Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to slavery, physical and sexual abuse, murder, and anti-Black racism.

The title of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story comes from an experience by Nikole Hannah-Jones, who first read the date in a book describing the arrival of a ship called the White Lion to American shores, carrying enslaved Africans. Hannah-Jones was struck by this date, because it predated the signing of the Declaration of Independence, widely regarded as the birth of the United States. This date—1619—presented Hannah-Jones with a new understanding of American history: that slavery in America predated the country’s birth and is, therefore, interwoven into the fiber of its identity. Each essay in the book connects historical events and figures with contemporary issues, revealing how modern life is informed and shaped by slavery’s pervasive impact.

The authors outline numerous ways in which slavery connects to historical events and contemporary issues. For example, in Chapter 12, Villarosa explains that America is the only wealthy country in the world that does not offer universal healthcare. The reason for this is rooted in American slavery. After the Civil War, the National Medical Association, an advocacy group consisting of Black doctors, began supporting a universal healthcare system that would benefit all citizens.