The 1619 Project

I noticed this had a 1.8/10 in under two hours after its release: meaning that these ratings could not even possibly finish the episodes before reviewing.

Obviously, this series was polarizing before its release. The source material is banned in many schools, since it is one of the most prominent publications of modern critical race theory.

I have not read the book yet, but I like to listen to colored voices explain their issues with credible history.

So does the beginning deliver? Yes, in many ways.

This isn't some victim-complex montage of people screaming at you that all white people are bad; this is a calm yet focused presentation of American history trickling down into modern policies.

On the other hand, this isn't as organized as other documentaries advocating for black liberation such as 13th (2016) or LA 92 (2017). So far, this series seems to be a bit too personally led by Nikole Hannah-Jones and the people she chooses to survey.

So is this biased? Of course it is, it's a pro-black documentary in America. If you have strong reservations against black social progression, then get ready to be challenged. But bias aside, legitimate history is here, and I learned a lot of new material from all eras of black America such as modern voting laws, 1960s marching logistics, and brutal punishments of early activists.

Overall, it's a strong series that I would recommend anyone to watch. It's not a cesspool of liberal lies as the other reviews suggest, but it's also not the most impactful series on race ever made. Hopefully the direction of the series can flow better in the remaining four episodes, so I can't wait to finish it.

Watch 13th or LA 92 before watching this.

7/10.

It's okay, and even welcomed to ruffle some feathers when it comes to a political documentary. But in doing so you must master the art of having your message reach all (or at least most) people. A quick glance at the reviews here tell you just that, there is a wild distortion in praise and hate, and the feedback on the reviews themselves are controversial. Wherever you stand on the issues presented in the documentary, it's obvious they only meant to capitalize on centuries of pain and suffering rather than make a clear documentary that tells the unifying message of freedom, for this documentary is message of hate. If they really cared about bridging the racial divide that has grown in recent years, they wouldn't have been so hate-fueled and one-sided. A good investigator is decisive, but a greedy propagandist is divisive.

I've read through a bunch of the 1-star reviews and noticed that none of them actually address anything that is IN the episodes. Many of them claim that the documentary traffics in false history but literally every single person interviewed falls into one of two camps: 1) they are discussing things that personally happened to them; or 2) they are academic experts citing primary sources.

As a documentary work, The 1619 Project is off to a very strong start. I'm not ready to give it a 10 yet because I want to see how the entire series plays out. It's fair to say that it has an agenda but I can't think of any documentary that does not. There are obviously people who will disagree with the premise but from what I've seen so far, it does an excellent job of backing up its stance with verifiable facts.

Not sure why people are stating this is historically inaccurate. It's very accurate. It is what it is people. We have a shameful past. If you want to disagree with some of the causation that is one thing, but we cannot disagree with historical fact on how this nation was founded. Obviously this is going to point out things that our nation is and should be shameful for. This does not mean we are our ancestors, but we do need to reconcile our history and how this nation was built on the back of slavery and how our laws were impacted by it. I encourage everyone to embrace this for what it is. It's not an admission of guilt personally, it's an admission of our countries history.

So far the reviews here are pathetic. I doubt some reviewers have even watched the series. As a public school teacher of 25 years, I will note the following: 1) The 1619 Project is not "critical race theory". That is ridiculous.

2) The original series, the book and the TV series all have the same gaol: to present a reframing of American history from the point of view of black Americans, the descendants of slaves. It is a work of journalism, not a Ph. D thesis in US history. It succeeds in this goal, which is why many schools have added it to their curriculum.

3)Many white Americans are still in denial that systemic racism even exists today. That is their misfortune. /Ignorance of reality does not change reality. The legacy of slavery and white supremacy infects every aspect of our society. People of color know this all too well.

4) Hopefully as more people watch the series, it will enlighten and provoke, and open some minds. Then again, maybe not.