Jenna Hill
jh875318@ohio.edu
(Extra Credit)
Lucas Morel is the head professor of politics at Washington and Lee University. He has been in this position for more than 2 decades now. Dr. Morel has a wide variety of experience in leadership positions. He has held positions such as, those within the Abraham Lincoln Institute as well as the Library of Congress' historical exhibits.
In his presentation Morel focused on explaining how The 1619 Project was a missed opportunity for journalists, historians, and all citizens.
He believes the 1619 Project was insufficiently published by the New York Times writer Hannah-Jones in 2019. This article was published in 2019 to recognize the 400th year anniversary of the beginning of American Slavery.
When describing Hannah-Jones' publication Morel states, it "only supported one side" of history.
He explains that journalists, such as Hannah-Jones, fail to provide all historical transparency; in which historians would do no such thing.
The 1619 Project was aimed to give citizens a better understanding of our nation's history meanwhile, it further supported the lack of acknowledgement of the challenges black Americans face. It is imperative all of us Americans reflect on the heroism Lincoln showed by saving our nation from slavery.
The published article stands on the foundation stating America was born in 1619 when the first enslaved people arrived in Virginia. The article by author Hannah-Jones begins by stating our democracy's founding ideas were falsely written. The New York Times sets the tone and paints a picture when introducing the 1619 Project.
Lucas Morel again further supports his beliefs when stating "The 1619 is undeniably an American culture phenomenon."
Abraham Lincoln's efforts are explained in detail to help viewers understand the length Lincoln went to to advocate for Blacks in the United States.
Lincoln recognized minority groups alone could not win in a battle against the opposition without the help of others. History includes Lincoln's arguments stating African-Americans had the same rights as all; leading to his presidential decision of the Emancipation Proclamation.
I agree with the statement that the insufficient publication of the 1619 Project in 2019 fails to encourage citizens to resolve political issues peacefully. The article does not make understanding the rights of Black Americans any easier or help solve political or racial issues today. The article further polarizes the US rather than unite them.
Overall, I found Morel's presentation eye-opening. It is imperative for journalists to publish all sides of historical stories; thus being completely transparent.
Great take, Jenna. Your understanding of the subject matter shines through. It is important that journalists understand the history of the topics they are covering to avoid inaccuracies.
ReplyDeleteAshley
I really enjoyed your perspective, Jenna. You did a great job at explaining Morel's focus while also tying in broader information about the 1619 Project. And I think it is super important that our generation takes the extra steps to further educate people about all sides of history, not just what is socially known and taught in a classroom. Seems like this presentation was really interesting!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenna, I enjoyed reading your blog, you made some interesting points. However, I disagree that the 1619 project is polarizing. While learning about new perspectives can be jarring, the project is a necessary contribution to history. American history, particularly in schools, has always been written by predominately white men and excluded the contributions of Black and Brown Americas (and we never found a problem with this). Back then, Black people hardly ever received credit for their successes or had the opportunities to write about them. Much of what we know about their lives are lost.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I don't think Hannah-Jones set out to write a positive, peaceful story. Protecting white and conservative viewpoints was not on her agenda. America was founded on white supremacy and genocide, but now we have the chance to address the lasting consequences. If people believe the only takeaway from her essay is to hate white people and destroy America, they need to reread it.