In 2019, Nikole Hannah-Jones launched The 1619 Project, a pivotal initiative that reexamines American history through the lens of slavery. By putting the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Virginia in 1619 at the forefront, the project challenges the oversimplified and often romanticized narrative of American origins. It exposes how slavery has been a vital force in shaping the United States. This bold assertion has led to significant controversy resulting in the book

The struggle over what is taught in schools often reflects deeper societal conflicts about power, identity, and control. From the anti-literacy laws of the 1800s, which aimed to keep enslaved Black people from reading to today's debates over Critical Race Theory (CRT) and book bans, the fight for knowledge has always been connected to the fight for freedom.