Stephen Colbert: It's nice to see people support a hashtag that's not about firing me!

The comedian invited Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe to discuss #BringBackOurGirls

Published May 14, 2014 1:51PM (EDT)

Thanks to the whole #CancelColbert debacle, Stephen Colbert is right to be wary of hashtag activism. But the recent #BringBackOurGirls campaign has reminded him (and Jon Stewart) that social media can be a powerful tool used for good, too. "Folks, it's refreshing to see the world get behind a hashtag campaign that has nothing to do with firing me," he said, before raising awareness of the cause.

Colbert interviewed humanitarian activist and author Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, a Time 100 honoree who works with young women who've been abducted. She stressed that the hashtag, which calls attention to the more than 200 Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in April, is necessary. "It's the best we can do," she told Colbert. But "we haven't done enough," she continued. "We should continue shouting, we must continue shouting, 'Bring back our girls.'"


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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