When Don Lemon decided to interview Talib Kweli, he should have been aware that the rapper doesn’t take kindly to disrespect. Kweli, along with a group of other activists including famed poet Jessica Care Moore, traveled to Ferguson to physically take part in the protests instead of just being a social media activist.
CNN put Kweli and Lemon on-air together to discuss the latest developments. The interview took a turn for the worse when Kweli commented that media had been doing a horrible job of making sure that the stories get out in the right way. Lemon disagreed and attempted to defend CNN’s coverage.
Kweli pointed out that CNN’s headline “Ferguson streets were calm until bottles fly” inaccurately shaped the narrative of what’s happening in Ferguson. Kweli told Lemon events that were reported from the night prior didn’t transpire as CNN reported. He attempted to explain that men, women and children were chased by police when he felt the anchor interrupted him before he could fully make his point. That’s when a heated back and forth started over their pre-interview meeting and it went downhill from there.
Kweli pointed out to Lemon that the anchor was too busy on his phone to greet him and only asked him how to pronounce his name before launching immediately into the on-air interview. “I would have the respect to greet you if I had never met you before, brother. To say, “How are you doing? It’s nice to meet you,” Kweli told Lemon.
Lemon attempted to steer the conversation back unsuccessfully as Kweli threatened to walk off if he didn’t get the respect he needed to be able to fully finish his thought. The two argued on air until both sides finally gave up, leaving viewers unaware of what’s really happening on the streets of Ferguson.
Unable to fully explain his position on CNN, Kweli took to his Twitter timeline to explain his perspective. He posted a link to a report from Rosa Clemente.
For those who saw me on CNN saying Lemon didn’t greet me I only raised that point to counter the fact he said he invited me. He did not.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) August 21, 2014
I have respect for Lemon. But I dont care whether he knows/greets me or not. Just didn’t think he should’ve got away w saying he invited me
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) August 21, 2014
To bring the focus back to what I was able to say, the night I was there, it wasn’t peaceful until “someone threw a bottle.”
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) August 21, 2014
It wasn’t just men that were chased down & tackled like prey. It was women & children too. That’s an important detail.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) August 21, 2014