WaPo columnist faults racism for firing of Tiffany Cross, who was ‘honest about white supremacy’ in America

Say what you will about race baiters and hustlers, they are consistent and to prove it, Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah arrived at the only narrative-fitting conclusion she could as to what led MSNBC to fire Tiffany Cross who, as she put it, was only ever “honest about white supremacy in this country.”

Roughly one month after the corporate media outlet announced that they were unceremoniously ending their Saturday program “The Cross Connection” and not renewing the ever-aggrieved hosts expiring contract, Attiah released an op-ed Friday outlining her take and what she felt it means. Titled, “MSNBC’s cancellation of Tiffany Cross sends a chilling signal,” the columnist wasted no time generalizing the experience of all “Black people doing public discourse work” as she described it with one word, “precariousness.”

“To be a Black public figure who chooses to be honest about white supremacy in this country is dangerous business,” she went on as she suggested, “there is no starker example of that than Tiffany Cross–whose show, ‘The Cross Connection,’ was canceled last month by MSNBC, and whose contract with the network wasn’t renewed.”

“It was a stunning announcement–and, particularly for Black journalists, a reminder that the rug could be pulled out from under us at any time,” Attiah carried on as she tried to paint detractors of Cross like Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson as racist themselves for pointing out the one-noted divisiveness she peddled. “She was not even given the dignity of a final, sign-off show.”

What the columnist left out as she carefully worded how “The Cross Connection” was “one of the higher-rated weekend political shows for the network,” was how the network itself underperformed others, the average ratings for Cross’s show wouldn’t crack the top-ten programs on her network and, at around half a million viewers, couldn’t even begin to compare to the roughly 3 million viewers Carlson brought in each night.

She failed to address the previously reported instances where Cross had made a “habit of making ‘vulgar’ comments and ‘name calling’ on air…” while also “racking up as much as $100,000 in expenses for five-star hotel stays.”

Furthermore, rather than break away gracefully, it was alleged that Cross’s attempts to save her job included calls to peers and social activists seeking support where she was reported to have said, “I’m going out in a blaze and I’m taking down the network and going after Rashida.”

Attiah also spoke about MSNBC president Rashida Jones as she chided the executive, evidently, for looking out for the best interest of the network rather than another black woman. “The situation is all the more disheartening considering that MSNBC’s current president is a Black woman, Rashida Jones,” the columnist wrote. “We are made to hope and believe that representation at the upper ranks will understand and support our voices. Sadly, this is not always the case.”

“I am surprised, but not shocked, that this isn’t a bigger story for U.S. media journalists,” Attiah wound down her piece as she reported Cross may consider a legal challenge to the termination. “We should be glad she’s fighting for her voice, and the voices of so many of the other communities she featured–but it’s awful that a star such as her even has to. If this can happen to Cross, all Black journalists are on shaky ground.”

Kevin Haggerty

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