Don Lemon: I'm Not Doing Advocacy. I'm Telling the Truth

As the only Black anchor serving in a primetime role on cable news, Don Lemon uses his nightly platform to parse through the complicated issues surrounding race in America.

It’s a way to get beyond the typical headlines and directly address the topics that affect people of color. 

His program may not be like the other shows in the 10 p.m. hour but, the longtime CNN host said, it’s a far cry from advocacy journalism.

“I'm not doing advocacy. I'm telling the truth,” Lemon said during a National Press Club virtual book event Monday, May 10. “We've been deceived for so long that speaking out on behalf of Black and Brown people, of women, of marginalized people, of underserved communities, that that’s somehow advocacy. That's what America is. That's the role of a journalist.”

Lemon’s appearance coincides with the release of his new book, “This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism.” The anchor’s latest offering came in the wake of George Floyd’s  murder, when many of his white friends came to him express their shock and ask what they should do in response.

“I had these very, very honest conversations with my friends and how we should deal with it,” Lemon said in a discussion with Club President Lisa Nicole Matthews. “And I say ‘we,’ not just ‘them.’ At the end of the day, it's going to be them, but it's also ‘we.’ It’s collective. It’s all of us together.”

Overcoming racism, Lemon said, ultimately comes down to building relationships with people who may not look like you, something that he acknowledges can be easier said that done.

“You have to do the work,” Lemon said. “People just don’t want to do it because it’s easy for them to live in their bubble.”

Breaking through that barrier can lead to discoveries.

“Once you get to know them, you might find it's cool," Lemon said. "It expands your horizons and who you are. And it also helps your kids and your family and your husband, because then it makes you better citizens. So that, for me, is what is going to make a difference.”

Although Lemon is an award-winning journalist who has been with CNN since 2006, he gained additional prominence in the Trump era as a frequent target of the former president’s Twitter tirades.

The experience sparring with Trump, whom Lemon has consistently called out for racism, left the anchor initially reluctant to write a book.

“I don't want to be that closely aligned to an administration,” he mused.

In the wake of Trump’s electoral defeat last fall, Lemon argued that the country is in a much better place under President Joe Biden.

“I am happy that [Trump] is not in office and creating chaos and toxicity all over the world,” Lemon said, noting that he was not speaking on behalf of his network. “Finally, we have someone who is credible and who is competent and who has the capability of running the United States of America. Donald Trump did not have that.”

And as for CNN’s status now that there isn’t a president who would unleash a deluge of headlines every time he picked up his phone?

“CNN is just fine. We’re thriving and doing better than ever,” Lemon replied. “CNN is about giving real information and real information was not on the side of that person.”