CNN News Anchor Don Lemon Claims He Would Have Pursued A Career Of Being A Civil Rights Activist

Do you think Don Lemon Can Be A Civil Rights Activist ?

BHR Hollywood Reports.............Don Lemon’s on-air reporting has often made the newsman a headline topic himself, but it appears the CNN anchor is unfazed by critics.

The CNN news anchor revealed in  the New York Times magazine, that if he weren’t a journalist, he would have pursued a career similar to that of Malcolm X.

Don Lemon 

“I’d probably be a writer like James Baldwin,” he said. “But not like Dr. King, even though I admire him. I’d probably be more of a Malcolm X. I believe the best way to improve yourself is to improve yourself.”

Last month, Lemon earned criticism after a heated on-air debate with former federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin, about a viral clip of a South Carolina high school student assaulted by a police officer.

His comments -- in which he insisted on the need for additional information before passing judgement on the officer's actions -- resulted in a Change.org petition requesting his removal from the network.

According to the 49-year-old, his approach to covering

 

Malcolm X

news topics is not to be a “provocateur,” but to get people to think and have discussions -- a style he believes has contributed to his success.

Don Lemon 

"I am not setting out to be a provocateur. I am setting out to inform people and to get people to think," he said. "I do think my career has been helped, because part of my job is to get people to have discussions."

Lemon added that he may have decided a career as an advocate for social change -- citing the career of Malcolm X -- if he didn’t pursue journalism.

“Instead of being offended or defensive or whatever, I try to be curious about why that person feels that way, why someone has that particular opinion.”

From his eyebrow raising comments on the New York City “stop-and-frisk” policy to the missing Malaysian Airlines flight, Lemon said that there is a method to his journalistic approach.

The 49-year-old Louisiana native added, “I am setting out to inform people and to get people to think. I do think my career has been helped, because part of my job is to get people to have discussions.”