The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah

Generate transcript A transcript unlocks clips, previews, and editing. Available for iOS and Android Discussion about this video Writes Amos Laor Subscribe • Karen Attiah and vic mensa • Karen Attiah and Jesse Damiani • Karen Attiah and Raw America • Karen Attiah and Don Lemon • Karen Attiah, Norman Eisen, and April Ryan • Karen Attiah and V Spehar • Karen Attiah and Judd Legum

Last spring, I was sitting on the couches on the 7th floor of the Washington Post, fighting back tears. A new edict had come down from Jeff Bezos, ordering that the opinion section I had worked in for the last 11 years would not be allowed to publish anything outside personal liberties and free markets. A number of my fellow columnists had already resigned in protest of the paper’s changing policies. The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah is a reader-supported publication.

Cadaqués, Spain— On Monday, I was sitting on the beach in Cadaqués, a beautiful village north of Barcelona. I watched families with little children squealing with delight in the clear water. Glamorous older women in sunning themselves topless. Wednesday, August 12th, was my 40th birthday, the same day as the long-awaited solar eclipse. The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I’ve been thinking about nostalgia, childhood, and being a Black girl who read a lot about myths and fantasized about playing roles that weren’t meant for her. One of the earliest books I remember from my childhood is Amazing Grace, by Mary Hoffman—about a Black girl who loves acting and dreams of playing all sorts of characters. Her school puts on a play about Peter Pan, and she wants to play Peter. But she's told she can’t play Peter because she is Black and a girl.

Generate transcript A transcript unlocks clips, previews, and editing. Available for iOS and Android Discussion about this video Writes halfrican by Vic Mensa Subscribe • Karen Attiah and Jesse Damiani • Karen Attiah and Raw America • Karen Attiah and Don Lemon • Karen Attiah, Norman Eisen, and April Ryan • Karen Attiah and V Spehar • Karen Attiah and Judd Legum • Karen Attiah and THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali

Happy 250th Birthday, America — I guess. I suppose one can look at 250 as this neat, little milestone of a number that demands some sort of intrinsic, unearned respect. The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Nah, fuck that. I don’t automatically respect America at 250.

Hello everyone, At 12 PM ET today, I will be in virtual conversation with Martin Peterson, who made national news for being told not to teach Plato in his philosophy classes. The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. In April, Peterson formally resigned from his tenured position.

Delivering my eulogy in front of my father’s casket on March 28th 2026. Photo by Sheryl Lanzell. They say the year of firsts after losing a parent is the hardest. Today is my first Father’s Day since my dad died. It will be four months ago this week. The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And all I can think about is regret and rebirth.

The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah

The Golden Hour by Karen Attiah is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Hello everyone! Resistance Summer School 2026 is officially in session! Last year, Resistance Summer School was born after Columbia University canceled my course on Race and Media. Resistance Studies Series continues to exist because I believe difficult ideas deserve a hearing, especially when institutions deem them too controversial to discuss.