logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2020
13m 29s

Why we must confront hard historical tru...

TED
About this episode

To move forward in the United States, we must look back and confront the difficult history that shaped widespread injustice. Revisiting a significant yet overlooked piece of the past, Hasan Kwame Jeffries emphasizes the need to weave historical context, no matter how painful, into our understanding of modern society -- so we can disrupt the continuum of injustices pitted against marginalized communities.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Confessions of an accidental killer | Gregg Ward
Author Gregg Ward spent decades grappling with guilt from a personal tragedy before recognizing a different path forward — where purpose replaced self-punishment. What he learned about transforming regret into positive change might make you rethink your own mistakes. Hosted on Ac ... Show More
13m 44s
Jul 7
Does working hard really make you a good person? | Azim Shariff (re-release)
Around the world, people who work hard are often seen as morally good -- even if they produce little to no results. Social psychologist Azim Shariff analyzes the roots of this belief and suggests a shift towards a more meaningful way to think about effort, rather than admiring wo ... Show More
14m 59s
Jul 6
The kind of AI we actually need | Van Jones
Social entrepreneur Van Jones believes a new human civilization is being born in real time — and that our technology is racing ahead of our wisdom. In this urgent and hopeful talk, he reframes the AI debate, showing why the real danger isn't the technology itself but rather the c ... Show More
18m 44s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2021
Why we must confront the painful parts of US history
Hasan Kwame Jeffries emphasizes the need to weave historical context, no matter how painful, into our understanding of modern society -- so we can disrupt the continuum of inequality massively affecting marginalized communities. This talk was filmed at TEDxOhioStateUniversity. Al ... Show More
12m 20s
Jul 2020
Why Black Lives Matter
"We need to challenge how we historicise the past and give it a thorough spring clean," writes Bernardine Evaristo. Bernardine discusses the UK's response to Black Lives Matter, "a necessary moment in our political history." Producer: Adele Armstrong 
9m 22s
Feb 2025
Retracing the steps of their ancestors
To move forward, the United States must confront its history of racial inequality. This hour, three perspectives on looking to the past to build a better future for Black Americans. Guests include author Joseph McGill Jr., Code Switch co-host B.A. Parker and opinion columnist Cha ... Show More
49m 35s
Jun 2020
There is No Going Back From This Moment
Whether you're protesting in the streets or at the voting booth, we all recognize the need to disrupt generations of racism in our country. Knowing what to do is harder. Each week, Don Lemon will talk with experts, activists, and artists to help us figure out how to move forward, ... Show More
1m 7s
Nov 2023
History of Ideas: Ta-Nehisi Coates
In the penultimate episode in our series on the great essays, David talks about Ta-Nehisi Coates’s ‘The Case for Reparations’, published in the Atlantic in 2014. Black American life has been marked by injustice from the beginning: this essay explores what can – and what can’t – b ... Show More
55m 5s
Aug 2020
America's Caste System
"Race" is often used as a fundamental way to understand American history. But what if "caste" is the more appropriate lens? In conversation with Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson, we examine the hidden system that has shaped our country.See pcm.adswizz.com for information ab ... Show More
40m 26s
Jun 2020
Why Not Being Racist is Not Enough
We live in a society where it's no longer enough to simply not be racist—we must proactively choose to be antiracist. And that choice means showing up and doing the work, every single day. In this episode, Don talks with Professor Ibram X. Kendi and Professor Christopher Petrella ... Show More
27m 51s
Jun 2022
Democracy Imperiled
What happened at the Capitol on January 6 begs us to look to our past to help us understand our present, and to imagine a better future. From debates around voting rights to immigration to police reform, we find ourselves at a crossroads in American Democracy. To learn more about ... Show More
54m 20s