Baltimore TV Anchor Fired after Controversial Question about Black Women Mayors

An anchorwoman from Baltimore TV station WJZ was fired after she asked a question on air which is perceived to be racist and biased.

During one of her live interviews, Mary Bubala was speaking to Loyola University Maryland Professor Karsonya "Kaye" Wise Whitehead. During their conversation, the topic of a recent political scandal involving the resignation of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh came to light.

Bubala asked Whitehead if she thought it was finally time for a change. While there may be nothing wrong with asking this question, she began implying that the change needed to come because of the repetition of having female and African-American mayors in power.

“We’ve had three female, African-American mayors in a row. They were all passionate public servants. Two resigned, though. Is this a signal that a different kind of leadership is needed to move Baltimore City forward?”

A different take on the issue

While Bubala could've thought that Whitehead was going to agree with her, she ended up getting rejected. On air, the professor said that having three female African-American mayors and two of them resigning does not mean that a different kind of leadership was needed.

After the controversial interview, she spoke to the Baltimore Sun newspaper to elaborate on her thoughts.

“The current conversations around leadership in Baltimore are challenging, emotional, and at times include layers of racism and sexism. There is an assumption that since three black women have served as mayor — and the city has not entirely changed for the better — then perhaps black women are not fit to lead this city. No one can ask racially biased questions in the public sphere — including in the media — without being held accountable.”

Call to Action

Her remarks prompted quick action from her news channel, as people were angered by her comments.

Baltimore WJZ then blasted an e-mail to different media outlets, saying the controversial news anchor was no longer an employee of theirs. They proceeded to apologize about her remarks, as they have been receiving a ton of backlash because of it.

“Mary Bubala is no longer a WJZ-TV employee. The station apologizes to its viewers for her remarks.”

She is now trying to restore her reputation, hoping to have a fresh start despite this issue.