The 1619 Project: Born on the Water
Ratings36
Average rating4.4
The 1619 Project’s lyrical picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson. A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived. And the people planted dreams and hope, willed themselves to keep living, living. And the people learned new words for love for friend for family for joy for grow for home. With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
I've been waiting a while to get to this book and it lived up to all my expectations. I also listened to the audiobook and the full cast made this an excellent experience. It is informative, thought provoking and even difficult to read at times but definitely one that's worth a read. I also feel this is a great companion to last year's release Four Hundred Souls which was equally compelling in its telling of Black history.
I guess it's the end of the year, so I feel tired and not enough words are coming out of me to write this review. But just know that I feel this is a good addition to any tbr, and will probably be particularly helpful to those who are just beginning to know American history.
This book is a collection of essays that discuss the ways in which the first kidnapped people were brought over from Africa in 1619 has effected history and current day life in the US.
This project and this book are masterfully assembled. This information is incredibly important for Americans to know, and should be taught in schools. So much of our history has been presented to US schoolchildren in a gilded cage. However, we should all be taught this very real history.
Some of the most impactful moments in this book were the poems and short essays from actual enslaved people. It really showed the inhumanity that they had to endure.
I implore you to read this book.
A girl is assigned a project to trace her family's roots, but she is sad to realize she does not know her family's roots. But her Grandma does, and she tells the story of a proud and happy clan in the Kingdom of Ndongo. Grandma reveals the rich culture of the people of Ndongo, and then she explains how the people were stolen from their land, taken from their land and their culture, and enslaved in a new place. She shows how the people were determined to create a new home, to make new lives for themselves in the strange new place.
The girl has a new understanding of her people and her place in the world from the stories she hears from her grandmother.
