Nikole Hannah-Jones, the primary author of the widely-discredited “1619 Project,” drew more criticism and ridicule from fellow Twitter users over the weekend when she declared Europe is “not a continent by definition,” and referred to the alarm over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its people, who “appear white,” as a racial “dog whistle.”
“What if I told you Europe is not a continent by definition, but a geopolitical fiction to separate it from Asia and so the alarm about a European, or civilized, or First World nation being invaded is a dog whistle to tell us we should care because they are like us,” Hannah-Jones tweeted, as Fox News noted.
What if I told you Europe is not a continent by defintion, but a geopolitical fiction to separate it from Asia and so the alarm about a European, or civilized, or First World nation being invaded is a dog whistle to tell us we should care because they are like us.
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) February 27, 2022
“To be clear: We should care about Ukraine,” Hannah-Jones said in another tweet. “But not because it is European, or the people appear white, or they are ‘civilized’ and not ‘impoverished.’”
“All people deserve to be free and to be welcomed when their countries are at war,” Hannah-Jones added, implying the concern over Ukraine and its people is because they “appear white.”
To be clear: We should care about Ukraine. But not because it is European, or the people appear white, or they are “civilized” and not “impoverished.” All people deserve to be free and to be welcomed when their countries are at war.
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) February 27, 2022
Europe is not a continent, I don’t care where the demarcation lies. And if you didn’t see the relevance, why are you here?
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) February 27, 2022
Other Twitter users rebuked and ridiculed Hannah-Jones for her denial Europe is a continent and for applying her systemic racism worldview to the invasion of Ukraine.
An entire political, cultural, and ideological alliance fell in line behind this person's intellectual observations. It's not something that can just be written off. pic.twitter.com/I0LYWTSSCC
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 28, 2022
Kinda think you can call out racism without insulting everyone who considers themselves to be European by alleging their identity doesn't exist https://t.co/HbnCl4klLw
— Daniel Knowles (@dlknowles) February 28, 2022
Russia/Ukraine through the lens of Critical Race Theory.
wAr Is RaCiST! WHiTe OpPrEssors! https://t.co/TwJENlSn2s
— Calvin (@calvinrobinson) February 28, 2022
I've been waiting for this, and now it's finally here… the worst take on the Ukraine conflict.
— The Dean Of Mean (@AntiNeoMarxist) February 27, 2022
When your entire existence is built on the foundation of dry sand that is Critical Race Theory, every layer of thought gets more unstable. https://t.co/khcbc1YWto
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) February 28, 2022
What if I told you @nhannahjones isn’t a great source on history, geography, or geopolitics? https://t.co/8qhc4WyI8a
— Blake Herzinger (@BDHerzinger) February 28, 2022
I'd think you were a mendacious propagandist, such as I already know you to be.
— Ross Kaminsky (@Rossputin) February 27, 2022
.@nhannahjones trying to fit the Ukraine war into the context of race pic.twitter.com/XMeebzAxB7
— Kevin (@AZWildcats9) February 28, 2022
What if I told you, your understanding of geography is as bad as your understanding of history. NHJ Russia is also part of Europe. So like most your takes this one is illogical as both nations at war are European nations. And they’re both majority Slavic people.
— Chris Manning (@Manning4USCong) February 28, 2022
First you make up history with 1619, now you’re making up…geography.
— Christopher Tremoglie (@cwtremo) February 28, 2022
In January, Hannah-Jones was again criticized for failing to provide the correct year for the start of the Civil War in her assertion, “We did not stop the expansion of slavery, and enslavers dominated the presidency, Senate and Supreme Court until 1865, when the North was reluctantly drawn into a war that ultimately ended slavery.”
It was poorly worded, I meant until 1865 ended the war, which the North had been reluctantly drawn into. I realized people want to catch me up. I doubt anyone believes I do not know when the Civil War started. But, it is what it is.
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) January 3, 2022
When other Twitter users pointed out her error, Hannah-Jones responded, “It is what it is.”
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Susan Berry, PhD is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nikole Hannah-Jones” by Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo. CC BY 2.0.
