Borat brings it.

I was at the ADL’s 2019 Never is Now Summit last Thursday to hear Sacha Baron Cohen’s remarkable speech, in which he called out the uniquely destructive influence of Facebook.

It doesn’t surprise me that the speech has gone viral: it’s a great piece of writing, very well delivered, with a vitally important message.

Baron Cohen could have easily given the speech that most people expected: praising the host organization, reflecting on how his work dovetails with ADL’s mission of fighting hate, and throwing in a few jokes.

Instead, he made a strategic decision to seize the moment and make a meaningful statement. It was a win for the hosts (who garnered lots of media coverage), for the attendees (who got to experience this powerful message), and for Baron Cohen, who reached a wide audience and carved out a place for himself as a vocal activist.

May we all be like Sacha and use our platforms to deliver messages that matter.