Hulu's 'The 1619 Project' docuseries examines black American history in a new light

Image source: Hulu, YouTube user

The New York Times' long-running journalism initiative "The 1619 Project" is being turned into a new docuseries for Hulu. The streamer released the first trailer for the new series on January 4 and explains: "The greatest story ever told. From journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Pulitzer Prize-winning Onyx Collective comes 'The 1619 Project.' , a documentary series that explores the legacy of slavery in modern America."

"The 1619 Project" was first a 2019 issue of The New York Times Magazine that featured 10 written essays, a photo essay and several fictions. The work was published in part to commemorate the arrival of the first enslaved Americans in what was then the Colony of Virginia 400 years prior. The project aims to place black Americans at the center of US history and to challenge the history of slavery, which spanned the Revolutionary War and Civil War into modern times. The essays also led to a 2021 program, podcast, and anthology of essays titled "The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story." The project became the target of Republican lawmakers who used it to raise concerns that critical race theory was taught in schools.

The new docuseries is hosted by Hannah-Jones, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her work on the original project. She is also an executive producer alongside Oprah Winfrey, showrunner Shoshana Guy (who also directed one episode), Roger Ross Williams (who directed two episodes), Kathleen Lingo and Caitlin Roper. Each episode develops one of the essays from the original project.

Ahead, watch the first trailer for "The 1619 Project".

Trailer "The 1619 Project" [embedded content] Release date of "The 1619 Project"

“The 1619 Project” debuts on Hulu on January 26.

Titles of episodes "The 1619 Project"

The six episodes, in order, are titled "Democracy", "Race", "Capitalism", "Music", "Fear", and "Justice".