The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
What a phenomenal book. It's rough reading in parts for the unflinching litany of crimes and abuses. But an honest reckoning of history is essential for restoration. The book has lots of inspiration and some joy, too.
The best parts of the book are the historical chapters laying out a narrative of the Black experience in America on various themes. Democracy, Race, Capitalism, Politics, Self-Defense, Punishment, Medicine... well written, clear capsule histories of aspects of our civil society and how American ideals were bent or broken to benefit white people at the expense of Blacks. Not just the injustice of slavery, although of course that is the original sin. But how that subjugation continued after emancipation and continues today.
In places the book reminds me in tone of the German writing I've read trying to come to terms with its Nazi history. The best of that, in museums and books, is similarly forthright and direct. And almost neutral. There's no need to say "murdering Jews is bad"; that's self-evident. But there is a lot of power in talking about the details of how Jews were murdered, and how Germany's politics enabled the murdering of Jews, and the impact it had on Jewish families and on the legacy of Judaism in Germany today.
1619 Project does something similar for slavery and the subjugation of African Americans. Lots of detail about the mechanisms of oppression and the thoughts and action of the political and civic leaders who participated in the systems of control and exploitation. And details on the effects it has had on the lives of Black people, and still has today on American society.
Two important differences with Nazi Germany there. One, we still have millions of African Americans living in the US today. And many of our biggest inequities and political problems today are in our unreconstructed racial politics. And the second difference in Germany. There's still no real consensus in America today that slavery was a pure unmitigated evil. Or that its repercussions affect the country today. And of course, no reparations.
If this book is taken seriously it can help lead America to healing the deep wound we've had since the country's founding. It starts with a reckoning and then reconstructive action to try to finally right the wrongs that have been done so far.