The 1619 project, according to one description, “sheds light on the legacy of slavery in the United States today and highlights the contributions of black Americans to every aspect of American society.” There is nothing controversial, is there? Wrong.
The initiative, born from a New York Times Magazine Number, and now adapted into a Hulu documentary series, drew passionate responses from the start.
“This project came out at a time where we have deep, deep social polarization,” noted series host and executive producer Nikole Hannah-Jones during an appearance on Deadlines Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted Event. Hannah-Jones won the Pulitzer Prize for the print series. Despite the excitement, she insisted: “It’s not really a radical project. It’s based on decades of science, and within the field of history, the ideas we’re putting forward aren’t really that controversial. … Many Americans were receptive to his arguments.”
In six episodes The 1619 project examines the historical antecedents of systemic racial injustice evident in policing, health care, wealth inequality, and even capitalism itself.
“It’s not just black history, it’s American history. And those things affect us all,” said Shoshana Guy, executive producer and showrunner of the series. One of Guy’s tasks was to make the print series a cinematic experience. “Our producers, our directors were constantly working on workshops and coming up with ideas and ways to bring these stories to life,” she said.
The publication of the 1619 project four years ago sparked the fierce debate surrounding “critical race theory”. Since then, Florida has prompted a number of states to regulate history teaching in schools, prompting some textbook publishers to offer revisions to reading materials. For example, a publisher put a new spin on Rosa Parks, who in 1955 refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, AL, to a white patron. . One day she was on the bus. She was told to sit in another seat. She didn’t. She did what she thought was right.”
“In the state of Florida, the Department of Education has banned the 1619 project from being taught in public schools,” Hannah-Jones said. “So what you’re seeing is a reaction to where we de-racialize the story of Rosa Parks – which you can’t do because Rosa Parks opposed the system of racial apartheid. And the reason she had to give up that place was because she was a black woman, not just because someone was mean to her.
Hannah-Jones added: “It tells us that we have people who are actually so ashamed of our history that they don’t believe we can tell the truth, and still believe in these ideas of American exceptionalism.”
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
