Continuing the network’s blatantly activist State of the Struggle series on Thursday, NBC’s 3rd Hour Today show co-host Craig Melvin sat down for a friendly chat with three radical left-wing partisans who he hailed as “thought leaders and change-makers.” Included in the group was race-baiting professor Ibram X. Kendi, who once labeled Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett a “white colonizer” for adopting black children from Haiti.
“I recently talked to Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, Ibram Kendi, professor on race in America...and Eunique Jones Gibson, founder of Because of Them We Can....All three are thought leaders and change-makers, each in their own way,” Melvin proclaimed at the top of the 9:00 a.m. ET hour segment. The headline on screen proclaimed: “State of the Struggle; Reflecting On the Historic Year of Change.”
The anchor openly gushed over the “year of change” by cheering: “Athletes taking a stand on the courts, to the fields, and racetracks. Confederate symbols coming down. And companies making policy changes all in a year of change.” Turning to Kendi, he wondered: “Where do you think we are in terms of those companies?” Kendi lectured: “I do think it’s a little too early to tell. Will a year from now we see more people who are not only more diverse but also committed to anti-racist organizations in positions of power?”
Of course Melvin never bothered to press Kendi on his deeply offensive attack on Justice Barrett and her children. CBS This Morning recently gave the author the same softball treatment as co-host Gayle King helped sell his latest book.
Following a clip of Vice President Kamala Harris being sworn in on Inauguration Day, Melvin invited his guests to swoon over the “historic first in politics.” Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza heralded: “What this historic nomination and victory meant for black communities across this nation was that we can see ourselves reflected in the halls of power. We are literally transforming this government into the multi-racial democracy that we deserve.”
Going back to Kendi, Melvin asked: “Where are we right now in our country? How would you characterize this moment in which we find ourselves?” Kendi announced: “So I think we’re in a moment when there has been an incredible amount of progress. Barriers, forms of exclusion, have been broken down.”
Garza urged legislative action to implement a far-left agenda: “There’s no doubt that there is now a mandate for change. And now we’re moving into a phase where we’ve got to start figuring out, how do we legislate that change?”
Because of Them We Can founder Eunique Jones Gibson chimed in with this rant:
I think that what last year did for us is it made it very apparent that we are not okay. That we as a country are not okay, and that things have to change. And I think this is an opportunity to reconcile and to really create the type of country that we all want to exist in.
Following the taped exchanges, Melvin concluded: “So much to think about from these amazing leaders.”
No matter how radical the activist or how incendiary their rhetoric, liberals always get a pass from their media allies.
In fact, on MSNBC Wednesday, anchor Stephanie Ruhle and her far-left guests were aghast at the possibility of violent rioters being aggressively prosecuted.
Melvin’s hero worship of radicals was brought to viewers by Colgate and General Mills. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a partial transcript of the February 25 segment:
9:14 AM ET
SHEINELLE JONES: Now to our NBC series, State of the Struggle. 2020 was certainly an important year for bringing racial justice into the spotlight. And this morning, we’re taking a look at where things stand now.
CRAIG MELVIN: Hey, Sheinelle, Al, I recently talked to Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, Ibram Kendi, professor on race in America, also author of Four Hundred Souls, and Eunique Jones Gibson, founder of Because of Them We Can, who Sheinelle, I know, you recently spoke with. All three are thought leaders and change-makers, each in their own way. And I wanted to get their take on where we are right now and where we’re headed.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: State of the Struggle; Reflecting On the Historic Year of Change]
(...)
MELVIN: One of the things that struck me as I would cover some of the protests around the country, the people that were chanting “black lives matter” at the top of their voices. People who did not look like us. How much do you think that helped to advance the Black Lives Matter movement?
ALICIA GARZA [BLACK LIVES MATTER CO-FOUNDER]: Well, it’s really important. If we only talk about racial justice as an issue for black people, then white people feel no accountability in reaching it. And so it was important to see a multi-racial coalition of people standing up for black lives.
MELVIN: Athletes taking a stand on the courts, to the fields, and racetracks. Confederate symbols coming down. And companies making policy changes all in a year of change.
Where do you think we are in terms of those companies? Many of those companies making good on those promises, or is it simply too early to tell?
IBRAM KENDI: I do think it’s a little too early to tell. Will a year from now we see more people who are not only more diverse but also committed to anti-racist organizations in positions of power?
KAMALA HARRIS: I Kamala Davi Harris do solemnly swear –
MELVIN: And a historic first in politics.
GARZA: What this historic nomination and victory meant for black communities across this nation was that we can see ourselves reflected in the halls of power. We are literally transforming this government into the multi-racial democracy that we deserve. This is an important step.
HARRIS: Our country has sent you a clear message: Dream with ambition.
MELVIN: Where are we right now in our country? How would you characterize this moment in which we find ourselves?
KENDI: So I think we’re in a moment when there has been an incredible amount of progress. Barriers, forms of exclusion, have been broken down.
GARZA: There’s no doubt that there is now a mandate for change. And now we’re moving into a phase where we’ve got to start figuring out, how do we legislate that change? And how do we govern from the mandate of that change?
EUNIQUE JONES GIBSON [BECAUSE OF THEM WE CAN FOUNDER]: I think that what last year did for us is it made it very apparent that we are not okay. That we as a country are not okay, and that things have to change. And I think this is an opportunity to reconcile and to really create the type of country that we all want to exist in.
MELVIN: So much to think about from these amazing leaders. And Sheinelle, Al, I will tell you all three of them were optimistic. They were very optimistic about where we are a year from now, two years from now.
(...)
