Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hanna-Jones is going in for the culture once again with her new Hulu docuseries on the groundbreaking “1619 Project.”
Published by the New York Times Magazine in 2019, the initiative was purposely scheduled to be released on to the 400th anniversary of slavery in America, reframing “the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the center of our national narrative.”
Each episode examines how slavery impacts all aspects of American life including the criminal justice system, Black mortality rates, and the wealth gap.
In the trailer Hannah-Jones says “Black Americans have always been foundational to the idea of American freedom…Black Americans’ contributions are undeniable. No people had a greater claim to the American flag than we do.”
The series is divided into 4 episodes, Democracy, Race, Music, and Capitalism, with Hannah-Jones talking to civil right activists, community leaders, grassroot organizers, and historians on these topics. From the beginning she discusses what drew her to the project and political backlash against it.
“The 1619 Project” is coming at a time when public schools nationwide have banned the project, along with books that seemed to be teaching “critical race theory.”
One thing is for sure, Hannah-Jones takes nothing sitting down and no amount of criticism is going to stop her for taking this award winning initiative to the next level.
