Overall, what did you think of The 1619 Project?

Overall, what did you think of The 1619 Project?

I haven't finished the book yet, but that I have read is thought-provoking. It takes time to digest all the concepts and it deserves to be read slowly and thoughtfully. I think it is an essential read for anyone who believes that American history needs a corrective. Too many people/groups have been written out of our national history because of centuries of white male supremacy. This book goes a long way to correct that. I look forward to reading it all.

I had been curious about this book since I first heard of it, and am so glad I received a copy! But since the print font was tiring to read, I also downloaded it from Amazon to my Kindle.
I think it is a masterpiece of research and historical description. I hope it can be studied in high schools and colleges to give Americans a more complete account of our country's history.

Stunning...both the book and the fact that on this 3rd reading, I started flagging the passages about well-known people (some distant, some in in my lifetime) who exhibited racist behavior of which I was unaware. Colored tabs abound!
I have both read and listened to the book. The audio version is very powerful.

In addition, I am the library volunteer at Pencils & Paper, an organization in Rochester, NY that provides Rochester City School teachers the opportunity to "shop" for classroom supplies and books at no cost. We run entirely on donations. 47% of the children in the district are below the poverty level. A book is an invaluable treasure to which many have no access. My intention is to provide books that reflect who they are, and what they may aspire to be.
I believe that Born on the Water, the young people's version of the 1619 Project, belongs in every classroom, and that P&P needed to offer this book to the children. I personally acquired 18 copies of the book, which were gone almost before they reached the shelves. I reached out to Random House, who generously donated 100 copies of this important book to the children. An important book for important children.

This book horrified me in many ways from the fact that much of the history I have been taught is inaccurate at best to the somewhat undeserved respect for the founding fathers and emphasized the need for continued vigilence and reform of thoughts and actions. The final demand for reparations gave me new thoughts to consider. This book is definitely one to be read by anyone who wants to understand the history and continuing struggle of black people in the United States. For myself, I will need to continue to explore this subject for a better understanding.

Enlightening, shocking and profound. Jones rivets the reader’s attention to her "New Origin Story" and sheds light on America's darkest hours, her early struggles for independence and the shameful hypocrisy of her politicians and citizens relative to the enslaved. Furthermore, readers are forced to face America’s slow, lumbering march toward equality for all, while carrying its burdens of prejudice and blindness. This tome will undoubtedly become a powerful educational tool in the arsenal of black / white history and culture where readers can broaden their knowledge and understanding of enslavement beyond what they have gleaned from Emmett Till, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and even George Floyd. The poems and prose at the beginning of the chapters are heart wrenching and poignant, and the essays that follow seem to be well-researched and factual. The lingering question is not whether reparation is warranted, but whether it is possible. Kudos to the New York Times for recognizing the importance and potential impact of this exceptional collaborative enterprise, its creator and contributors.

I think the book is informative and discusses the raw truth of the history of slavery and the treatment of black individuals in America. As a black student attending public schools during my childhood, I did not learn what society did not want me and my peers to know. I began to study Black History when I entered college, because the information was not available or accurate during my early education years through High school, which was an injustice - not knowing about the history of my people. Yes, we learned about Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, and others - what was taught just touched the surface and not the foundation.

I found this book to be deeply thought provoking and very sad.

The essays, in particular, were well-researched and thought-provoking. Though I did not agree with every position taken, I found most every idea offered well-presented and worthy of consideration. I particularly appreciated the emphasis on the long- arm of enslavement:: all of us Americans, regardless of race, are impacted by the existence and aftereffects of slavery in the US.

An excellent book. I agree with ssh. Thought-provoking and very sad.

The 1619 Project provides important information about how slavery influenced our new nation and how its legacy is influencing the United States in so many aspects of our government and everyday lives. The topics are interwoven to show the significance of each to the whole of our society. It is deeply disturbing to me that the information in this book is being kept out of textbooks and classroom discussions in so many places. It is important for students to know what happened in the past so they can recognize current and future injustices and how the powerful frame laws to benefit themselves.

So well said, Patricia Ann.

All preceding posts are well articulated and great descriptions of this book. Like CCC, I too went to all Black schools in the 50’s and 60’s and was never taught most of this history. Needless to say my parents didn’t know it either, and they tried to shield me from things that were happening in the “South”. At 76 I am still trying to catch up. But my 11 and 12 year old granddaughters know so much more thanks to their mother, their school, and me!
I think that Isabelle Wilkerson’s book Caste, and the 1619 Project should be required curriculum for high school and the first year of any kind of higher education institution. The first explains why we treat people differently and the second teaches the results.

Importantly comprehensive, meticulously researched and superbly written, I found this book to be one of the best resources I have read on not only the history of slavery but also the long term effects of slavery on all Americans black and white. It’s important for black Americans to see and have their history written about truthfully but it’s also important for white American's to understand how engrained race inequality is in our society and how important it is that we continue to fight for true equality for all. This book should not be banned but required reading for higher education and the children’s version for younger kids.

I listened to the audio book and found myself shaking my head in disbelief so many times while thinking everyone needs to read this book! This is particularly true for the sections of the population who continue to deny the historical (and current) treatment of Blacks in the U.S. including their kidnapping and transportation here. This book is well researched and written and deserves a place in all libraries and school rooms so we become educated on this part of our history in an effort to advance inclusion, diversity and equity.

I agree, completely, with the review by jos, above, and can't say it any more clearly or comprehensively. I must add my thanks to BB and to Penguin Random House for providing me with my very first free book from BB. I couldn't be more grateful or pleased with my choice!

The subtitle of The 1619 Project is "A New Origin Story"—new, yes, and better, more complete, more truthful. It should be required reading, as jos says, in high school and college, and as a part of the curriculum for educators. I read it along with "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which my husband had checked out of our public library for himself, and the combination was remarkable: a voice from the past, nowadays half forgotten, plus a contemporary record that both amplifies the truths and corrects the mythology of the past. If I ever read UTC before, I'd forgotten what a page-turner it is in parts. And I still don't understand how "Uncle Tom" has become a negative descriptor nowadays!

"1619" is not a narrative covering the history of Black Americans to the present day; rather, it is organized by chapters including "Democracy," "Sugar," "Capitalism," and 15 others, each detailing the effect of slavery upon an aspect of American life. i found the chapter on capitalism to be especially eye-opening and indeed frightening: slavery affected our "political systems, legal arrangements, cultural beliefs, and economic structures," leading to the vastly "inequitable" country we live in today. With this chapter-topic organization, the stories "1619" tells can be fitted into any course of study, whether religion or civics or economics or history or African American studies, etc., etc. Because of the scholarly apparatus behind each facet of the book, ie, notes, citations, and thank-you's, educators have no excuse not to slot appropriate parts of the book into curricula for all students.

Lest I make "1619" sound like a slog, I must say that it's a fascinating read! The writing is easy and conversational, and the poetry, photos, and brief essays that precede each chapter are thoughtful and engrossing. I never lost interest through nearly 500 pages!

For personal reasons, this book was of exceptional interest to me even before I began to read. My sister, whose background is quite different from mine, has just begun it--and I'll keep you posted on her reaction.

Meanwhile--get it and read it!

I couldn't agree more with all the posts, this book is a must read for everyone! I was totally absorbed, so well written and researched. It should be required reading for all students, high school and college and thoroughly discussed! If nothing else, it might generate some understanding and compassion for our fellow man.

I'd heard of the 1619 Project but did not know what to expect. I love the variety of essays, poems and other writing but it is very dense and required time to process and review. I have not yet finished the book but plan to do so. I agree with the above posters about the importance of the work, the disappointment about it being kept away from schools and how we could all benefit from respectfully discussing the writings.

1619 Project is a very powerful book. It should be taught in every high school in the United States, although we know that is unlikely anytime soon.
The book contains so much history and its effects on people, our beliefs, how we were raised....that I would love to read it again in a group, led by a historian.