenge power and reflect on culture and politics with honesty and conviction."
Kirk, a right-wing US influencer and close ally of Donald Trump was fatally shot at Utah campus event on Wednesday, September 10.
On the same day, a school shooting in Colorado left two students injured and shooter dead.
Attiah, who first joined the Post in 2014, shared screenshots of her posts on Bluesky, including one criticizing the way some people excuse or forgive white men who promote hatred and violence, suggesting that this attitude contributes to America’s violence.
In a post to her Bluesky account, Attiah wrote, "'Black women do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a [W]hite person’s slot'- Charlie Kirk."
Attiah was referring to a specific July 2023 comment by Kirk about affirmative actions, where he mentioned certain Black women including Michelle Obama, rather than referring all Black women.
She said she was fired for speaking out against political violence, racial double standards and America’s acceptance of guns.
"What happened to me is part of a broader purge of Black voices from academia, business, government, and media — a historical pattern as dangerous as it is shameful — and tragic," Attiah added.