Karen Attiah

About Karen Attiah

Born and raised in DeSoto, Texas, Karen began an interest in media and advocacy at 19, after an internship working with the Dallas Public Defenders office. The next year, Karen spent a summer learning Spanish in Spain, an experience which sparked what would become a lifelong interest in international journalism, social justice, human rights. Karen is a former Fulbright scholar to Ghana, and has reported from Curacao, Nigeria, Ghana. Her work has appeared in Voice of America, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, Haitian Times, and other international publications. She has made television and broadcast appearances on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NPR, and the CBC. Currently, she is an Editor and Writer with the Washington Post Opinions Section, and her work focuses on race, gender, culture, and international affairs. She has won numerous awards and recognitions for her writing and commentary, including the 2019 George Polk Special Award, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Freedom Writer Award. She was the winner of the 2019 Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, was named to the 2019 Root 100 list, and was featured in Essence Magazine’s ‘Woke 100’ list for 2019. She is the author of the forthcoming book “Say Your Word, Then Leave”, to be published by Dey Street Books in Spring 2021. Karen is currently based in Dallas, Texas.

Experience

1. Columnist

   The Washington Post

   Jun 2021 — Present · Washington, DC, US

Education

• Columbia | SIPA

  M.A., Human Rights, Journalism

  2010 — 2012

• Northwestern University

  Bachelor's, Communication Studies

  2004 — 2008