The six-episode limited docuseries will pull back the layers of Jones’ famed literary project, attempting to reframe the history of Black America, a press release noted. By placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the forefront of the United States’ national narrative, Hannah-Jones hopes to build a new American origin story.
On Dec. 15, the decorated New York Times writer and author gushed about the big news on Twitter, telling fans that it took “Two years” to develop the exciting docu-series.
“I am SO proud of this work,” Hannah-Jones added, while sharing a short promo video of the forth coming series.
In 2019, Nikole Hannah-Jones stunned the world when she published The 1619 Project in The New York Times. The piece has been used in some classrooms across the country to teach critical race theory, a cross-disciplinary examination of how laws, social movements and media can heavily shape notions of race and ethnicity.
While some have celebrated Hannah-Jones’ powerful revisionary take on Black history, several notable political figures have protested against the piece. Naysayers believe that the literary project sparks too much debate over racism and the country’s origins. Some states, like Texas and Arkansas, have gone to great lengths to keep The 1619 Project out of classrooms.
Last year, the long-form piece was adapted into a podcast and a book, that features essays on race, religion and politics.
According to Hulu’s synopsis, each episode– “Democracy,” “Race,” “Music,” “Capitalism,” “Fear” and “Justice” will dive deeper into the essays from the book, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. It will also highlight slavery’s impact on contemporary American culture.
An award-winning list of directors were tapped to create each episode. Producers include Academy Award-winner Roger Ross Williams and Peabody recipients Shoshana Guy and Naimah Jabali-Nash, among others. Hannah-Jones executive produced the docuseries alongside Oprah Winfrey and New York Times editorial film director Kathleen Lingo.
The 1619 Project will premiere on Hulu Jan. 26. Will you be watching?
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