Page 139 - 1619 Project Curriculum

Lesson Overview:

“The truth is that as much democracy as this nation has today, it has been born on the backs of
black resistance...Black people have seen the worst of America, yet, somehow, we still believe
in its best.” —Nikole Hannah-Jones

The 1619 Project, inaugurated with a special issue of The New York Times Magazine,
challenges us to reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans
arrived on Virginia soil as its foundational date.

Award-winning investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones provides an expansive essay on
why “black Americans, as much as those men cast in alabaster in the nation’s capital, are this
nation’s true ‘founding fathers.’” Her essay chronicles a history of policies enacted to profit
from and disenfranchise black Americans, and the fight not only to claim black liberation, but
also to make liberation possible for all Americans.

This lesson plan is designed to introduce Hannah-Jones’ essay, and The 1619 Project as a
whole, through discussion questions and guided reading. For extension activities and to delve
into the other essays and creative works that compose this special issue, please visit:

• Reading guides and the full New York Times Magazine issue text
• Activities to extend student engagement with The 1619 Project

Warm-up:

1. The signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 is often presented as the foundational
event of U.S. history. Referring to the text of the Declaration of Independence, answer the
following questions as a class:

• What are the values stated in the Declaration of Independence?
• In what ways can you see those values working in contemporary U.S. society? In what
ways can you see them failing?
• How has the interpretation of those values changed over time? Who is responsible for
creating those changes?

Introductory Reading and Discussion:

1. Read this excerpt from Nikole Hannah-Jones’ essay to identify her central thesis.

Excerpt from "The Idea of America"

2. As a class, identify Hannah-Jones’ central thesis. Then, discuss the reading using one or both
of the following sets of questions.

Connecting to Content:

• What do you know about slavery, and where does that information come from?
• What do you know about the contributions of black Americans to U.S. society, and
where does that information come from?