UltraViolet Celebrates Jimmy Kimmel’s Reinstatement, Urges Washington Post to Rehire Karen Attiah
For Immediate Release: September 23, 2025
Contact: media@fwdshift.com
UltraViolet Celebrates Jimmy Kimmel’s Reinstatement, Urges Washington Post to Rehire Karen Attiah
On September 22, 2025, late-night talk show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel was reinstated by ABC and its parent company, Disney, following a suspension over a critique of the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans’ response to the killing of Charlie Kirk.
UltraViolet—a leading national gender justice organization—and its members gathered thousands of petition signatures urging ABC and Disney to abide by Kimmel’s constitutional right to free speech and reinstate him and his show. Following his reinstatement, Nicole Regalado, Vice President of Campaigns at UltraViolet, issued the following statement:
“Jimmy Kimmel’s return to his TV slot is a win for everyone who stepped up to defend the First Amendment, and our very right to dissent.
“Make no mistake, Disney didn’t reinstate Jimmy Kimmel because it’s the right thing to do. Thousands of UltraViolet members who signed our petition, peaceful protesters who showed up at Disney offices and countless organizations built a massive public outcry that led to a dip in Disney’s stock prices and forced the company to take action. This win is proof that people power is real and our collective activism works.
“Now, we need to bring that same wave of energy to make sure other networks and media outlets stand up to the Trump administration’s attempts to suppress dissenting voices, especially those of Black women.”
In a similar incident, The Washington Post recently fired its last Black opinion columnist, Karen Attiah, for daring to quote Charlie Kirk’s own words.
“The Post’s firing of Attiah isn’t just an attack on free speech—it’s part of a broader attack on Black women, who are being purged from leadership positions across the United States. Attiah was a voice for truth, and we must have her back,” Regalado said.
Black women in places of power who have been targeted include former Harvard University President Claudine Gay, former MSNBC commentator and host Joy Reid, former attorney for the National Labor Relations Board Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors Lisa Cook, and the first Black woman and former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. In all, more than 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs just this year, and the number is only growing. Attiah herself called this out, saying that her firing “feels like part of a broader purge of Black voices and perspectives.”
“If Disney came around on their censorship of dissent by reinstating Kimmel’s show, the Washington Post must do the same for Karen Attiah.
“If the Washington Post refuses to do so, it risks sending a message that freedom of speech only applies to powerful white men.”
In their latest petition, Ultraviolet, alongside other civil society groups, is calling on members to condemn the Washington Post and demand it rehire Attiah.
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UltraViolet Education Fund is a women-led gender justice 501c3 organization, with an online community of more than 1 million members nationwide. We combine organizing, technology, creative campaigning, and people power to win real-world changes for women and gender expansive people.
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