'The 1619 Project' takes a look at slavery's lasting effects | Nightline

I feel excited and I feel anxious you never know how something will go out into the world but I know how hard we worked on it Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nicole Hannah Jones is back again with her most ambitious Endeavor yet as a woman in my 40s I am part of the first generation of black Americans in the history of the United States to be born in a society in which black people have full rights of citizenship hosting a new Hulu original docu-series adapted from her Landmark New York Times magazine Anthology and best-selling book The 1619 project the very first enslaved Africans were brought here over 400 years ago since then no part of America's story has been Untouched by the legacy of slavery you feel that in all aspects of American of who we are it can be traced back and has the remnants of slavery do you think that's something that people will understand with this series absolutely I mean that that is what the series argues so it's not just a historical documentary it's actually a documentary about contemporary Society premiering at a time when heated debates about how history is taught in our children's schools are erupting Across the Nation just last week the Florida Board of Education made headlines after it rejected the addition of an advanced placement African-American studies course the state should not be able to prohibit ideas from being taught simply because a politician doesn't like them and how do you think this series will fit into this ongoing conversation we have in this country about race this medium of Television is democratizing you can ban what someone can learn in a classroom but you can't stop them from watching this documentary series and getting that information so I think it is really coming at a critical time Jones traveling across the country sharing the stories of everyday people from all walks of life we follow real life Americans as you know the unionization fight with Amazon workers in Alabama and New York we we follow a black mother who lost one of her twins she was pregnant with because of racism in health care in about 22 weeks things start to really physically change for you I'm in pain I came down to flight of steps or up the flight of steps I can't walk down a block and she's aware of all of these things and it still doesn't make her check me any further what resonated with you most what resonated with me most is just the enduring Spirit of black people in this country despite everything that we have people have gone through and despite often you know these stereotypes that somehow black people think they are victims that black people love their country that they have always been willing to fight to try to force their country to live up to its highest ideals and that they just want what is due that black people are willing to work hard like every other American but have never had an equal chance in the societies the thought-provoking series also introducing viewers to Jones and her family on a personal level my father he always threw a flag in our front yard one thing about that he was patriotic he was a part of the United States Army they served their country but hey you certain country don't mean your country gonna serve you Roger Ross Williams who's the executive producer and directed the Democracy episode really thought that that was the way to connect all of the the episodes together was through my family story and um you know standing in for Black America that nearly everything that my family experienced most black Americans have experienced also how has your life changed since the problem it really has become my life's work in a way that I couldn't have imagined when when I pitched the project I certainly didn't think um four years later I would be getting ready to launch a six-part documentary series about this and although the show is told through the lens of black Americans Jones says this is something for all Americans to watch and reflect on this is the American story we've tried to segregate these histories there's black history and then there's American history but you can't understand America if you don't understand the role of black Americans role of slavery the role of racism one word to describe okay if I say the 1619 project is truth our thanks to Robin the 1619 project premieres Thursday January 26th on Hulu hi everyone George Stephanopoulos here thanks for checking out the ABC News YouTube channel if you'd like to get more videos show highlights and watch live event coverage click on the right over here to subscribe to our Channel and don't forget to download the ABC News app for breaking news alerts thanks for watching

Channel: ABC News

Views: 11,451

Keywords: 1619, Hannah, Hulu, Jones, Nikole, Pulitzer, Roberts, Robin, abc, abcnews, book, docuseries, journalist, p_cmsid=2494279, p_vid=news-96683306, prize, project, slavery, winning

Id: _uI1DNqD1ao

Length: 5min 7sec (307 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 26 2023