The 1619 Project

A New Origin Story

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A dramatic expansion of a groundbreaking work of journalism, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story offers a profoundly revealing vision of the American past and present.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • NPR • Marie Claire
 
In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a cargo of twenty to thirty people stolen from Africa. Their arrival led to the barbaric and unprecedented system of American chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the source of so much that still defines the United States.

The New York Times Magazine’s award-winning “1619 Project” issue reframed our understanding of American history by placing slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. This new book substantially expands on that work, weaving together eighteen essays that explore the legacy of slavery in present-day America with thirty-six poems and works of fiction that illuminate key moments of oppression, struggle, and resistance. The essays show how the inheritance of 1619 reaches into every part of contemporary American society, from politics, music, diet, traffic, and citizenship to capitalism, religion, and our democracy itself.

This is a book that speaks directly to our current moment, contextualizing the systems of race and caste within which we operate today. It reveals long-glossed-over truths around our nation’s founding and construction—and the way that the legacy of slavery did not end with emancipation, but continues to shape contemporary American life.

Cover image: Lorna Simpson Beclouded, 2018 © Lorna Simpson. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.

Read by a full cast, including:
Nikole Hannah-Jones, January LaVoy, Claudia Rankine, Nikky Finney, Janina Edwards, Dorothy Roberts, Shayna Small, Terrance Hayes, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Yusef Komunyakaa, Eve L. Ewing, Karen Chilton, Aaron Goodson, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Erin Miles, Dominic Hoffman, Adenrele Ojo, Matthew Desmond, Tyehimba Jess, Tim Seibles, Jamelle Bouie, Cornelius Eady, Minka Wiltz, Martha S. Jones, Darryl Pinckney, ZZ Packer, Carol Anderson, Tracy K. Smith, Evie Shockley, Bryan Stevenson, William DeMeritt, Jasmine Mans, Trymaine Lee, A. Van Jordan, Yaa Gyasi, Linda Villarosa, Danez Smith, Terry McMillan, Anthea Butler, Rita Dove, Camille T. Dungy, Wesley Morris, Natasha Trethewey, Joshua Bennett, Chanté McCormick, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Ron Butler, Kevin M. Kruse, Bahni Turpin, Gregory Pardlo, Ibram X. Kendi, JD Jackson, Jason Reynolds, and Sonia Sanchez

Being incensed and caucasian listening to the book

I loved this book. It speaks volumes about the racial divides which still riven our country. The history, the voices of Black Americans and the legacy this country still tries to reconcile. Very well done and well worth the listen or the read.

Astonishing and necessary

As a 75-year-old privileged white woman I think this book should be read by every adult including those over 18 to understand not only our history but the prospects for restitution. Nothing will wake people up more than listening to these stories which are real history of the United States. Having just finished The WaterDancer, I was moved beyond words about the magnificent resilience and persistence of Africans in America who are my fellow citizens and brothers and sisters. It is also a remarkable experience to have these pieces read by people who have the genetic experience of the stories rather than reading them myself. I cannot recommend it more highly, even though it is excruciating to know. Thank you for preparing and sharing this important work!!

Exemplary

Nicole Hannah-Jones and the full cast set forth the best of it's kind in advocation for reparations. Our nation is indeed suffering from amnesia, but this book sets the record straight.

Well done

Simply well done, and a must read. This written work was well researched and the addition of poetry made this an even better read.

Wow, My History

I loved it. I did not struggle with it.
I'm gonna read it again because all of it was a most memorable moment. And every one of the authors are awesome. I have to listen to this again and this is a definitely must share. I thank you, I thank you all! Wow...