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 that 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, Germany, and other countries. 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. She became the Washington Post’s founding Global Opinions editor in 2016, where she commissioned op-eds on global topics from prominent writers around the world. In 2021, she was named an Opinions columnist. Her writing focuses on race, gender, culture, human rights and international affairs. She has won numerous awards and recognitions for her writing and commentary, including Washingtonian Magazine’s 2021 “Star to Watch” award, the 2019 George Polk Special Award, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Freedom Writer Award. Karen 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”, about murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Karen currently spends her time between Washington D.C. and Dallas, Texas.