The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Season 2016 Episode 14 DeRay Mckesson
- January 26, 2016
- 1290 min
DeRay Mckesson joins Trevor Noah on The Daily Show Season 2016 Episode 14. Mckesson is a civil rights activist, best-selling author, and co-founder of Campaign Zero (a platform to end police violence). This episode opens up with a monologue from Trevor Noah, who talks about how race is perceived in America, and how the narrative always paints white people in a positive light, while people of color are depicted negatively.
After the monologue, Trevor introduces Mckesson as his guest. Mckesson is known for his activism against racial injustice, and his work in starting the Black Lives Matter movement. Trevor starts by asking Mckesson about his book, "On the Other Side of Freedom," and what it means to him. Mckesson shares that the book is more of a collection of his thoughts on freedom as it relates to race and identity. He also talks about how he wants to redefine what freedom means and looks like for people who have been marginalized.
Trevor then moves on to talk about police brutality, and asks Mckesson about his work with Campaign Zero. Mckesson explains that their goal is to end police violence by looking at data and making policy recommendations based on that data. He also shares some of the challenges they face in getting people in power to take their recommendations seriously.
The conversation then turns to the role of social media in activism. Trevor points out how social media has become a tool for people to call out injustice, but it can also be a double-edged sword, as people who use social media to vocalize their opinions can also become targets. Mckesson talks about how social media has been a powerful tool for activism, but it can also be dangerous. He shares some of his own experiences with online harassment, and how he deals with it.
Towards the end of the interview, Trevor asks Mckesson what he thinks is the way forward for America in terms of racial and social justice. Mckesson talks about how we need to do more than just focus on the individual people in power, but also focus on how systems can be changed to make sure that people are treated fairly. He highlights the importance of empowering people, especially people of color, to make decisions and be involved in the political process.
The episode closes with Trevor and Mckesson discussing how people can get involved in activism and make a difference in their communities. Mckesson encourages people to start with small changes, and to find ways to get involved that feel meaningful to them.
Overall, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Season 2016 Episode 14 is a thoughtful and thought-provoking conversation with one of America's most prominent civil rights activists. Mckesson's insights into racial justice, activism, and social media are important and timely, and the conversation is engaging and informative.