How 'The 1619 Project' Connects Slavery to Modern America
Ask Students: What is the 1619 Project? When did The 1619 Project first appear in print, and what was the reaction to it?
Summary
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Project has become a topic of much debate in recent years. Amna Nawaz spoke with her about expanding upon that original work, the importance of looking back at how our nation’s history unfolded, and its relevance today.
Discussion Questions
- Who is Nikole Hannah-Jones and what is her background?
- What is the 1619 Project?
- When did the 1619 Project first appear in print, and what was the reaction to it?
- Why has the 1619 Project received the pushback it has, according to Hannah-Jones?
- How did Hannah-Jones decide what to include in the book?
Focus Questions
If you had to choose just a few stories from U.S. history to tell the story of the country and what makes it what it is, what stories would you choose? Why would you choose them?
Media Literacy
What question or questions do you think Amna Nawaz should have asked Hannah-Jones that she didn’t?
Additional Resources
- Free Webinar: Examining essays from The 1619 Project with Nikole Hannah Jones
- This interview with Hannah-Jones explores more details of the 1619 Project from the time of its original release in the New York Times.
- For more on the clash over so-called “critical race theory” and the teaching of the 1619 Project in schools, see this story.
- Find more resources on American Slavery.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Extra.
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