The Importance of the 1619 Project

 

As a young child, I learned American history around two dates: 1492 and 1620. We did crafts that focused on Columbus and Pilgrims, but we definitely never learned about 1619 -- the year slaves were first brought to what is now the United States. 

That's right, 1619, one year before the pilgrims arrived, and yet that part of our history is quickly skimmed over, probably because it makes many uncomfortable. Fortunately, many organizations like Teaching Tolerance took advantage of last year's 400th anniversary of American slavery as an opportunity for us to get it right.

Today, let's focus on the NYT's 1619 Project, a major initiative that they "aim to reframe the country’s history, understanding 1619 as our true founding, and placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are."

My favorite piece in the 1619 Project? A new literary timeline of American history by acclaimed African American poets and writers!


This online platform -- articles, podcasts, and visuals -- can easily be incorporated into your classroom. You can find curriculums, guides, and activities for students developed by the Pulitzer Center at pulitzercenter.org/1619. And it’s all free!

Unfortunately, the 1619 Project has become controversial as the 2020 election is heating up, and that's a shame. We educators must not be intimidated; instead. let's share these great resources with our students. 

Additional Stories about the Advent of Slavery in America, Its Continuing Controversy & How to Teach It

  1. WaPo "They were once America’s cruelest, richest slave traders. Why does no one know their names?" September 14, 2019
  2. WaPo "The missing pieces of America’s education -- Five essays discuss what isn’t being talked about in classrooms" August 28, 2019
  3. WaPo "As plantations talk more honestly about slavery, some visitors are pushing back" September 8, 2019
  4. WaPo "A symbol of slavery — and survival: Angela’s arrival in Jamestown in 1619 marked the beginning of a subjugation that left millions in chains." April 29, 2019

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