The 1619 ProjectA New Origin Story
Review posted April 28, 2024.
One World/Ballantine, 2021. 18 hours, 57 minutes.
Review written 2/4/24 from a library eaudiobook.
Starred Review
I have intended to read this book since the day it came out. Putting it in my eaudiobook queue was the key to it finally happening.
And it was so much more than I expected. Instead of one continuous book of history, this is a collection that includes eighteen essays about the significance of slavery to every part of American life combined with thirty-six poems and works of fiction highlighting key moments in our history.
This audiobook is the work of multiple authors and multiple narrators, all coming together in one epic tale.
Because of the multiple authors, the book turned out to be a little repetitive, but I learned a lot as I listened, and repetition probably helped me to retain what I heard. 1619 is the date that the first slave ship came to Virginia. This book talks about how slavery shaped our nation from the beginning, and continues to affect us from Reconstruction to the present. The essays, stories and poems help the reader understand that's not at all a far-fetched claim.
I can see why white supremacists would want to erase this work of history with its conclusions. My own eyes were opened to historical events I was never taught about in school.
You don't have to agree with everything you'll find here, but surely this powerful voice should be heard. Surely this side of our joint history, too, should be illuminated. This book isn't about silencing white voices. But it is about acknowledging the impact of Black people who were brought to our shores against their will and became uniquely American.