The Daily Show: Ears Edition - The Senate Acquits President Trump | Nikole Hannah-Jones

Episode Date: February 6, 2020

President Trump's impeachment trial ends, Roy Wood Jr. honors unsung black explorers, and New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones discusses the 1619 Project. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at, that's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News, listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17th.

February 5th, 2020. From Comedy Central's World News headquarters in New York. This is the Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Ears Edition. Welcome to this Daily Show, everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in. Thank you for coming out. Thank you so much for being here.

Take a seat everybody. thank you so much for tunin' in. Thank you so much for being here. in. Thank you for coming out. Thank you so much for being here. Take a seat, everybody. Let's do this thing. I'm Trevor Noah. Our guest tonight created the landmark 1619 project about slavery in America for the New York Times. Nicole Hannah Jones is joining us everybody. Also, on tonight's episode, Roywood Jr. kicks off Black History Month.

It turns out traffic is all in your mind. And Nancy Pelosi tears Trump a new one. So let's catch up on today's headlines. Let's kick it off with the Democratic primary. What was meant to be a one-day event in Iowa has turned into a four-day shit show of confusion. Only about three quarters of the ballots are in. So we still don't know who officially won. But as it stands, it's a close race between Bernie Sanders, the world's youngest old man,

and Pete Budaje, the world's oldest young man. But regardless of how it ends, no one is around to give a victory speech because the candidates have already moved on. Today all of the top candidates are in New Hampshire ahead of the prime airing next week and as you can see right there in your screen they are holding events all around the state right now. For some reason in Iowa, they're having a little bit of trouble counting votes. But I am confident that here in New Hampshire, I know they'd be able to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to count to their their their their their their their their their the t the t the t t the the t the tope the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the top the top the top the top the top the top the top the top the top the top the top the top topeck.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o. tope. tope. tope. tope. the the the the the theouble counting votes. But I am confident that here in New Hampshire, I know they'd be able to count your votes on election night.

Man, this is what I love about Bernie Sanders. He does not give a damn. Because he spent a year sucking up to Iowa, and then five minutes after he's left, he's already roasting their ass. Yeah, he's just like, I want to talk about the 99% of people in Iowa who have no idea what the fuck they're doing. I hope Bernie does this for every state, you know, as soon as he's on to the next primary, he's in Nevada next week, like, great to be out of New Hampshire or as I call it, dirty

Massachusetts. But I will say this. I know there's been a lot lot thoomomomomomenomenomenomenomen tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thi thi, I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm tho tho tho thi, I'm thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho tho-a, tho-a, tho-tha tho-tha thi, thi, thi, th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. the. theeeeeean, thean, thean. thean, thean, thean. thean. theee, but I think Democrats should consider themselves lucky that they get to work out all of the voting kinks in these super white states like Iowa and New Hampshire, because this shit wouldn't fly when they're in South Carolina. Yeah, you try and tell an old black woman her vote isn't going through because a broken app is broken too. She'd be like, and thaped, thurn, thurn, thulled, thulled, thulled, thulled, thulled, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi's thi's to thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. thi to be broken, too. Oh, and speaking of technology gone wrong, ever since traffic apps, like Ways, came along, people have complained that their neighborhoods

are packed with cars trying to find the quickest routes. Well, now one artist in Berlin might have found a solution. An artist in Germany has found a way to create fake traffic jams on Google... the. the. th. to. to. to. to. to. to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. I, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be. And, to be. And, to be. And, to be. And, to be. And, to be. And, to be. And, to be. And, to be. And, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi. thi. to bea, toe. toe. toe. toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, in Germany has found a way to create fake traffic jams on Google Maps. He pulled around 99 smartphones he got and a little red wagon. Look at that. And he pulled him up and down an empty street outside Google's Berlin headquarters. And it took about an hour, but eventually the Google Maps app thought that big buses were outside, moving very, very slowly. And they put a little red line on there that said, the the the the their their there there there there their there, their there, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, their their tra. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their. their. their. their. their. tra. tra. tra. tra. tra. tra. tra. We. It. It. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. I. It's. It's tr. It's te. tra. tra. It's tra. tra. ta. ta. ta. ta. ta. ta. ta. ta. ta. ta buses were outside moving very, very slowly.

And they put a little red line on there that said, look out, there's a traffic problem. Wow, that is genius. A German artist figured out that if you walk down the street with a bunch of phones, Google thinks there's a giant traffic jam on the block, which was a slick move by him, but his Verizon bill is going to bankrupt him. I'll tell you that. Seriously, 99 phones is a lot of phones, even if it is for an art project. It almost makes me think that this is just a guy who had to come up with an excuse after his girlfriend busted him for having a bunch of side chick burner phones. And she was like, so many phones.

No, baby, it's for an art project. I put them in my sex wagon, I mean wheelbarrow, then I make traffic. Yeah, but this just goes to show that you can't always trust these apps. Like, I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed that when my Uber arrived, it wasn't spinning uncontrollably. It's never accurate. Now, a lot of people, a lot of people were pissed off at this guy for disrupting traffic, but personally, I support this artist. Because if there's one thing I've learned from history, it's that when a German is trying to become an artist, you help them become an artist before they become something else. So yeah, to that German artist, I say, their artist is wunderbar.

Arbiter nimals in their politics, thank-ha! All right, moving on to Health News. Remember how in school you had to do that fitness test in PE where they made you do push-ups while everyone watched? It was a nightmare. Well, in California, that nightmare might finally end. Governor Gavin Newsom wants to halt mandatory physical fitness tests for California students because kids are getting bullied over them. Tests are required for fifth, seventh and ninth graders. They measure everything from strength to aerobic capacity. Critics say the tests contribute to body shaming and other types of bullying.

Yes, California's governor wants to suspend gym class fitness tests in order to curb bullying. Because we all know, bullies can't body shame you without the metrics. It's such a weird logic. It's like, well, the bullies are just going to be there. Like, oh man, I want to give you a wedgey so bad, but I just don't have the data, man. Ah. But I do like where the governor is coming from, you know, kids in California shouldn't be body shamed at school. That should only happen when they try break into Hollywood. That's when it

counts. And I do think there are better ways to get kids into being physically fit. Like for instance in Africa, what we do is we have these things called lions. And they're a very effective motivational too. All right, that's it for the headlines. Let's move on to our top story. Impeachment. It's Democracy's version of sending back a meal. And today, we reached the series finale of this president's first impeachment. So, let's check in on the latest developments and another installment of the magical wonderful road to impeachment. Today was the final day in the impeachment trial of Donald Jumblyer Trump. Today was the final day in the impeachment trial of Donald Jumblyer Trump. And no big surprise, he was acquitted by the Republican-run Senate, which

was never in doubt, yeah, yeah, don't boo, vote. See, impeachment was known. Like, everyone knew where this was going. This was like a movie where you can guess what was going without even watching it. You know, like Titanic. Okay, it's a ship that's gonna sink. Or Sophie's choice, some lady has to decide which dude she's gonna bone? I watching it. You know like Titanic. Okay, it's a ship that's going to sink. Or Sophie's choice, some lady has to decide which dude she's going to bone. I get it, I get it. So with the outcome, never in doubt, the only real drama today was whether any Republicans would dare vote against Donald Trump. And it turns out there was one man with binders full of courage. Republican Senator Mitt Romney emotionally announced on the Senate floor that he will break ranks and vote to convict and remove President Trump.

The President asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival. The President's purpose was personal and political. Accordingly, the President is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust. With my vote, I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability, believing that my country expected it of me. That is shocking. That is shocking.

Who would have thought that the most bad- badass Republican in the Senate would end up being a Mormon dude named Mitz? And I've got to say, Mitz, you proved everyone wrong. The haters said you were as radical as a glass of skim milk, but they were wrong, Mit. You're whole milk, my man. That's why, whole milk fan. And by the way, I like how Mitz said that he voted this way so that he could tell his children he did the right thing because that's such a white

people thing to say, right? No, white people love explaining themselves to their children. I couldn't look my son in the eye if I didn't do the right thing. Black parents don't give a shit. Like black parents are just like, theyn. I's ththe eye. I made you, I'm gonna do whatever I'm a dude. Now other than Romney, another Republican senator who was considered on the fence was also about Trump was Susan Collins of Maine. But she decided that we don't need to throw Trump out because she thinks he's already been scared straight. There are some senators who could have crossed party lines. Senator Susan Collins will not be one. I to to to to to to to to to to to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to a to do. I. I'm a to do. I'm a to do. I'm to do. I. I'm thoomk. I thoomk. I thoomk. I thoom. I thoom. I. I th. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. Ia. I'm the. I'm theck. I'm theck. I'm the. I'm th......................................................... could have cross-party lines. Senator Susan Collins will not be one of them. I'm voting to acquit. I believe that the

president has learned from this case. What do you believe the president has learned? The president has been impeached. That's a pretty big lesson. However, during a TV anchor's lunch at the White House yesterday, Trump responded to questions about Collins' comments, saying he had done nothing wrong, and that his conversation with Ukraine's president quote was a perfect call. Man, Donald Trump would be the hardest person to defend in courts. He'd be like, your honor, my client has learned his lesson.

No, I haven't. His days of selling drugs are over. Who wants cocaine? Because clearly Trump hasn't learned a lesson. If anything, he's learned that he can do whatever he wants, and Republicans will let him get away with it. But first, they're going to shake their heads. So basically, thanks to Senate Republicans, Trump is now free. We can just run through laws like he's got that Super Mario invisibility star.

That's what he can do. Yeah, he's invincible. Except Trump is more powerful than Mario, because in this case, the turtles are on his side. Basically, basically President Trump is off the hook. He's completely off the hook. He's completely off the hook. And you know what that means? He's going to let loose tonight, man. He's going to eat 50 burgers, bang a porn star, and then he's going to do something crazy. And while Trump, and while Trump is doing that joker dance down the courthouse steps, the rest of the country is still focused on the fallout from Trump's state of the union speech last night. And it's not so much what was in his speech,

but the fallout has been about what Speaker Nancy Pelosi did to the speech, and Republicans aren't happy. A bitter, bitter Nancy Pelosi ripping up the present state of the union speech. One of the most classless things ever done in the history of the state of the union. I have never seen anybody act so childish in my life. A spoiled, petulant child, essentially picking her nose in front of the American people. It's not just the numbers you're ripping up. Those are people. Nancy Pelosi shredding

the memory of Caleb Mueller, shredding Tuskegee Airman, shredding a little two-year-old. That's Pelosi ripping up the stories of these Americans. Yeah. That is so true, my friends. When Nancy Pelosi tore up a copy of Trump's speech, she wasn't just ripping up a speech. She was ripping up the memory of the people in that speech. Those people are gone now. That's how paper

works. Like one time at dinner the waiter ripped up my receipt and then I was hungry again. Now look man, you can argue that Nancy was right or wrong to tear up Trump's speech, but I'm sorry guys, these people, these people, the people that support Trump have no business complaining about breaches of decorum, all right? Their dude is literally the king of that shit. He puts the dick in decorum. I'm come and act like you now, oh, oh, I can't believe he did this. Because it's kind of funny. It's kind of funny though that Republicans were so upset with Nancy's lack of decorum, especially because

Trump used the very same speech to bestow America's highest civilian honor, the presidential medal of freedom on conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh, right? A man who, to put it mildly, is not known for being best. The NFL all too often looks like a game between the bloods and the crips. What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? I love the women's movement, especially with walking behind it. So, nigger with an A on thethe end, well I think I can now. When I hear Chinese or Japanese, it sounds like all the same word. Oh, tigi, ah, k-kaka-chiki.

Chin, chintan, chintan, chan, tine, chimba, baa. He is moving all around and shaking, and it's purely an act. If any race of people should not have guilt about slavery, it's Caucasians. Yeah. Rush Limbaugh might be racist, sexist, homophobic, and mock people with disabilities, but at least he treats paper with respect. So maybe that was Nancy Pelosi's real mistake. It's not that she was disrespectful, it's that she wasn't disrespectful enough. You see, maybe if Nancy interrupted Trump's speech with a racist Asian accent and a couple of casual N-words, instead of earning everyone's anger, she would have earned her own

the Medal of Freedom. We'll be right back. And now, the nominees for Best Performance and Fake Outman. Jason Chaffetz, for Never in My Life. I have never seen anybody act so childish in my life. Mike Pence, for dishonored the moment. To have her stand up and tear up that speech. Really dishonored the moment. Laura Ingram for the stories. When Pelosi's ripping at the speech,

a friend of mine just told me like, that's Pelosi ripping up the stories of these Americans. And Kelly Ann Conway for shredding children. Nancy Pelosi shredding the memory of Caleb Mueller, shredding a little two-year-old. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives.

But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News, listened to 60 Minutes a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. Welcome back to the Daily Show. It's February, which is officially Black History Month.

And we're celebrating all month with Roywood Jr. honoring the unsung heroes of Black History in another episode of CP Time. Ah, welcome to CP time. The only show that's for the culture. Today, we'll be discussing black explorers. I know what a lot of people think of explors, they only think of white people, like Christopher Columbus, Lewis and Clark, or that Twitchie lady that drives the Magic School bus. But what many people don't know is that black people have also been instrumental in discovering

new lands. They just don't get any of the credit. Like how I discovered the duggy, no one gave me credit. I was covered in spiders and I was just trying to get them off me. Our first Black Explorer is a man by the name of Matthew Henson, the first man to reach the North Pole in 1908. It was an incredible feat, not just because he discovered the North Pole, but also because he was a black man who wasn't afraid of going head to head against winter.

The only place I would want to discover is Miami. Party in the city where the heat is home. Another black explorer who doesn't nearly get the credit he deserves, was an enslaved man named York. In 1804, he joined Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition across North America, making him the first black man to travel across the U.S. continent. York was a vital part of the expedition. In fact, he was so trusted, he was even given his own gun,

which was a risky move on Lewis and Clark's part. You're giving a slave a gun. You know what you call a slave with a gun? his own gun, which was a risky move on Lewis and Clark's part. Given a slave a gun. You know what you call a slave with a gun? Master. Interesting fact, after the expedition, York requested his freedom from Clark. But Clark denied it because he realized that without York, he would just be another white dude lost in the forest.

Like a bitch. And finally, black people weren't just tagging along with white people on these expeditions. They were also making history themselves, like Abu Bakari the second, the ruler of the Mali empire. In 1311, Abu Bukari set off on an expedition westward. Eventually, he landed in Brazil. Albuquerie met the native tribes there and made peace with them, and even ended up marrying a chief's daughter, a quest that many men know all too well, traveling to distant lands for new booty.

As the local girls are too familiar. So the next time you think about explorers, remember not to just give credit to white men who discovered places people already live, Columbus. But also give credit to those of the more melanin persuasion who have explored the world, like my Uncle Bebo, who in 1990, traveled across the country searching for the dairy queen with the best Oreo blizzard. We haven't seen him since. That's why every day I honor my Uncle Bebo by eating one of these. We're gonna miss you, Bebo. And we'll... Grewdwood, Shack. And I'm back.

Well, that's all the time we have for today. I'm Roy Wood Jr. And this has been CP time. Remember, before the culture, somebody give me some hot tea to balance out this cold. Where with June everybody, we'll be right back. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives.

You're rolling? But that's all about to change. Like, none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an award-winning reporter for the New York Times magazine and creator of

of the 1619 project which commemorates the year the first enslaved Africans were brought to the colony of Virginia, and it examines the ways the 400-year legacy of slavery continues to shape America. Please welcome, Nicole Hannah Jones. Thank you. Welcome to the Daily Show. Thank you. Welcome to the Daily Show. Thank you. And congratulations on creating and working with a group of people on a project that has

gone on to become more than just a moment, but rather a rethinking of America's history. Let's start with the why behind this. I mean, history seems like it has been written. So why try and write it again? Well, history has been written, but it's been written to tell us a certain story. And the 1619 project is trying to reframe that story. And it's really about the ongoing legacy of slavery. We've been taught that slavery was a long time ago, get over it, which is something nearly every black person in this country hears at some point. And. And, and th. And, and th. And, and th. And, and th. And, and th. And, and th. And, and th, and th, and th, and th, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm, th, th, th, thi, I'm, th, thi, thi, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, the history, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, theeananananananan, theanan, thean, thean, thean, thean, thii, the history, thi, th something nearly every black person in this country hears at some point. And the 1619 project is really saying that slavery was so foundational to America and its institutions that we are still suffering from that legacy now and it's exploring the many ways that we still are. It's interesting that you've chosen the year 1619 because many

people would say but this was before America existed. You know why not start at America's founding and then not include the years before when this was a colony and Virginia and Britain were involved? So why do you choose that point and why do you argue more importantly that on the 14th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is finally time to tell our story truthfully? Yes, so it's funny because this year's also the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower. Yet no one argues that we shouldn't learn about the Mayflower because that predates the United States. We know that that was an important moment. I would argue that the White Lion, which was a ship that arrived a year earlier carrying enslaved Africans, was far more important to the American story than 16-20 than the Mayflower.

So no, America hadn't get formed, but Virginia was the first colony. Our institutions would come out of the 13 colonies, our legal, our legal, our legal, our, our, to, to, to, to, to, to, toe, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, the, and, the, the, the, the, the, and, the, the, the, and, the, the, the, and, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, ishiiiiiiii.s, ishi.s, ishi.s, ishi.s, isha, isha, isha, isha,a,a, thei.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.s.y.s.a.a,a,a, thei.a, thei.a, thei.a, thei colony, our institutions would come out of the 13 colonies, our legal system, our cultural system, our political system, and certainly the anti-black racism that we still struggle with is born at that moment. When you start off in this magazine, there's a really beautiful passage in the beginning where you talk about your personal journey and how you struggled with your relationship with America as a country, and it's a really beautiful tale you tell about growing up, you know, on the land where so many people had died and toiled as enslaved people. You also talk about how your father was a proud American

and how you didn't understand how he could be proud to be American when America seemed to be against him in spite of everything that he did. How did you reconcile that he did. Yes. How did you reconcile that or did working through this project change your view on how to be American or on how not to be American? Yeah, absolutely working on the project changed my perspective on my father. I opened a piece talking about how my dad, who was born in apartheid Mississippi flew this flag to the flag pole and he was one of the only black people I knew who flew a flag in their yard and I was

deeply embarrassed by that. But as I started researching for this project, and my essay is really about how black Americans have had this pivotal role of actually turning the United States into a democracy, I got that he understood something that I didn't, that no one has a right to take away our citizenship and our rights to think of ourselves as American because so much of what black people have done is what has built this very country that we get to live in today. What do you mean specifically when you say that? Because that was an idea that I don't think I had fully thought about before I read this magazine was the concept that America's foundation was a a a thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.. thi. thi. thi. What thi. What thi?? thi. What's thi? thi. What's thi? What thi? thi? thi? thi? that thi, that's, that that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's that's that's that's that's that's that's th... th. I that's th. I that's th. I th. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I that's thi. I thee? I'm theee? I'm theea, that's that's that's that's theeea, that's that's that's thr-a. that's that's that's that's thee about before I read this magazine was the concept that America's

foundation was a lie in that it was a group of promises that weren't fulfilled, you know, to both people of color and to women in many respects. And what you argue in this magazine is that black people basically had the job of making it a truth. What did you mean by that? Absolutely. So when Thomas Jefferson writes those famous English words, we hold these truths th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thes thes thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu the the the the the the thi thi the the the the the the thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the was was was was was was thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the the the the the the theeat theat theeeat theeat theeeeeeat theeeeeeeeeeee thi thi thi thi truth. What did you mean by that? Absolutely. So when Thomas Jefferson writes those famous English words, we hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal, he owns 130 human beings at that time, including some of his own family members. And he understands that one fifth of the population will enjoy none of those rights and liberties. So we are founded founded founded foundedisy on a paradox. But black people read those words and said, oh, we're gonna believe that these words are true and apply to us and fight. Again and again, we see them fighting

at the revolution, the first person to die for this country was a black man named Crispus Attics, who wasn't free. We see that happening with the abolitionist movement, thapapap We see that happening at the Civil War with the Reconstruction Amendments. And of course, the Civil Rights Movement, which brings the franchise to large segments of America for the first time. So we said we were founded as a democratic republic,

but most Americans could not vote at the time of the Constitution. But thanks largely to black resistance and freedom struggles, we are as close to a multiracial democracy as we've ever been. It's a really beautiful story in that it's told not through the lens of anger, but rather through the lens of collecting stories. You know, it's the fact that stories. A little angry? Oh, it doesn't feel like anger so much as it feels like a truth. Yeah. What it has sparked though is a fight over over. th. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, th. th. th. thi. thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, that, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi. thi, thi. It's, th. It's, thi. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's thi, it's thi, thi, thi, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that. that, thooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. th. What it has sparked, though, is a fight over history and how the history is told. You know, once this magazine came out, there were many historians who came after you and

said, no, this is incorrect. The primary reason that America sought its independence from Britain was not because they wanted to maintain slavery. It was because of taxation without representation. It wasn't the primary cause. Why do you think there's such a resistance to slavery being one of the primary causes of America breaking away from Britain? Because we need to believe as a country that our founding was pure, that yes, you know, we had some troubles including holding 500,000 people in bondage, but that largely we were a nation founded to be exceptional on these majestic ideas and the thiiiiiiiiiiii the thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the the the the the the the thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the to the to the to to to to the an to to to thean. to to theanan. thean. thean. theanan. the the theanananananananan. to to that largely we were a nation founded to

be exceptional and these majestic ideas and that our founders, though complicated men, were men who were righteous. But when you argue that our founders were many of them very hypocritical and that you can't just simply overlook the fact that slavery was a motivation in some of the colonies, just taxation was a motivation but also the fact that slavery was a motivation in some of the colonies. Yes, taxation was a motivation, but also the ability to keep making a lot of money off of human bondage. That is very unsettling, not just to the average American, but to historians who have seen

their job as protecting that founding narrative. The difference is, you know, when you're black in this country, you don't have the luxury of pretending that that history didn't exist. And what that history has done is really marginalized our story, when really the story of black people and slavery is central to the United States. When you worked through this project, there are new pieces of information you discover, there are stories that you find were never told that need to be told. And I know you can't write about everything, but I was interested in whether or not you would think that other countries who are involved in slavery get off easier than the United States because the one thing they did differently to America as we know it is that they sort of outsource slavery. You know, if you think about

whether it was the Americas or Spain or many of these other colonial nations, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, their, they their, they their, th, thi, thi, thi, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thi, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, thoes, tho.... th. th. thii. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the, the, theeeeeeea. thooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooes, their slaves were in the countries and then they left those countries and were like, we're done with slavery, but they also don't have to deal with the people they enslaved, whereas America has an interesting relationship, where you have to deal with the people because they're still here. So not to have a reckoning. And reckoning also needs to happen on the continent of Africa. But I think the fundamental difference, there's two.

Yes. Slavery occurred in the bounds of the country that would become America. But also of those colonial powers, America is the only country that was founded on the idea of individual rights. That was founded on the idea on the idea on the idea of the idea the idea the idea the idea the idea the idea the idea the the the the the the the of individual rights and liberty. That was founded on the idea of God-given, inalienable rights. None of those other European, I mean, these were monarchies. They weren't founded on the idea that every person had equal rights, but we were. So that hypocrisy really matters. And of course, I argue that that hypocrisy is why we have struggled so much to get over and address the issue of slavery because it forces us to acknowledge this lie at our founding.

Before you go, one of the main questions many people may have, and you see this unfortunately all too often is people saying, why do you have to keep drudging this up? Can't we just move on? caunt we just move on? What do you hope would be sparked by the conversations that come from a magazine that delves into slavery like this? What do you want someone who sits at home and says, they go, Nicole, I'm white and I had nothing to do with this and I don't know what you want me to do. What would you hope people take away? That's a great question. Let me just say, for the record, nobody wants to get over slavery more than black folks. It's. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. It is. to. to. to. to. to. to. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to to to to to to to to to to to the the their their their their their their they they they they they they they they they they they. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I, their. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I, to to to to the to to the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to the the the the the. I the the the to to get over slavery more than black folks. It's not... It's not to our benefit, right? The fact that our nation can't get over slavery is not benefited black people for a single day.

But that's the problem. We've never dealt with the harm that was done. I'm 43 years old and my father was born into a Mississippi where black people couldn't vote, black people couldn't use public facilities, that was all perfectly legal. We're not far removed from this past at all. And there's never been any effort to redress that harm. So what I hope that people will take from the magazine, every single story in the magazine starts with America today and shows how these things about American life that you think are unrelated to slavery actually are. And I hope by confronting that truth, maybe we can finally start to repair the harm that was done,

and then finally start to live up to be the country of our ideals. It's a fantastic job. Fantastic magazine. Really wonderful having you on the show. Thank you so much. To learn more about this beautiful, amazing story. Go to New York Times.coms 1619. That's NYTimes.com slash 1619.

Nicole Hannah Jones everybody. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the daily show.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes.

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