Into the Rise of QAnon During the Pandemic

08/19/20 • 25 min

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The vast internet conspiracy theory known as QAnon began in 2017 with a single post to the online message board site 4chan. The beliefs associated with QAnon range from the merely strange to the downright dangerous. Followers believe a ring of devil-worshipping pedophiles run the country and are plotting against President Trump, who they say is here to save the world. They say this Satanic ring includes top Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as Hollywood celebrities. QAnon’s beliefs are false, but they’ve seeped into the mainstream; a QAnon supporter from Georgia is likely to be elected to Congress in November.

QAnon aggressively pursues potential followers via social media, relying heavily on Facebook’s algorithms, which have often recommended increasingly extreme groups to users who have demonstrated an interest in things like alternative medicine and “energy shifts.” During the coronavirus pandemic, these baseless conspiracy theories are catching on with many people who are stuck at home and feeling lonely and vulnerable. This has serious consequences for the safety of the country; QAnon has pushed anti-mask and anti-vaccination rhetoric during the pandemic.

On the latest Into America, Trymaine Lee talks to Ben Collins, a reporter for NBC News who covers disinformation, extremism and the internet. He's been reporting on QAnon for years, and he says we should all be paying attention.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading:

Previous Episode

Into Black Women and the 19th Amendment

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified 100 years ago, on August 18, 1920, giving women the right to vote. But like many of the promises in the US Constitution, this was a victory primarily for white people. The suffrage movement was notoriously rife with anti-Blackness. So Black leaders like Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell paved their own way, aiming to undo racism and win voting rights for Black women.

As the United States celebrates a century milestone for 19th Amendment, we’re taking a moment to understand the role Black women played in the suffrage movement, and how that political participation has provided important lessons for today.

Martha Jones is a legal and cultural historian who studies Black women’s political participation. She’s a professor at Johns Hopkins University, and the author of a new book entitled “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All.”

Jones joined Into America host Trymaine Lee to talk about the generations-long fight of Black women for full voting rights.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

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Next Episode

Into the DNC and Black Lives

The Democratic National Convention—the first “virtual” one, due to COVID-19—has come to a close. Joe Biden has had his moment in the spotlight to accept the nomination for President, and Kamala Harris has made history as the first woman of color on a major party ticket.

Over four nights, the DNC convention featured harsh attacks on President Trump and dire warnings about the future of American democracy; a focus on issues like gun violence, climate change, child care, immigration and the power of women in politics; the voices of everyday Americans; and, featured speeches by many of the party’s “old guard.” But did the Democrats do enough to address the issue of racial justice, and to inspire younger Black voters who want rapid change?

On the latest Into America, Trymaine Lee talks to Jamira Burley, one of America’s high-profile Black millennial activists, who was featured in a conversation with Joe Biden at the convention. She supports the Biden/Harris ticket, but she hopes the party will seize on opportunities to inspire many younger voters of color, especially Black voters.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica.

Further Reading: