The 1619 Project
H&G4-5a-Thu2
Joshua Frank
This course will take place in person at 60 Turner Street. The room will be equipped with a HEPA air purifier.
March 13 - April 10
“If we are a truly great nation, the truth cannot destroy us,” writes Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The1619 Project, in the preface, entitled “Origins.” Featuring authors such as Michelle Alexander, Ibram Kendi, Matthew Desmond, Bryan Stevenson and many others, The 1619 Project offers a history of the United States most of us didn’t get in school, which has sparked fierce backlash and bans from school curriculum in many states. In this 5-session course we will consider and discuss how slavery and the racism it created have shaped our history, our Constitution, our identities, our neighborhoods, our medical care, our politics, our criminal justice system, even our transportation system.
Beyond this new understanding of our history and how it shaped the world we live in, The 1619 Project offers a positive vision of American promise often missing in a polarized era. “The glorious birthright of our common humanity will become the birthright of all the inhabitants of this highly favored country,” said Frederick Douglass in 1857. Despite violence and oppression, in the spirit of Frederick Douglass, Nikole Hannah Jones and so many others, we will trace the history of an inspirational vision, forged in resistance, of who we can be as a nation.
Each week we will look at chapters from the book relating to different topics such as economics, health and medicine, citizenship, politics and justice.
More facilitated discussion than lecture.
The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah Jones et al
Random House. 2021
ISBN: 9780593230572 (hardcover)
ISBN: 10-0593230590 (paperback)
60-80 pages per week.
Joshua Frank is the President of Equity Intersection Inc. where he provides Adult Education in Racial Equity and American History. He worked as an educator for twenty-eight years in public schools--sixteen as a teacher, and twelve as an administrator. He completed his undergraduate education at UMass/Amherst, and received Masters degrees from UMass/Boston and the Harvard Graduate School of Education.