On Friday's MSNBC Live, host Chuck Todd worried out loud with Nikole Hannah-Jones of the New York Times Magazine and the 1619 Project fame, about what needs to be done to make sure the wave of Black Lives Matter activism does not simply fade away.
They discussed whether corporations were truly sincere in their social-justice messaging, and whether the media would continue their "bottom up" activism that could be seen at places like the Times.
Later in the segment after Jones expressed concern that organizations like the NFL donating $250 million to various causes is not enough to address structural problems and that people's attention will eventually wane, Todd eagerly concurred:
Let me turn the question the other way. How do you make sure it doesn't fade? What does it take to make sure it doesn't fade? Obviously it's on us in the press to make sure it doesn't fade, right? We have to follow you and make sure we know, 'okay how are you spending this money, what are you doing?' What would you say to the activist movement?
Jones replied, "Yeah, I think activists are going to do what they've been doing. Activists are constantly pushing. You look at what Black Lives Matter has helped to bring to fruition in the five years that it's existed, even though we in the media stopped covering them as much, they were still working and that's clear." Contrarily, Jones's activism helped the Times when a Pulitzer, even though that activism was widely denounced as historically inaccurate.
Worried that people have short attention spans, Jones declared:
I think it's important for us to not just a month from now, if these protests have died out to forget to go back and check, were these promises followed through on? Were there larger pushes outside the corporate structure? Because I think that's also the issue. We cannot merely rely on benign gestures of corporations to fix these problems. These are larger structural problems and government has to play a role as well.
Todd concluded by concurring, "Yeah, government may have to play a leading a leading role, not just a role. That’s for sure." The government may have a roll to play in what, exactly? Forcing corporations to be woke?
Here is a transcript for the June 12 show:
MSNBC
MSNBC Live1:46 PM ET
CHUCK TODD: I don't want to put you on the spot with the "New York Times" so I’m not going to say that, but there's been a lot of bottom up, if you feel. It feels like the demands for change in corporate structure are coming internally as much as externally.
…
TODD: All right. Let me turn the question the other way. How do you make sure it doesn't fade? What does it take to make sure it doesn't fade? Obviously it's on us and the press to make sure it doesn't fade, right? We have to follow you and make sure we know, “okay how are you spending this money, what are you doing?” What would you say to the activist movement?
NIKOLE HANNAH JONES: Yeah, I think activists are going to do what they've been doing. Activists are constantly pushing. You look at what Black Lives Matter has helped to bring to fruition in the five years that it's existed, even though we in the media stopped covering them as much, they were still working and that's clear. I think what's important is for us, who can amplify these movements, we have a very short attention span as well and I think it's important for us to not just a month from now, if these protests have died out to forget to go back and check, were these promises followed through on? Were there larger pushes outside the corporate structure? Because I think that's also the issue. We cannot merely rely on benign gestures of corporations to fix these problems. These are larger structural problems and government has to play a role as well.
TODD: Yeah, government may have to play a leading a leading role, not just a role. That’s for sure.
