Media

NYT 1619 Project Lead Reporter Pushes Conspiracy Theory, Appears To Delete And Reactivate Her Twitter Account

(Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Peabody Awards)

Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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Nikole Hannah-Jones, the lead writer for the New York Times’ “1619 Project,” caught backlash Sunday for telling people to “read” a conspiracy theory about the use of fireworks being an attack by the government “on Black and Brown communities.”

Hannah-Jones’ “1619 Project” suggests America’s “true founding” was when the first slaves arrived in 1619 and “aims to reframe the country’s history.” The NYT writer won a Pulitzer Prize in commentary for her work related to the “1619 Project,” despite numerous historians raising objections to some of its claims.

“Read this,” Hannah-Jones tweeted Sunday about a conspiracy theory suggesting the government was planning attacks on minority communities. The post suggested that the numerous fireworks going off in Brooklyn over the past two weeks is actually “part of a coordinated attack on Black and Brown communities by government forces.”

This alleged “attack” is intended “to disorient and destabilize the #BlackLivesMatter movement,” the claim, written by author Robert Jones Jr., reads. Hannah-Jones appeared to delete her tweet and deactivate her Twitter following backlash. She appeared to reactive her account shortly after, according to reports.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Hannah-Jones’ briefly inactive account. Hannah-Jones also did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller about her Twitter account.

Author Jesse Singal called Hannah-Jones’ tweet “incredibly irresponsible on every level.” Singal also shared a message that he said was “from an acquaintance in BK” pushing back on the claim. (RELATED: Top Historians Slam NYT ‘1619 Project’ As It Infiltrates Public School Curriculum)

“If NHJ thinks there is credence to this incredibly unlikely-seeming conspiracy theory, she has every right to either report on it herself, or find a Times colleague to convince,” he added. “But to pass this along as trustworthy is really doing a disservice to vulnerable communities.”

“@nhannahjones and @SonofBaldwin are LIARS. And Ms. Hannah-Jones is supposed to know better,” blogger Isaiah L. Carter tweeted after noting that he visits his girlfriend in Brooklyn and has “seen residents lighting fireworks in the middle of the street.” “What in the ENTIRE fuck is a Pulitzer-winning journalist doing spreading BS that should RIGHTFULLY nuke every ounce of credibility he has?”

Hannah-Jones replied to a post criticizing her for pushing the conspiracy theory and wrote that she was not endorsing the claim.

“I think it’s interesting,” she tweeted. “I did not endorse, I did want to see what other people think about it. Sorry if that makes me less credible to you.”