'A healthy society does not ban ideas,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist said as she accepted the Social Justice Impact Award at the ceremony.
, while accepting the honor at the 53rd award show, which was hosted by “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson.“As I receive this award tonight, our history is being attacked,” she said at the event, which featured a number of virtual appearances on BET. “In state after state, as of now, some 36 states have passed or are considering bills to make it harder to teach about racism and inequality.”
“Politicians are using the power of the state to whitewash an already whitewashed history,” she continued. “Books and ideas about the Black experience,are being banned. These anti-history laws go hand-in-hand with regressive policies that aim to restrict our civil and voting rights.” Hannah-Jones added that a “healthy society does not ban ideas” and that “attacks on books are an attack on democracy.”
The journalist joins a list of other honorees who were selected to receive special honors at the NAACP Image Awards this year. Samuel L. Jackson was given the Chairman’s Award and