Nikole Hannah-Jones became a staff writer for the New York Times in 2016; she devised the 1619 Project to take another look at the legacy of slavery in the United States, its release neatly coinciding with the four hundredth anniversary of the arrival of the first slaves from West Africa. The project was originally only intended to take up one issue of the magazine but very quickly became something much larger; it invited contributions from every one of the journalists who wrote for the New York Times and did not just confine itself to the newspaper, or even the printed word, but included web-based oral histories as well.
The project takes us back to 1493 when Pope Alexander VI gave Portugal the right to be the only nation trading with West Africa. This soon opened the door to the slave trade. The first slave ship held twenty African slaves and landed in the British colony of Virginia in 1619. Americans were seen to have the right to own a slave for the next one hundred and thirty-six years, until December 1965 when it was outlawed. This was due to the ratification of the 13th Amendment, and it is this that forms the crux of the matter when it comes to the 1619 Project; its creators contend that although slavery has been outlawed for more than a century and a half, African Americans, who make up 12% of the population, are essentially enslaved in their day to day lives to this day because they face institutional and social racism.
Over its one hundred pages, the issue's contributors compare capitalism to slave plantation ownership, ponder upon the racial misappropriation in all genres of music, and question the universality of the standard of healthcare between white and black patients. These articles are interspersed with poems and essays by eminent authors including Jesmyn Ward and Barry Jenkins. The result is a magazine issue that suggests that today's political and social climates are still Orwellian in nature in that some citizens are more equal than others.
Reception to the magazine was mixed. Scholars and historians praised much of the research, although some pointed out that large chunks of the Spanish slave trade were missed from the study, suggesting that slavery began in the sixteen hundreds when in reality it began over a century earlier. Others felt that stories painted a picture of victimhood and that the study was more propaganda than sociological study or academia.
The "1619 Project," initiated by The New York Times in 2019, is a groundbreaking and expansive multimedia undertaking that aims to reframe the narrative of American history by placing the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies in 1619 at the center of the story. Spearheaded by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, the project includes essays, articles, poetry, and visual art that explore the enduring legacy of slavery and its profound impact on various aspects of American society, from politics and economics to culture and identity.
At its core, the "1619 Project" seeks to challenge conventional historical narratives and prompt a critical reevaluation of the nation's origins. The contributors engage with a wide range of topics, including the role of slavery in shaping the American economy, the fight for civil rights, and the ongoing struggle for racial equality. The project has sparked considerable discussion and debate, prompting conversations about how history is taught, remembered, and integrated into the national consciousness.
The "1619 Project" has been praised for its boldness in addressing uncomfortable truths about America's past and its lasting impact on the present. Simultaneously, it has faced criticism from some quarters for its perspectives and interpretations. Regardless of the debates it has generated, the project has undeniably left a significant mark on the discourse surrounding American history, encouraging a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the nation's complex and multifaceted narrative.
