‘You Should Be Afraid’: Ta-Nehisi Coates Sounds Alarm on State Push to Ban 1619 Project

KING On CBS This ░░░░░░░░ best selling author Ta ░░░░░░░░ Coates joins us to ░░░░░░░░ the tenure controversy and ░░░░░░░░ larger debate about the ░░░░░░░░ Project and how we ░░░░░░░░ U S history in ░░░░░░░░ country Good morning to ░░░░░░░░ Ta Nehisi Coates it ░░░░░░░░ always good to have ░░░░░░░░ here I know that ░░░░░░░░ know Nikole Hannah Jones ░░░░░░░░ well and I know ░░░░░░░░ ve been talking to ░░░░░░░░ and you don t ░░░░░░░░ to betray any confidential ░░░░░░░░ you ve had But ░░░░░░░░ m curious about your ░░░░░░░░ to the controversy COATES ░░░░░░░░ morning Gayle sorry I ░░░░░░░░ t be in the ░░░░░░░░ with you guys KING ░░░░░░░░ me too I can ░░░░░░░░ wait COATES You know ░░░░░░░░ reaction is that while ░░░░░░░░ the one hand this ░░░░░░░░ clearly about Nikole who ░░░░░░░░ to my mind among ░░░░░░░░ not the most decorated ░░░░░░░░ in our profession and ░░░░░░░░ she was treated down ░░░░░░░░ UNC But there is ░░░░░░░░ much bigger debate that ░░░░░░░░ going on here and ░░░░░░░░ is about what ideas ░░░░░░░░ children what ideas students ░░░░░░░░ colleges will be exposed ░░░░░░░░ or not The 1619 ░░░░░░░░ has its detractors it ░░░░░░░░ its proponents There s ░░░░░░░░ a vigorous debate around ░░░░░░░░ as it should be ░░░░░░░░ s what we want ░░░░░░░░ education that s what ░░░░░░░░ want in a free ░░░░░░░░ But when I see ░░░░░░░░ legislatures when I see ░░░░░░░░ States senators when I ░░░░░░░░ the president of the ░░░░░░░░ States directing critique at ░░░░░░░░ via an executive order ░░░░░░░░ we saw laws being ░░░░░░░░ actual policy to ban ░░░░░░░░ 1619 Project and ban ░░░░░░░░ race theory and other ░░░░░░░░ that are deemed detrimental ░░░░░░░░ know I think we ░░░░░░░░ a problem on a ░░░░░░░░ very different scale We ░░░░░░░░ moved beyond the realm ░░░░░░░░ critique into the realm ░░░░░░░░ actual policy and I ░░░░░░░░ that s a problem ░░░░░░░░ Let s talk about ░░░░░░░░ critical race theory and ░░░░░░░░ what it means and ░░░░░░░░ calls to ban it ░░░░░░░░ Yeah so the critical ░░░░░░░░ theory is a framework ░░░░░░░░ understanding American history and ░░░░░░░░ life And the basic ░░░░░░░░ of it starts from ░░░░░░░░ idea that racism is ░░░░░░░░ to this society Now ░░░░░░░░ can agree with that ░░░░░░░░ disagree with that There ░░░░░░░░ all sorts of historical ░░░░░░░░ are or theories that ░░░░░░░░ be applied to a ░░░░░░░░ et cetera But to ░░░░░░░░ it I just really ░░░░░░░░ to focus on that ░░░░░░░░ s not what your ░░░░░░░░ of it is the ░░░░░░░░ that it should be ░░░░░░░░ from teaching all or ░░░░░░░░ from discussion or education ░░░░░░░░ pushed out of the ░░░░░░░░ square I think that ░░░░░░░░ a huge problem I ░░░░░░░░ whatever your opinion of ░░░░░░░░ ideas are you should ░░░░░░░░ that problematic There are ░░░░░░░░ notions and ideas in ░░░░░░░░ that I totally and ░░░░░░░░ disagree with I wouldn ░░░░░░░░ ban them There are ░░░░░░░░ lot of people that ░░░░░░░░ think are dead dead ░░░░░░░░ You know I wouldn ░░░░░░░░ move for schools and ░░░░░░░░ universities to ban a ░░░░░░░░ of those ideas I ░░░░░░░░ think that s a ░░░░░░░░ totally different level MASON ░░░░░░░░ Nehisi what do you ░░░░░░░░ the critics of the ░░░░░░░░ Project are worried about ░░░░░░░░ Well you know I ░░░░░░░░ t want to speak ░░░░░░░░ the critics because I ░░░░░░░░ t want to get ░░░░░░░░ a path where you ░░░░░░░░ I m saying that ░░░░░░░░ s wrong to criticize ░░░░░░░░ think the critics have ░░░░░░░░ can speak for themselves ░░░░░░░░ think the people who ░░░░░░░░ attempting to pass policy ░░░░░░░░ banish it out of ░░░░░░░░ public square are simply ░░░░░░░░ of a fair and ░░░░░░░░ accounting of American history ░░░░░░░░ re at a moment ░░░░░░░░ now where people are ░░░░░░░░ down statues and monuments ░░░░░░░░ cetera We re having ░░░░░░░░ much much broader reconsideration ░░░░░░░░ what the history of ░░░░░░░░ country is You know ░░░░░░░░ there s some hard ░░░░░░░░ to be asked Why ░░░░░░░░ it that in the ░░░░░░░░ of Tennessee there are ░░░░░░░░ statues of Nathan Bedford ░░░░░░░░ one of the Founders ░░░░░░░░ the Ku Klux Klan ░░░░░░░░ all three presidents born ░░░░░░░░ Tennessee put together How ░░░░░░░░ that be true What ░░░░░░░░ going on So I ░░░░░░░░ we re having this ░░░░░░░░ conversation right now that ░░░░░░░░ scares a lot of ░░░░░░░░ GRAHAM Thanks for joining ░░░░░░░░ Ashley here I just ░░░░░░░░ to know what do ░░░░░░░░ think Americans will take ░░░░░░░░ from this controversy COATES ░░░░░░░░ hope they will come ░░░░░░░░ understand that no matter ░░░░░░░░ discomforting an idea is ░░░░░░░░ matter how you know ░░░░░░░░ idea makes you feel ░░░░░░░░ whatever when you see ░░░░░░░░ state using policy to ░░░░░░░░ those notions from the ░░░░░░░░ square you got a ░░░░░░░░ of a different order ░░░░░░░░ I just want to ░░░░░░░░ really really clear You ░░░░░░░░ t have to agree ░░░░░░░░ Nikole You don t ░░░░░░░░ to agree with me ░░░░░░░░ don t have to ░░░░░░░░ with anybody But when ░░░░░░░░ see the president of ░░░░░░░░ United States directing an ░░░░░░░░ order towards a journalistic ░░░░░░░░ you should be afraid ░░░░░░░░ I as a journalist ░░░░░░░░ know it could be ░░░░░░░░ be me Any of ░░░░░░░░ could be next when ░░░░░░░░ see the state moving ░░░░░░░░ ban those sorts of ░░░░░░░░