Author: Nikole Hannah-Jones
Publisher & Date: One World, 4 Jun 2024
Page Count: 624 pages
ISBN: 978-0593230596
Age/Reading Level: High School/College/Adult
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Book Information
In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a cargo of twenty to thirty people stolen from Africa. Their arrival led to the barbaric and unprecedented system of American chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the source of so much that still defines the United States.
The New York Times Magazine’s award-winning 1619 Project issue reframed our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. This book substantially expands on that work, weaving together eighteen essays that explore the legacy of slavery in present-day America with thirty-six poems and works of fiction that illuminate key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance. The essays show how the inheritance of 1619 reaches into every part of contemporary American society, from politics, music, diet, traffic, and citizenship to capitalism, religion, and our democracy itself.
This book that speaks directly to our current moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation’s founding and construction—and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life.
Challenges & Bans
This title is frequently challenged with critics arguing it promotes a divisive narrative and misrepresents American history. They claim it focuses too heavily on the country’s flaws, particularly slavery, and neglects positive aspects. This has led to legislative efforts to ban its use in curricula in various states, with some states passing laws that restrict teaching certain topics related to race and slavery
Specific Challenges*:
Awards & Accolades
NAACP Image Award Winner, Kirkus Reviews Best Non-Fiction Book of the Century, Oprah Daily Beat Non-Fiction Book of the Past Two Decades
Other Literary Accolades: #1 New York Times Bestseller, Kirkus Prize Finalist, Nominated as one of the best books of the year by: The Washington Post, NPR, Esquire, Marie Claire, Electric Lit, Ms. magazine, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist
Non-Literary Recognition: Emmy-winning Hulu Original docuseries
