The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

Una lunga lirica toccante, accompagnata da illustrazioni ‘dantesche’. Leggerlo è stata una esperinza di profonda riflessione

The theory and message and also origin of black Ameticans explained well.good book yo teach kids about color equality

beautiful illustrations with a strong and at the same time sensitive text

Gorgeously illustrated book that presents the factual truth of how Africans first came to America and built up the country. The drawings are appropriate for children of any age. The book is a great conversation starter for the missing truth of American history that is often glazed over in public schools. I love that the book really illustrates the lively culture that Western Africans have and the life they had before enslavement.

If you’re interested in understanding history and/or CRT, then I have a challenge for you. Would you consider reading a children’s book to become a more informed citizen? "The 1619 Project: Born on the Water" was written by Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project, and Renée Watson, a New York Times best-selling author. It’s a picture book filled from cover to cover with beautifully illustrated scenes by Black artist/activist Nikkolas Smith. His art is intended to spark conversations around social justice and inspire positive change in the world. I've included The 1619 Project: Born on the Water is framed by a homework assignment on family origins given to a young African American girl. She tries to do the assignment but becomes stuck tracing her family history any further back than three generations. It falls to her grandmother to share the history of her family prior to that, and it’s Grandma’s story that fills the pages of the book. Grandma starts her family’s story over 400 years ago calling to mind what life was like before slavery. Hannah-Jones and Watson write the grandmother’s words and effectively weave a vivid tapestry of culture stolen and heritage interrupted. By keeping the focus on a specific small group strangers kidnapped near the same time and shipped to Virginia, the reader is reminded that those who were kidnapped were humans thriving in their families, living in community, and embedded in their own culture. The authors accurately identify the kidnappers and slave owners as white people. And I realize this could cause some white people to become defensive, but it’s the truth. And it’s a truth we must face if we are ever to move beyond the racism baked into our society. We are grownups. It’s time. I read this book to my husband this morning, and as I expected, it included information we were never taught in public school. There comes a point in our lives where we have to take responsibility for filling in the gaps of our education—especially around the history of our own country. Being educated in public school meant we learned a white-washed history intended to instill a sense of patriotism and pride. This was accomplished not only by what they taught but—even more so—what they did NOT teach. Even though The 1619 Project: Born on the Water is a children’s picture book, I highly recommend it as a GREAT starting point for anyone who wants to understand the basic premise of CRT; anyone who loves history; and anyone who is on their own personal DEI journey and/or reckoning with the history of slavery in the United States. It’s a book every white person should read. Full stop. ---------------------------- Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”