Hulu is producing a documentary series based on “The 1619 Project,” a New York Times report that examines slavery’s legacy in the U.S. since the first ship arrived with African slaves in the United States. The Academy-winning director Roger Ross Williams will be overseeing the series for his short movie, Music by Prudence. The announcement follows a deal that the New York Times, Lionsgate, and Oprah Winfrey revealed last summer to create “The 1619 Project” in films, TV shows, and other content.
All three will also produce together with the series with Geoff Martz, Williams’ partner. The award-winning New York Times Pulitzer series of stories was drawn up by Nikole Hannah-Jones and began to appear in the then British colony of Virginia on the 400th anniversary of the ship’s arrival.
“This series is a necessary rethink of American history’s ‘The 1619 Project,'” Williams said. “Without recognizing systemic racism and the contribution of African Americans, we can understand our most cherished ideals and achievements. This isn’t about the past, and Black people keep fighting the legacy and incarnation of racism.”
When a documentary series is published, the streaming service did not indicate it on its channel. The much-misrepresented “1619 Project” of the New York Times comes to (small) you. The docuseries will make their streaming debut on Hulu “as part of Lionsgate’s BIPOC Creator as Initiative’s BIPOC Content distribution agreement,” stated on Thursday.
“‘Project 1619’ is a key reframing of American history. Without recognition of both systemic racism and the contributions of Black Americans, our most esteemed ideals and achievements cannot be understood. And it’s not just the past — the Black people are still fighting both the heritage and the present incarnation of this racism, “Williams said. Williams continued that “I am thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to translate the incredibly important ‘Project 1619’ into a documentary series with The New York Times, Lionsgate Television, Harpo Films, and Hulu.”
“I can’t ask a more talented and enthusiastic storyteller than Roger Ross Williams to entrust “The 1619 project”. “I long admired his film making, its impact and authenticity, and the fact that he works with Disney and Hulu is aligned with a vision of our partnerships to bring this project to the global public with the greatest Black historians in the world.”
The aim of 2019, intended to mark the 400th year of the first slaves arriving in colonial Virginia in Africa, is to ‘construct the nation’s history through placed at the heart of this national narrative the consequences of slavery and the contributions made by Black Americans.’
This is one of the most diabolistic and autodestructive ideas I’ve ever heard about, “Robert Woodson, the icon of civil rights, said in response to the piece.” However, the project caused a strong blow from historians to pursue, among other inaccuracies, a misleading narrative on the role of slavery in the American Revolution. Even one of Hannah-Jones’ colleagues in New York criticized the series.
