The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this sweeping and unforgettable "project" by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project asks important questions about this nation's founding fathers and their actions, or in-actions, when establishing the rule of law. Did they truly believe the words they were writing in our founding documents? In this project, as it's truly a project with contributions from numerous writers, Hannah-Jones sets out to demonstrate "the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative." Hannah-Jones argues our entire economic, social, and judicial systems were built on the backs of enslaved people who neither had access to these systems nor were they equipped with "inalienable rights." As a country, we've never truly faced the everlasting effects of chattel slavery on this nation and how it's been Black Americans who have continued to carry the burden of "making democracy real." It's an important read and should be studied for years to come.

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