The 1619 Project, a six-part docuseries based on the book, is streaming now on Hulu. But before it was a docuseries, it was an ambitious project launched in The New York Times Magazine in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. Led by Nikole Hannah-Jones, the project sought to challenge the traditional narrative of American history and to reframe the country’s founding as rooted in slavery and anti-Blackness.
The project was met with both praise and criticism. Some historians challenged the project’s historical interpretations and pointed to what they said were historical errors. Others defended and confirmed the facts and interpretations presented in the project. But what seemed to provoke so much ire was that the 1619 Project had breached the wall between academic history and popular understanding, and it had done so in The New York Times, the paper of record, in a major multimedia project led by a Black woman.
The backlash against the 1619 Project soon extended beyond the realm of academia. A US senator introduced a bill to strip federal funding from public schools teaching the 1619 Project, and similar bills were introduced in more than a dozen Republican legislatures. Then, President Trump hastily convened the 1776 Commission, which sought to reinforce the exceptional nature of our country and to put forth a “patriotic” narrative that downplays racism and inequality. President Joe Biden rescinded the executive order in one of his first acts in office, but regulations enforcing the ideology of the 1776 Commission and/or seeking to ban the teaching of the 1619 Project and teaching about racism have either been enacted or are being considered in 18 states.
At its core, the fights over the 1619 Project are about power. As Frederick Douglass wrote in his 1892 autobiography, “The story of the master never wanted for narrators. The masters, to tell their story, had at call all the talent and genius that wealth and influence could command. They have had their full day in court. Literature, theology, philosophy, law and learning have come willingly to their service, and if condemned, they have not been condemned unheard.” The 1619 Project seeks to tell a different story—the story of the slave—and it is this story that many people are fighting against.
It is clear that history is not just about what happened but also how we think about what happened. The 1619 Project seeks to challenge conventional narratives and to provide a new understanding of our nation’s history. It is a reminder that history is constantly evolving and that we must be open to new interpretations of our past. It is also a reminder that we must be vigilant in protecting our right to learn about our history without fear of censorship or retribution.