What emotional reactions did you have to reading The 1619 Project, and why do you think you felt that way?

What emotional reactions did you have to reading The 1619 Project, and why do you think you felt that way?

I am 76 years old, and grew up in Georgia, when schools were segregated, and Black people were in jobs such as maids, garbage collectors, warehouse workers and other low paying jobs. As a child, I was ignorant of the prejudice and outright hatred of Black Americans, since the attitude of middle class Whites was that the “colored people” were just not equal in
intelligence and ambition to the rest of us.

I have learned very different beliefs now and will never go back to those outdated ideas! Now I live in a different state and among better educated people who do want to ensure that everyone deserves a chance for a happy and secure life.

While reading this book, I had to stop often to reflect on the new information I was seeing, and to feel deep sorrow for the suffering of so many good Black people who only wanted to live their lives in peace.

I hope knowing the truth about racial prejudice will result in a better United States for all of us, but this depends on our citizens making good decisions.

The stories and poetry in this book kept me awake or woke me up during the night. It was very disturbing, to the point where I have had nightmares about Black Americans and their treatment. I feel deep sadness about all of it. So much going on, right under our noses. There was so much less "news" and I truly wonder how much "most" Americans knew about what their politicians were up to. Now that I am retired and living in Florida, I do see a difference in how southerners feel (even today) about black people. There is still prejudice and hatred here that is unlike New England.

I felt very sad, both about what I was learning and about the fact that I had not been introduced to so much of this earlier in my life. It also made me upset about bias against women. It made me think about how so many factors can interact.

Sadness and anger. How is it ever OK to enslave another human being?

That was part of the problem, wasn't it? They did not believe that black people were "human beings." Enslavers were actually the "inhuman beings" and treated their pets and livestock better than they treated their "chattel." Appalling!

I experienced similar reactions as the posters above. I am the same age as Anne C but am Black and grew up in Washington D.C. The more I read about the history of Black people in this country the more I’m amazed that there are any of us left! I found myself wondering what life was like for my grandparents. Two were in Montgomery Alabama and two were in Lexington Kentucky. My father who grew up in Alabama had to drop out of school in the eight grade to work in cotton fields. I try to share as much history of my life with my granddaughters so they will better appreciate their current station in life.

I had to really slow down and absorb everything in small doses because I felt it was important but also because the injustice's done
to black Americans in this country is appalling and so infuriating. It’s disturbing and so sad. America has so much work to do, not nearly enough progress in racial issues and the wealth gap. For pity’s sake why can’t our nation as a whole just say I’m Sorry, why is that so hard!

I felt a lot of anger and frustration. How can some people not see that the effects of slavery are still around and be so concerned about what they may lose as opposed to what everyone may gain by treating everyone well and with respect.

Sadness. Anger: at politicians, heinous slave owners, average citizens who wanted slavery to end, but not if it inconvenienced them. Disgust in reading how some Native Indians were complicit in enslaving Africans. Concerned and worried that we keep regressing with regard to human rights and that we cannot engage in dialogue or find common ground to help us avoid repeating the past. Last, awe for those who spoke up in support of abolition, putting their own lives at risk while trying to change laws or save the lives of those who were enslaved.