by Nikole Hannah-Jones & the NYT Magazine
Hi [Friend Who Gave Me This for Xmas]!
I’ve read a little more than half of the 1619 Project and I think I’m going to bail. It’s just one horrible thing after another.
It’s a tremendous work of scholarship, and given all the over-the-top controversy about it, I’m glad to have acquainted myself firsthand with at least half of it. From what I’ve read about the accusations of historical inaccuracies, they seem to be a matter of misreading and of interpretation, not the result of actual poor scholarship, IMHO.
What I remember most about Ta-Nahesi Coates Between the World & Me was how said that as a kid he hated Black History month, and learning about the civil rights era, because it seemed to be all about black people being hurt. Images of black people with fire hoses aimed at them, black people being beaten, etc. That came back to me as I was reading last night and really wanted to be done with it. I’m glad you gave it to me, I’m glad I read what I read, I’m glad it exists. Thank you!
Tytania 