Reveal America Had a Black President. Then Came the Whitelash.
11 snips
Oct 29, 2025 
Jelani Cobb, a New Yorker staff writer and the dean of Columbia Journalism School, discusses how the death of Trayvon Martin ignited a decade of social change. He reflects on the defining moments of the Black Lives Matter movement and evaluates President Obama's complex legacy amidst rising political hostility. Cobb shares insights on the challenges facing journalism in today's polarized climate and emphasizes the importance of integrity and transparency in media. His recent book, 'Three or More Is a Riot,' encapsulates these pivotal themes.
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Trayvon Reporting Sparked A Decade Of Coverage
- Jelani Cobb first wrote about Trayvon Martin in a New Yorker piece called "Trayvon Martin and the Parameters of Hope."
- That coverage became the start of a long thread that led him to follow the rise of Black Lives Matter and related national dynamics.
A Single Moment Split The National Trajectory
- Trayvon Martin's death catalyzed both Black Lives Matter and inspired violent white nationalist acts like Dylann Roof's.
- Cobb links these divergent consequences as twin dynamics shaping the decade's political path.
Essays Map A Political Path 2012–2025
- Cobb collected 59 essays to map how events between 2012 and 2025 connected into a national political mood.
- He traces Trumpism, mass shootings, and a backlash against Obama as part of that plotted path.
