MSNBC host Chris Hayes talked to Seth Meyers about the inspiration of his latest book, A Colony in a Nation, revealing how easily his life could’ve been derailed with some weed if not for the privilege he experienced.
Hayes and his girlfriend at the time (who he would later marry) attended the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia and were going through security when he realized he had a small amount of marijuana on him. He ended up getting into the convention but for a few moments he started to panic.
While Hayes can laugh about the situation now, it wasn’t until a few years ago—after covering Ferguson and Baltimore—that he realized just how lucky he was to have not gotten into any trouble. For one, his future father-in-law, who was at the convention, was nearby and could vouch for him, but he also likely led police to believe he wasn’t a threat.