Nikole Hannah-Jones on '1619,’ Trump and the Power of Dissent in 2025 | Cannonball

Video Description

Six years ago, with the publication of The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones argued that slavery was a foundational institution upon which the United States was built. President Trump called the project a crusade against American history — ideological poison that, “if not removed,” would “dissolve the civic bonds that tie us together.” Now, his administration is making a similar argument to attack diversity programs, historical discussions of slavery, civil rights and more as he pressures museums, schools, government agencies, national parks and other civic institutions to de-emphasize race. Wesley contributed to The 1619 Project, and he sits down with Nikole to trace the project’s journey from publication to this moment — when Trump has returned to power on a message that explicitly rejected its premise. “Cannonball” is a new podcast from The New York Times, with the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Wesley Morris. Every week, Wesley talks to writers, artists and friends about the culture that moves us — the good, the bad and whatever’s in between. Surprisingly personal and never obvious, new episodes on Thursdays. Watch "Cannonball" on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcasts. For more on this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/podcasts/nikole-hannah-jones-wesley-morris-cannonball.html Subscribe to Cannonball: https://www.youtube.com/@CannonballPodcast Follow NYTimes: https://www.instagram.com/nytimes Subscribe to NYT Audio: https://bit.ly/3Qz3GZu