NYU The 1619 Project by The New York Times Magazine Discussion

Race, equity and equality have been at the forefront of society, parallel to the Covid-19 health pandemic. Many of you may have participated or witnessed the “Black Lives Matter” movement gaining momentum over the past several months.

Start by reading the introduction to the project via the link provided above. The goal of the project is stated as:

“The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. (Links to an external site.) “

The “hope” of the project is “By acknowledging this shameful history, by trying hard to understand its powerful influence on the present, perhaps we can prepare ourselves for a more just future. “

Spend some time looking through the various stories and choose one that resonates with you. You may also choose to listen to one of the podcasts, if you prefer. Write and submit a one-page essay about the the impact of the story for you, personally. I will read through the stories and extract portions to discuss in class together. Be prepared to summarize the story and your essay during class discussion.

To help you get started, consider the following:
What is the author’s position on reframing the country’s history?
What is your position on reframing the country’s history?
How does the author suggest this changes things for the present or future?
What did this story inspire for you, personally? (emotion, call to action, empathy, etc.)

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link:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/20/magazine/1619-intro.html

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html