Extra Credit Assignment: Episode 1 of “The 1619 Project”

Mackenzie Wiater

For my extra credit assignment, I watched the first episode, “Democracy”, of  The 1619 Project on Hulu. This show is about the history of how black Americans have been treated by their fellow Americans. This episode takes place in multiple different parts of America, including Iowa, Georgia, Virginia, and New York. A woman named Nikole Hannah grew up with a great father, Milton Hannah. Milton Hannah proudly displayed his patriotism for his country because he had served in the army at 17 years old. He showed his patriotism even though America had not treated him and his ancestors well. Nikole first brought the viewers to Atlanta, Georgia to show the issues with voting. A woman named Helen Butler was working in civic engagement work to protect the people’s right to vote and increase engagement in voting. Her job is to also help out with errors in polling, and decrease voting fraud. Then the viewers are brought to Williamsburg, Virginia. The Governor’s palace was a big part of this part of the episode. They talk about a lot of the history during the time of slavery that occurred between enslaved people and colonists. The Governor of Virginia would threaten the colonists by telling them he would free the slaves to stop them from revolting and scare them away. His threat then became reality, and those who agreed to help fight the colonists would get freed. The Southerners were angered by the Governor’s (Dunmore) Emancipation Proclamation. 

American slavery began in 1619, hence why it is called “The 1619 Project.” Those interviewed in the episode explained that it feels like they were taught in schools as if it was only a white America. For example, slavery was happening before the Mayflower even sailed, yet no one is really taught that in all schools. The 1619 project got a lot of backlash. Many states tried to get it passed that the 1619 project could not be taught in schools. One state even wanted teachers to wear body cams so they could monitor what they were teaching to make sure this was not being taught. Trump also said in a speech that he believed the 1619 project was “toxic propaganda.” The episode then moved on to Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn’s Plymouth church was a safe haven for those escaping slavery, and was also called the Grand Depot of the Underground Railroad. This part of the episode showed how black Americans stood up for themselves and refused to leave America, because they were just as American as white people. This is the part of the episode that reminded me of the book A Raisin in the Sun. White people discriminated against black people just like how they did in the book/play. The episode in The 1619 Project showed how black people got in trouble for fighting for equality, and equality is something all the characters wanted in A Raisin in the Sun.