The 1619 Project Docuseries Viewing Guide

The 1619 Project docuseries is a Hulu documentary series expanding on  The 1619 Project initiative created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times Magazine. The six-part series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. You can view the documentary series at hulu.com/series/the-1619-project. 

Structure

Each episode of the series calls on historians, journalists, and community leaders to share their insight and expertise on the enduring legacy of slavery and its impact on our current society. Each episode contains information that could be useful for a variety of classroom contexts and weaves together multiple related themes and plotlines. It is possible for students to engage with these key themes without viewing the hour-length episodes in full, particularly if they are utilizing other 1619 Project materials as supplemental texts. 

As such, we’ve created guides that allows for both thematic and linear viewing of each episode:

• In the About the Episode section of each guide, you will find a summary of the key themes, the relevant time stamps for those themes, and some supplemental texts from The 1619 Project to help deepen student understanding. 
• In the following Linear Viewing Guide section, you will find a table that splits the episode into sections from start to finish with time stamps and discussion questions. 
• At the end of each guide, you will find a Topic Index for the episode listing the key people, events, concepts, terms, and more to assist with lesson planning and standard alignment. 

The 1619 Project is a Hulu documentary series expanding on  The 1619 Project initiative created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times Magazine. The six-part series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. You can view the documentary series at hulu.com/series/the-1619-project. 

Episode 1: Democracy 

“Democracy” explores the many ways in which Black Americans have fought to help the U.S. move toward the ideal of democracy it was founded on and the resistance they have routinely experienced in this work. 

Themes in this episode include

• America’s Founding Mythology
• Black Patriotism and Advancement of Democracy
• Voter Disenfranchisement and Threats to Democracy

Some parts of this episode include footage of modern political moments and events like the January 6th Insurrection. We’ve marked sections with this footage with an asterisk so that teachers with restrictions on teaching current events in the classroom may review. 

Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe violence and painful events. We suggest having a classroom social-emotional learning protocol for engaging with hard histories and inviting students to think through how they can care for themselves when things are both important to know and difficult to listen to. 

Some questions to consider before viewing: 

1. What is democracy? How have you heard it defined? What is the relationship between democracy and freedom?
2. What do you already know about The 1619 Project? Where does this information come from? What do you expect to see or learn in this docuseries episode?
3. Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe painful events. What can we do to take care of ourselves when something is both important to hear and difficult to listen to?

Viewing Guide

Some questions to consider after viewing: 

1. How has viewing this episode changed your understanding of the rights and liberties you have today? How has it changed your understanding of American democracy?
2. How are imagery and audio used to help with storytelling in this episode? How is the experience of viewing the docuseries similar or different to reading the text?
3. What additional research do you want to do about U.S. history after learning about the ways in which research can expand your understanding of a topic?

The 1619 Project is a Hulu documentary series expanding on  The 1619 Project initiative created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times Magazine. The six-part series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. You can view the documentary series at hulu.com/series/the-1619-project. 

Episode 2: Race 

“Race” explores the origins and legacies of racial categorization within the United States.  The episode also investigates the racialized, gendered violence born out of enslavement and how it fueled the creation of mythologies about Black women’s sexuality and womanhood and contributes to the current Black maternal health crisis.

Themes in this episode include

• Origins and Legacies of Racial Categorization 
• Reproductive Violence with the Institution of Slavery
• The Black Maternal Health Crisis
• Mythologies and Stereotypes Around Black Womanhood

Some parts of this episode include descriptions of the sexual and reproductive violence enslaved people faced. Other parts detail the effects of racism and medical negligence on Black maternal health, including pregnancy loss, infant mortality, and death. We’ve marked these sections and included content warnings for teachers to review and consider. We also suggest having a classroom social-emotional learning protocol for engaging with hard histories and inviting students to think through how they can care for themselves when things are both important to know and difficult to listen to.

Some questions to consider before viewing:

1. What is race? When did you first become aware of different racial classifications? How important is racial identity to you? 
2. What do you know about the history of race and racism in the United States? How do you think race may be related to the history of enslavement? 
3. Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe painful events. What can we do to take care of ourselves when something is both important to hear and difficult to listen to?

Viewing Guide

Some questions to consider after viewing: 

1. How has viewing this episode changed your understanding of race and racial categorization? How has it changed your understanding of the history of enslavement?
2. How are imagery and audio used to help with storytelling in this episode? How is the experience of viewing the docuseries similar or different to reading the text?
3. What additional research do you want to do about U.S. history after learning about the ways in which research can expand your understanding of a topic?

The 1619 Project is a Hulu documentary series expanding on The 1619 Project initiative created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times Magazine. The six-part series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. You can view the documentary series at hulu.com/series/the-1619-project.

Episode 3: Music 

“Music” explores the role of Black American music as foundational to American pop culture and reflects on the Black American struggle for freedom and liberation throughout American history. It spotlights different eras and genres of Black American music while contextualizing the social and cultural realities that influenced the music of the time period. The episode also discusses the legacies of racism in American music and pop culture, tracing their origins back to blackface minstrel shows that began during slavery.

Themes in this episode include:

• Innovation and Cultural Memory in Black Music
• Racism in American Music and Pop Culture

Some parts of this episode include depictions of blackface minstrel shows and other racist images. We’ve marked these sections and included content warnings for teachers to review and consider. We also suggest having a classroom social-emotional learning protocol for engaging with hard histories and inviting students to think through how they can care for themselves when things are both important to know and difficult to listen to. 

The intro to this episode includes a reference to alcohol consumption, and there is one section with some explicit language.

Some questions to consider before viewing:

1. What is culture? How do you define your culture? How important is culture to you?
2. What is the relationship between politics and culture?  How can societal norms be reflected in culture? How can culture be used as a tool for resistance?
3. Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe painful events. What can we do to take care of ourselves when something is both important to hear and difficult to listen to?

Viewing Guide

Some questions to consider after viewing: 

1. How did this episode impact your understanding of the relationship between politics and culture? How have race and racism impacted American music? In what ways have African Americans utilized music in their struggles for liberation? 
2. How are imagery and audio used to help with storytelling in this episode? How is the experience of viewing the docuseries similar to or different from reading the text?
3. What additional research do you want to do about U.S. history after learning about the ways in which research can expand your understanding of a topic?

The 1619 Project is a Hulu documentary series expanding on The 1619 Project initiative created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times Magazine. The six-part series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. You can view the documentary series at hulu.com/series/the-1619-project.

Episode 4: Capitalism

“Capitalism” explores the ways in which the institution of enslavement impacted the development of American capitalism. It delves into the particular brutality engendered by America’s low-grade capitalism, including the quality of life of American workers and barriers to unionization. Lastly, the episode documents the experiences of low-wage workers and current efforts to create a formidable labor movement.

Themes in this episode include:

• Defining Characteristics of American Capitalism
• Unionization and Labor Organizing
• Impact of Capitalism in Black Communities

Some parts of this episode include descriptions of violence and brutality on slave labor camps during the institution of American chattel slavery. Other parts recount the exploitation of American workers in the modern day. We suggest having a classroom social-emotional learning protocol for engaging with hard histories and inviting students to think through how they can care for themselves when things are both important to know and difficult to listen to.

Some questions to consider before viewing:

1. What is capitalism? How have you heard it defined? What connotation does the word have for you? 
2. Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe painful events. What can we do to take care of ourselves when something is both important to hear and difficult to listen to?

Viewing Guide

Some questions to consider after viewing: 

1. How has listening to this episode changed your understanding of the ways in which the United States profited off the labor of enslaved people? How has it changed your understanding of labor exploitation in America today?
2. How are imagery and audio used to help with storytelling in this episode? How is the experience of viewing the docuseries similar or different to reading the text?
3. What additional research do you want to do about U.S. history after learning about the ways in which research can expand your understanding of a topic?

The 1619 Project is a Hulu documentary series expanding on  The 1619 Project initiative created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times Magazine. The six-part series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. You can view the documentary series at hulu.com/series/the-1619-project. 

Episode 5: Fear

“Fear” explores the cycle of policies, policing practices, and organized violence over the last three centuries of U.S. history in response to a perpetual fear of Black people, Black protest, and Black freedom. The episode investigates the surveillance and control of Black people on both the interpersonal and systemic levels as a legacy of slavery, specifically a lasting legacy of slave patrols and slave codes implemented out of fear that enslaved people would self-emancipate and/or rebel.

Themes in this episode include:

• (History of) Government Policies Restricting Black Freedoms
• The Impact of Surveillance and Violent Control on Black Lives

Many parts of this episode include depictions of violence against Black people. There are clips, videos, and images depicting police violence, weaponry, and militarized response to protests. There are also clips from news reports with descriptions of violence that may be triggering to hear. We’ve marked these sections and included content warnings for teachers to review and consider. We also suggest having a classroom social-emotional learning protocol for engaging with hard histories and inviting students to think through how they can care for themselves when things are both important to know and difficult to listen to.

Some questions to consider before viewing:

1. What is a stereotype? How can stereotypes be harmful? What harmful stereotypes exist about people who share your identities or live in your community? What harmful stereotypes might people in your community hold about others?
2. Fear is a strong emotional response that can influence our actions and decisions and even the ways we interact with others. Some of our fears are connected to data, experience, and other evidence of danger around us, and some are tied to our own anxieties and assumptions that are removed from real threat. What tools can we use to distinguish between these two types of fear for ourselves? How can we better understand the fears of others?
3. Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe painful events. What can we do to take care of ourselves when something is both important to hear and difficult to listen to?

Viewing Guide

Some questions to consider after viewing: 

1. How has viewing this episode changed your understanding of the fears that lead to surveillance and control of Black Americans?
2. How are imagery and audio used to help with storytelling in this episode? How is the experience of viewing the docuseries similar or different to reading the text?
3. What additional research do you want to do about U.S. history after learning about the ways in which research can expand your understanding of a topic?

The 1619 Project is a Hulu documentary series expanding on  The 1619 Project initiative created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for The New York Times Magazine. The six-part series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. You can view the documentary series at hulu.com/series/the-1619-project. 

Episode 6: Justice

“Justice” examines the systemic causes of the lasting Racial Wealth Gap between Black and white Americans and presents solutions for how the harm caused by those unjust systems and policies can be repaired. It explores the case for reparations for Black Americans through historical analysis, presentation of relevant data, and the personal accounts of Black American families and communities.

Themes in this episode include:

• Historic Fights for Reparations
• Understanding The Racial Wealth Gap

Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe violence and painful events. We suggest having a classroom social-emotional learning protocol for engaging with hard histories and inviting students to think through how they can care for themselves when things are both important to know and difficult to listen to.

Some questions to consider before viewing:

1. What is reparation? Why do people expect a repair for harm? 
2. What is justice? How have you heard it defined? What is the relationship between justice and reparation?
3. Some of the history and personal stories told in this episode are hard to listen to because they describe painful events. What can we do to take care of ourselves when something is both important to hear and difficult to listen to?

Viewing Guide

Some questions to consider after viewing:

1. How has viewing this episode helped to expand your understanding of the racial wealth gap in America? How has it expanded your understanding of the argument for reparations for Black Americans? 
2. How are imagery and audio used to help with storytelling in this episode? How is the experience of viewing the docuseries similar or different to reading the text?
3. What additional research do you want to do about U.S. history after learning about the ways in which research can expand your understanding of a topic?