Nikole Hannah-Jones: GOP’s ‘Larger Strategy’ Is to Veer ‘Towards Authoritarianism’

Nikole Hannah-Jones, 1619 Project creator and professor, said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “All In” that laws about race curriculums in schools is part of the Republican’s “larger strategy” to veer America toward authoritarianism.

Hannah-Jones said, “What we are seeing is not a sign of a healthy democracy, but it is inevitable. It’s easy for people to look away when Republicans were only targeting the 1619 Project because maybe they didn’t agree with the 1619 Project, or they were uncomfortable with it. But if you are in targeting anyone at work, it is never simply going to be about this one thing. It was never going to be about race. So those of us who study these types of things knew that they were also going to eventually come for historical tests. That they were going to start coming for text about other marginalized groups. That is exactly what we are seeing happening. It was inevitable. These laws are anti-democratic.”

She added, “These types of laws being passed in countries that are veering towards authoritarianism. So, when you put that hand in hand with all the other anti-voting laws that are being passed right now, the loss against women’s reproductive rights, you see that this is part of a larger strategy that turns Americans against each other, that uses the original wedge issue of race in order to justify policies that are becoming increasingly anti-democratic.”

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