[Music]
[Applause]
we have lived through some of the most
seminal moments in American history and
you were also reporting on its you you
work for 50 years in this business what
do you think was the biggest change that
you saw in your time in journalism as
the first african-american woman working
at the Washington Post I think the
biggest change was after the urban
uprisings of the 60s when the Kerner
commission which was a commission that
was named by the president said the
media had in many ways contributed to
the fact that the that the urban riots
occurred and that was because they had
not integrated their reporting and the
editing staffs and in many ways they
said they were just showing us America
only through white eyes so I started at
the post in 1961 when I went back in
1972 it was a little different because
there were more reporters of color
rights more females but still it was
very white male dominated you came into
this world at a time when it was just
something that did not happen you walked
into a newsroom where there were only
two other reporters who were black you
were the first african-american woman in
this space and reading in the book that
there's one of the I mean just the most
harrowing passages where they had a
policy of not reporting when black
people were murdered one edits a even
called those cheap deaths that shouldn't
be reported yeah how do you even begin
to work in that kind of environment and
did you help the editors understand why
it was crucial to report all news I
tried to help them and I think the way I
began working in that environment is
because dr. Martin Luther King was
beginning to say to young black people
go into quite corporations in Excel so
part felt like I was almost part of the
freedom movement by going and becoming
the first african-american woman at the
Washington Post I
think I was a trailblazer at that point
I just was doing a job that I loved
right I had had four years in the black
press and the black press has been very
important in America both in terms of
reporting on civil rights but in going
going places where white reporters
wouldn't go right white newspapers we
can go so that experience also have to
prepare me for my work at the Washington
Post I'm honestly fascinated to know in
that time when this was happening were
you optimistic did you think that you
would see America change or was the
resistance to integration so strong that
you thought it would last forever the
integration was so strong that I never
thought I would see a black president
wow that was a huge step forward run
many ways but of course with America it
can have be liberal and then it can
swing to conservatism and you see what
we have now I see what we have now
[Laughter]
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 16:19 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 the 16:19 project is
really saying that slavery was so
foundational to America and it's
institutions that we are still suffering
from that legacy now and it's exploring
the many ways that we that we still are
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 lie in that
it was a group of promises that weren't
that weren't fulfilled you know to both
people of color and to women in many
respects and
and what you argue in this magazine is
that black people basically have the job
of making it a truth what did you mean
by that
absolutely so when Thomas Jefferson
writes those famous and 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
on a hypocrisy 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 Attucks who wasn't free we see
that happening with the abolitionist
movement largely led by black Americans
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 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 I have like the utmost
respect for you you're a mogul at an age
when I was just trying to figure out how
to get money to buy candy bars in school
no you genuinely are uuuuu you're
kicking ass right now first of all
congratulations to n-double-a-cp Image
Awards this week
when you're winning awards for Best
Actress at this age do you ever wonder
like like if you're just done like what
do you do at 20 well I mean I'm still
being grateful I'm really excited so I
feel like each one I get is like a
surprise still so hopefully at 20 I'm
still winning them you know you you you
have an energy about you that most
people describe is like they they go
you're still a young person but you're
really mature you are home-schooled but
you were well-adjusted you are a child
star but you are normal how well I think
that's just great parenting from my
parents I get up to killing guys I think
they always like keep me grounded and
you know they're also my co-workers so I
work with them in my new production
company so but like wherever we are it's
still like calm down girl like you got
do your homework later on like you're an
actress who's really successful in
blackish and you are also one of the
youngest moguls we've ever seen in
Hollywood you have a huge deal to
produce films and you I mean you just
you executive produced this film little
where where do you want to go from here
because most people just they want to
get to where you are now and then you
you are you are here now already so
where do you go
no I'm serious where do you go from from
here like I mean you could literally be
anything in the world like people say
that the kids all the time but it's not
true you can be anything you are you can
top of them cons you genuinely can like
where do you want to go what do you do
uh well a long time ago I said I want to
be a legend like when I was like very
young but still I still want to and I
would think I'm getting there but I feel
like
[Laughter]
but I think it's just taking it one step
at a time I want to just keep on
creating things that I that I love and
that is coming from a mind of not just
like a kid but someone that hasn't had
that same representation when I was
younger right so just to make sure
everyone feels comfortable when they see
themselves on TV and you know just to
relate to things that people would like
to see - right it is interesting that
you say that I feel like we live in a
time now when younger people are not
just consuming but becoming creators you
know I don't get social media I don't
know if it's the access to technology
that maybe previous generations didn't
have but you're in a position where you
can create the world that you want to
see whereas you know when many
generations were younger they just they
were like that's the world yeah so do
you see that as an obligation an
opportunity to put faces out there that
reminds you of yourself yeah definitely
I feel like I have so many friends that
are doing amazing things also so I want
to give them a platform just to speak
their mind and whatever they want to do
- and just to put out new talents that
you know don't think their voices have
been heard in my past so just to give
them the opportunity to say in whatever
they want and speak their mind they I
honestly have met few people who have
lived as much of a life as you have you
mean I'm old no as if some people are
old but they haven't lived like they
really haven't because because reading
through your story truly fascinated me I
mean you know you were at the forefront
of opposing the war in Vietnam you know
you were one of the key individuals who
fought for the American government to
impose sanctions on the apartheid
government in South Africa you've been
fighting for equality in America for a
long time you've been on the front lines
and you were a friend of dr. King's
family if you look at MLK Day today and
you look at how people have warped his
message in his image etc what do you
think is the biggest misconception
people have about dr. King the biggest
misconception is that Martin Luther King
was a dreamer who had a dream every time
I go someplace people get him said yes
he was a dreamer it was always a
dreaming
well that's because of the speech and
the part that's taken out Martin Luther
King believed in the right to vote
the first speech he gave in Washington
at the prayer pilgrimage in 1957 is
coming out as it were in Washington was
about if we ever got the vote everything
would change
we'd have justice if we just got the
vote that was even after a year before
they had done the boycott the Montgomery
boycott but over the years as he evolved
he saw hey the vote is important and we
should get it and he continues to fight
for it but voting by itself isn't going
to give us justice and he concluded that
protest is an essential ingredient of
politics you see politicians want two
things they want you to vote for them
and they want to get reelected and they
want you to vote for them so they can
get reelected right those are two things
they want but the thing you have to want
is to make them do what will give you
justice and equality in this country and
they won't do that
unless you make them do it that's where
protest is involved
I loved how in the book you talked about
small and meaningful protests that you
you try and implement in your life for
instance you talk about how you are done
code-switching correct you say what you
love is you go I'm not just going to be
black I'm going to try and be the
blackest black that I can be the way to
say it yes and that's that's a really
interesting idea why do you think it's
so important to do that do you think do
you think code swishing reinforces the
stereotypes that people have about black
people so they go oh you sound more
white Peugeot you know whiteness is
associated with smartness and then you
go like no I'm going to be as black as
you think a black person can be while
still maintaining that level of
intelligence is that yeah switching is a
marvelous cultural tradition and I love
it I love that I'm able to do it right I
also love that I'm able to choose not to
do it what I am doing when I do it is
that I am acknowledging the fact that I
have achieved certain status symbols
that we tend to associate with people
who don't look like me right and I want
to make people uncomfortable with the
fact that they are uncomfortable
me reconcile the fact that if you think
I am anything worthwhile intelligent or
attractive or important I want them to
reconcile that with the fact that I
sound like I sound I look like what I
look like right I am what I am at making
you answer Congress that is exciting
it's been a long journey it has been a
long journey and it has been a fruitful
journey as well
people love throwing the first at you do
you ever get tired of having to be the
first of everything we could go first
refugee for a Somali or a first woman of
color to represent Minnesota it's like
first first first people just add extra
forces that are not first woman to be
yes yes but but you you are a
trailblazer I mean just the hijab alone
is something that fundamentally changed
what Congress was there was a ban on the
job for I think was over a hundred years
apparently
187 years I and that that changed
because of you yeah what was it was it
like backlash does anyone like look at
you and go does anyone say anything
about it or where was everyone like yeah
this makes sense I mean so it's
interesting because there was a ban on
hats and head wear and what people
didn't realize is that it it made it
unconstitutional to apply it to me
because we are supposed to have
religious liberty in this country right
so it would have applied a religious
test and so lifting it it's just
upholding our Constitution and people
are like oh they did her a favor and all
of these people are changing things for
her and it's like no we're just
following the Constitution a lot of
people excited for you many of your fans
are excited because all of your day ones
have been with you on this journey you
know you create music in a really
specific way you even described your
music as church with at work however you
hallelujah travel I don't know I feel
like my music is really positive and
uplifting and I played enough shows now
to ask people how they feel and they
always say it's a religious experience
right or a spiritual experience I grew
up in church in kojic Church of God in
Christ in Detroit and so that was my
connection with music with spirituality
in gospel so I like to bring that into
you know the lizzo world and also Abby's
work is so I would I thought now of its
work is his own forte you you you you
have the spell you have a style that's
really unique because of all of your
influences like you grew up playing the
flute yes right and what I really enjoy
about your story is you talk about how
like there was a point when you were
ashamed that you played the flute well
there was a very small window when I was
like trying to be a rapper rap rapper to
hip hop in the back of the capita back
of the davon Fodor we're looking like
you know that was like a rapper like be
rabid people were like don't bring the
flute into that it's embarrassing like
you know no one's gonna take you
seriously a couple grapple with the
flutes know is that I was terrified you
know I'm a band NERD underneath this
cool exterior I'm a geek I know all my
scales major minor pentatonic harmonic
so you've got the rap and a lot of
people who are fans of yours remember
you for the rap and you started rapping
yeah and then you brought in the flutes
and then you started singing hey and out
of nowhere
yeah boys really well I learned how to
sing I started singing when I was 19 and
I was a bad singer like yeah cut to the
clip of me sounding like [ __ ] oh you can
say [ __ ]
[Laughter]
Wow feel good baby yeah but now now you
can sing you can rap you can dance you
can yeah you can actually actually this
is one of my favorite moments that I saw
of yours it was a viral video that came
out of nowhere and and it blew people
away we actually actually have that clip
right here
[Music]
you see that that's magic no one expects
that Wow
do you do you do you enjoy playing with
people's expectations well you know what
happened that day this woman she was
like we were playing like a homecoming
at a college yes and this professor this
you know this very nice white lady at
first she came out and she we were sound
checking and you know my my team is
mostly brown women and we were sound
checking and she walks up to the stage
this is huge built stage in the middle
of the college campus that says
homecoming I have a microphone on and
she's like do you have a permit do you
have a permit to be playing music this
loud out here there are students trying
to study and I was sorry
[ __ ] don't talk to me I was paid to be
here I'm not here for you that was the
first thing that came on my mouth and I
just kind of ignored her after that and
she tried to raise hell but during the
actual show I dedicated that song to her
and this something came over me I wasn't
I wasn't supposed to be so angry but I
loved her
I'm not blowing smoke up your ass at all
I truly have watched few films that
engaged me in the way this movie does
it's a powerful story like I often say
like the trailer doesn't do it justice
because in the trailer it just seems
like a story where there's a couple that
is out on a date and then they get
stopped by a cop stop goes very wrong
right and the guide as we saw Daniel
kuya's character shoots the cop and then
they're on the run but but it's a
complex story how did you even begin to
write a story like this why would you
choose to do that especially considering
how real the story is in today's world
um you know so interesting you know Nina
Simone says it is an artist duty to
reflect the times and these are the
times in which we're living it is open
season on black bodies and what I wanted
to do you know there's a study that says
if you ever being held up at gunpoint
you should tell them personal things
about yourself you should say I have a
child you should say my mother is you
know on her deathbed and I want to see
her go all those things because what
happens is the gunman now empathizes
with you and now sees you as a human it
makes it more difficult for them to kill
you so I think with my art I'm wondering
if I can humanize black people enough
maybe they'll stop killing us the movie
to me is a meditation on blackness it's
a love letter to black people and that
even in the midst of oppression
we find joy because we don't have a
choice you know we live in a world where
we still treat it like second-class
citizens even though we're walking on
land that our ancestors helped build for
free and so that is also a very weird
dichotomy it's sort of like we should be
treated like royalty in this country but
it's the opposite and and you know and I
think for me the movie is something that
everyone can come see because everyone
should come experience what the world is
like through our lens that was a big
thing for you and I think so many people
who saw you being crowned Miss Universe
was it was a moment where many people
and this is what really interested me I
was proud of the South Africa I was
proud as somebody who's grown up on the
continent but what really got me is how
universally I mean for our for our
planets many people said to see a
dark-skinned woman win an accolade like
this but then to see a woman with
natural hair win this with her natural
[Applause]
that's what a lot of people initially
want to be the change people were like
why don't you get a weave why don't you
straighten you beautiful but why don't
you just straighten your hair there must
have been a challenge why didn't you
straighten your hair why didn't you wear
away yeah because this is my hair this
was the first question I don't think
anyone tells other people to put on a
weave so why why should I you know for
at first people like was this a strategy
I'm like - what - wake up and me myself
I was like no it's not a strategy I've
had you know short hair for three years
and I wasn't going to change because I
was now stepping into a beauty platform
because then that means I don't think my
hair is beautiful if I'm gonna change it
and so I decided to keep it you kept it
and I love traveling with you on your
upcoming journeys because as we've seen
you you have multi you multi-talented no
music acting directing doing everything
is in your future
Shakespeare in the park though is
something I wouldn't have expected
because you had movie offers oh yeah I'm
gonna go do a free production in the
park why um because I didn't know if
this opportunity would ever come again
in my career right I play Beatrice to
play the lead and the movie was a great
movie but I was in the lead it was a
rom-com but now I get to be in another
rom-com right speaking Shakespeare
showing people that I'm trained I've
done this I know what I'm doing with
this language yes and to also give
opportunity to women that look like me
to young girls that look like me
[Applause]
and you can do this you can be a
Beatrice and so that's why I took it for
no money people are loving people are
raving about the production it sits in
the park it's a different world because
I mean like it's the some days were
drink oh my god grains we perform in the
rain and they're you're not coming no no
covering for us no covering from the
audience is an 1800 seat house at least
a thousand people are still there to
watch this show that is amazing it's
crazy and it's been actually fuels us
because like people are like so hiding
out right come to see but they are so
ready to hear this story right so you
have to deliver everything you got and
there's books there's raccoons yes I
mean it's it's a world with wonder out
there it's been fine I wouldn't have
taken it back for the world Winter
Shakespeare is one of the hardest places
to perform though I mean like you said
it's the language yeah it's everybody
knowing it's so well what was a little
bit of that daunting at all no it's just
getting the opportunity cuz you know you
have it within you right right so to
finally get to tell this story to make
this link it's set in 2020 yes in a
small town out of Atlanta Georgia around
Atlanta Georgia
so I'm from South Carolina I just mean
unapologetically be Who I am if I'm
saying Oh Lord he will hang upon him
like a disease I'm gonna put it how it
was Lord he would hang upon like a
disease that's what we're making it very
right you know relatable it's
Shakespeare it's relatable it's now it's
black
[Applause]
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you
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