Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones challenged traditional narratives of American history and explored the power of journalism, historical memory and the meaning of citizenship during a visit to Washington University.
She pointed to the rollback of affirmative action, efforts to eliminate diversity initiatives and the closure of multicultural centers as evidence that the struggle for full equality continues, even as Black Americans have secured legal rights long denied to them.
“Citizenship for people like me, people like many of the people in this room, remains conditional,” Hannah-Jones said during a discussion last week at Graham Chapel.
Moderated by Stephanie Kirk, director of the Center for the Humanities, the discussion was part of the university’s “Black Studies and the Future of the American University” lecture series and the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics’ “Practice of Citizenship” series.
Hannah-Jones noted that early American leaders, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, helped shape the nation’s governing institutions while enslaving people.
She said slavery was not incidental to America’s founding but deeply embedded in its political institutions and leadership. She emphasized that the nation cannot fully understand its democracy without acknowledging the central role Black Americans played in shaping it.
“Black folks were not supposed to be citizens,” she said.
Hannah-Jones, an Iowa native, recalled developing an interest in journalism while reading newspapers with her father. At 11, she had her first letter to the editor published.
Her commitment to reporting on Black Americans was shaped by growing up in a community where Black residents rarely appeared in newspapers outside of crime coverage. She connected her work to the Black press’s tradition of challenging power and amplifying overlooked stories.
Now a journalist with The New York Times and the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University, Hannah-Jones spoke about journalism’s ability to expose overlooked history and challenge established narratives.
She recalled taking an African American studies class at 15, where she first learned about the arrival of enslaved Africans in Virginia in 1619 through the book Before the Mayflower. The experience led her to question why so much Black history had been excluded from her education and helped shape her understanding of who controls historical narratives.
She attended the University of Notre Dame, where she studied history and African American studies because the university did not offer a journalism program at the time.
She said publishing The 1619 Project in The New York Times brought centuries of Black history to a broader audience. She described it as a project of public memory intended to challenge conventional understandings of America’s founding and slavery’s role in shaping the nation.
Although history was her first love, Hannah-Jones said she chose journalism because she wanted her work to reach the public.
“I want people to read what I write,” Hannah-Jones said.
She said journalism should challenge powerful institutions, even when doing so invites criticism. She measures her success not only by her awards but also by who considers her an adversary.
“Power doesn’t want to be exposed. Power doesn’t want to be deemed illegitimate,” Hannah-Jones said.
She added that if her work were not being scrutinized or attacked, she might not be “radical enough.”
Wearing a cheetah-print top, her bright red hair and gold bamboo earrings adding to her bold appearance, Hannah-Jones drew laughter throughout the evening with her quick wit, including when she joked that the Trump administration was responsible for technical difficulties with the microphone.
The lecture also honored the late James E. “Jim” McLeod, a former Washington University vice chancellor and dean who helped develop and support Black studies. His wife, Clara P. McLeod, attended and stood as Professor Shanti Parikh recognized his contributions.
Before the evening concluded, Hannah-Jones encouraged students not to compare their achievements with others, reminding them that success does not always follow a predictable path.
“You have your own path, you have your own journey,” Hannah-Jones said. “It might take you longer to get there. And you may not have gotten to the place exactly what you thought you were going to be.”
The discussion drew hundreds of attendees, including students and community members who reflected on Hannah-Jones’ message.
Elise McGirt, a Washington University junior studying marketing, organization and strategic management, attended after reading The 1619 Project and listening to Hannah-Jones’ podcast.
“I would say it was really powerful when she was talking about how she’s not a historian, but rather a journalist,” McGirt said.
Matthew Johnson, a third-year doctoral student in English who studies African American literature, said Hannah-Jones’ reflections on recent election victories reinforced the importance of continuing the fight for civil rights.
“It is essential to continue fighting, and that fighting doesn’t have to be at the expense of optimism and pride in what we have achieved,” Johnson said.
Dr. Billie Mayo, a member of the Black Healers Collective and an anti-racism consultant, appreciated Hannah-Jones’ willingness to confront uncomfortable truths.
“[She] did not try to sugarcoat it, had no interest in making people feel good, you know, by hiding the truth or softening the truth,” Mayo said. “And there was information that we needed to hear so that we didn’t get lulled into this complacency.”