Don Lemon invited global business consultant Hilary Fordwich onto his show “Don Lemon Tonight” to discuss slavery reparations in the aftermath of the Queen’s passing.
In the video below, it appears that Lemon may have bitten off more than he could chew with his highly informed and well-spoken guest.
CNN’s @DonLemon tells royal commentator Hilary Fordwich the royal family should pay reparations — immediately regrets it pic.twitter.com/LotCfBoAym
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 20, 2022
“Well, this is coming when, you know, this, all of this wealth, and you hear about it, comes as England is facing rising costs of living, a living crisis,” Lemon begins.
“And then you have those who are asking for reparation for colonialism, and they’re wondering, you know, $100 billion, $24 billion here and there, $500 million there.
Some people want to be paid back and, and members of the public are wondering, Why are we suffering when you are, you know, you have all of this vast wealth? Those are legitimate concerns,” the CNN host asks.
Hilary Fordwich then proceeds to respond in the best way imaginable, ruining Don Lemon’s attempt at winning this exchange.
“Well, I think you’re right about reparations in terms of it people want it thought, what they need to do is you always need to go back to the beginning of a supply chain, where was the beginning of the supply chain?” Fordwich rhetorically asks.
“That was in Africa, and when it crossed the entire world, when the slavery was taking place, which was the first nation in the world that abolished slavery?
The first nation in the world to abolish it, it was started by William Wilberforce, was the British.
In Great Britain, they abolished slavery. 2,000 Naval men died on the high seas trying to stop slavery. Why?
Because the African kings were rounding up their own people, they had them in cages waiting on the beaches, no one was running into Africa to get them.
And I think you’re totally right. If reparations need to be paid, we need to go right back to the beginning of that supply chain and say ‘who was rounding up their own people and having them handcuffed in cages? Absolutely!
That’s where they should start. And maybe, I dont know, the descendants of those families where they died in the high seas trying to stop the slavery, that those families should receive something too I think at the same time.” Fordwich concluded her monologue.
After this, Lemon ended the interview while teasing a future discussion between the two in a future meeting.
Many Twitter users also chose to give their opinion on the matter after this interview aired last week.
Tariq Nasheed, a film producer, was critical of Fordwich’s position.
“Ok this is amazing,” one user said. Don Lemon Brings up the need for slave reparations from the royal family. His guess says, yes, people should be demanding reparation… from the African leaders who sold them into slavery.”
Ok this is amazing. Don Lemon brings up the need for slave reparations from the royal family. His guest says, yes, people should be demanding reparations… from the African leaders who sold them into slavery. pic.twitter.com/il8WFYMrhS
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) September 20, 2022
This exchange on Don Lemon Tonight seemed to be a largely constructive one, that taught many people about the origins of slavery and gave viewers a better understanding of what reparations could entail.
By: Goose
Featured image credit: CNN screengrab from embedded Twitter video
This story syndicated with permission from Gen Z Conservative