Page 135 - 1619 Project Curriculum

“Pecan Pioneer” by Tiya Miles (page 76), “Popular American Music” by Wesley Morris (pages
60–67), and several other articles in The 1619 Project emphasize invaluable contributions by
black Americans to U.S. society. After reading these pieces, consider: Which innovations were
new to you? What other contributions by black Americans should be taught in schools?

Conduct a research project that investigates an innovation by a black American. You could

research innovators in music, science, technology, or any other arena. Select a person who
contributed to a field you are passionate about! Create a visual that presents what you learned,
and then work with your class to create a public presentation about black American innovators
throughout history.

9. Erasure Poetry: Highlighting Inequities, Envisioning Liberation

As part of the creative works in The 1619 Project, poet Reginald Dwayne Betts created an
erasure of the first Fugitive Slave Act, signed into law by George Washington in 1793. Erasure

poems can be a way of reclaiming and reshaping historical documents; they can lay bare the

real purpose of the document or transform it into something wholly new. How will you
highlight inequity—or envision liberation—through your erasure poem?

Step 1. Choose a historical document that interests you. Read the document itself, and read the

corresponding article in The 1619 Project to get more context. Here are some suggestions:
• Declaration of Independence / “The Idea of America” by Nikole Hannah-Jones (pages
14–26)
• 13th Amendment / “Mass Incarceration” by Bryan Stevenson (pages 80–81)

• Affordable Care Act / “A Broken Health Care System” by Jeneen Interlandi (pages 44–
45)
• GI Bill / “The Wealth Gap” by Trymaine Lee (pages 82–83)
• “Who Are Our National Poets?”, a racist music review written by J.K. Kennard in 1845
/ “American Popular Music” by Wesley Morris (pages 60–67)

Step 2. Create an erasure of your chosen document. Show analysis through your erasure. What

is your perspective on this document and its connections to slavery?