Nikole Hannah-Jones on The 1619 Project and how the seeds of her work were sewn during her childhood in Waterloo - Iowa Public Radio

The purpose of The 1619 Project, as stated by The New York Times, is to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the country's national narrative. The date,1619, is the year a ship called the White Lion landed near the English colony of Jamestown, bringing with it more than 20 enslaved people from Africa. This happened one year before the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock.

The 1619 Project starts with this important piece of history, and through a series of essays it demonstrates how the foundations of inequality in the United States have persisted through the history in law, imprisonment, income inequality, health care, culture and more. It also highlights many of the untold stories and accomplishments of Black Americans.

The project was the brainchild of journalist and Iowan Nikole Hannah-Jones. She won a Pulitzer Prize for her work, and "The 1619 Project" has continued to evolve. It started as a special issue of The New York Times Magazine, a website and a podcast. It became a curriculum developed in conjunction with the Pulitzer Center. It's now a book and children’s book, and a docuseries produced by Oprah Winfrey is in progress. Many journalists, historians, poets, artists and others have contributed along the way.

The project also found itself on the front lines of today’s politically charged culture wars, and Hannah-Jones herself has been a personal target. The...

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