'The 1619 Project': Nikole Hannah-Jones on confronting the truth about slavery

In a special new issue, the New York Times magazine is launching a series called "The 1619 Project." It marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the colony of Virginia. The series examines the ways the legacy of slavery continues to shape America and "aims to reframe American history" to place "the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are." The journalist behind the project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the project and why she hopes it will help Americans confront the truth about our own history.

Each weekday morning, "CBS This Morning" co-hosts Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil deliver two hours of original reporting, breaking news and top-level newsmaker interviews in an engaging and informative format that challenges the norm in network morning news programs. The broadcast has earned a prestigious Peabody Award, a Polk Award, four News & Documentary Emmys, three Daytime Emmys and the 2017 Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast. The broadcast was also honored with an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award as part of CBS News division-wide coverage of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Check local listings for "CBS This Morning" broadcast times.

[blackjay]

"We have a great dream. It started way back in 1776, and God grant that America will be true to her dream". - Martin Luther King, Jr.

[aintgotnoname]

"REFRAME" our country's history. That says it all

[jordannelson]

I'm black, and even I'm disappointed by this

[mslisadianemorse]

The problem with this woman is that she truly believes her own lies.

[extendedfilmproject]

The "likes" and "dislikes" prove how divided this country is!

[charmainepark]

LIES LIES LIES DO your own RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN AND PROVE ME WRONG

[robertpanella]

This inspires me to start my own project :200, 000 BCE. The history of humankind is full of slaves and racism. Humanity was found on this basis and has been a institution of slavery!

[oceanbabin]

What a load of crap. This is so ridiculous.

[ProDeo]

If there’s anything that the 1619 project can tell you, it’s that the Pulitzer Prize is no longer worth the paper it’s printed on.

[MS-insl]

Here’s the truth they don’t want you to confront: "Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."

[mguanga]

Seriously?! It is AMERICAN History! Not just Black History!

[malcolmn.]

The truth is, we as black people can't let racism or slavery go, because then we have no more excuses

[robertholmes]

Nikole Hannah Jones is a historian like Charles Ponzi was an investment banker.

[Trilltracks]

“Millions of black people cant get insurance because of slavery” I’m done 😂

[VTnumb]

The 1619 project was canned by many ivy league historians. It's trash.

[jcrispy]

After the change, Hannah-Jones tweeted, “In attempting to summarize and streamline, journalists can sometimes lose important context and nuance. I did that here.” No, you rewrote American history — and it's happened over and over

[bamainatlanta]

This is all so tiresome. Cotton only provided about 5 to 7% of the nations GDP which is not insignificant but it does not approach anything like wihat this project claims it dead

[RocketeerAndRoll]

Thomas Jefferson freed all his slaves, so why not mention this as well?

[TH-fwzb]

Narcissism to the highest degree: "You know your entire history, it was actually about me".

[smb]

Does it ever end? In the 400 years since 1619 Poland has been conquered numerous times, Korea has been destroyed, every nation in Europe was devastated in repeated wars, Africa was colonized and engaged in bloody conflicts, Millions perished under Marxism and fascism, Armenians were slaughtered as were Jews, s America was colonized as was Asia, tens of millions of Hindus were massacred by Muslims, over 100 million Chinese died in wars..

I could go on but the difference is that every group carried on without constantly referring to these ancient events. They didn’t keep blaming their plight on old tragedies.