The Politicization of The 1619 Project—The Necessity for Transformative Curricula in Social Studies

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Rochester, A. (2023). The Politicization of The 1619 Project—The Necessity for Transformative Curricula in Social Studies. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

In August 2019, The New York Times published what was said to be a "controversial" journalistic take on African American and American history. Written by Nikole Hannah-Jones, an awardee of the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Genius Award, and her fellow journalists at The New York Times, The 1619 Project was intentionally published on the 400th anniversary of the arrival in Virginia of the first ships arriving in Virginia with enslaved Africans aboard (The New York Times, 2019). Although it has become one center of the United States political debate and rhetoric, the intent of The 1619 Project was not to further politicize the United States educational system. Rather, the intention was to present a compelling counternarrative to American history, but more importantly, African American history (The New York Times, 2019). However, because education within the United States is a politicized system, the work of Nikole Hannah-Jones and her colleagues has magnified the growing disconnect between a history of honest racial representation and its alignment with formal curriculum, standards, and education policy. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how the formal social studies curriculum can become politicized by political actors and media. The New York Times’s The 1619 Project serves as a contemporary illustration of these dynamics. Through a multi-method approach using archival data and the Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Ta-Nehisi Coates and Nikole Hannah-Jones, the intent and media influence of The 1619 Project was examined situating the study within the theoretical frame of critical policy analysis using grounded theory methods to be analyzed through BlackCrit (Birk & Mills, 2015; Charmaz, 1996; Diem et al., 2014; Dumas & ross, 2016; King, 2018; Young & Diem, 2018). Based on the themes developed the intent of The 1619 Project was to center American history around the history and experiences of African Americans. Additionally, The 1619 Project became politicized because it openly questions whether liberties are intentionally denied to African Americans.

Details
Author

Rochester, Antoinette

Title

The Politicization of The 1619 Project—The Necessity for Transformative Curricula in Social Studies

Physical Description

1 online resource (297 pages) : PDF

Date

2023

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

In August 2019, The New York Times published what was said to be a "controversial" journalistic take on African American and American history. Written by Nikole Hannah-Jones, an awardee of the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Genius Award, and her fellow journalists at The New York Times, The 1619 Project was intentionally published on the 400th anniversary of the arrival in Virginia of the first ships arriving in Virginia with enslaved Africans aboard (The New York Times, 2019). Although it has become one center of the United States political debate and rhetoric, the intent of The 1619 Project was not to further politicize the United States educational system. Rather, the intention was to present a compelling counternarrative to American history, but more importantly, African American history (The New York Times, 2019). However, because education within the United States is a politicized system, the work of Nikole Hannah-Jones and her colleagues has magnified the growing disconnect between a history of honest racial representation and its alignment with formal curriculum, standards, and education policy. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how the formal social studies curriculum can become politicized by political actors and media. The New York Times’s The 1619 Project serves as a contemporary illustration of these dynamics. Through a multi-method approach using archival data and the Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Ta-Nehisi Coates and Nikole Hannah-Jones, the intent and media influence of The 1619 Project was examined situating the study within the theoretical frame of critical policy analysis using grounded theory methods to be analyzed through BlackCrit (Birk & Mills, 2015; Charmaz, 1996; Diem et al., 2014; Dumas & ross, 2016; King, 2018; Young & Diem, 2018). Based on the themes developed the intent of The 1619 Project was to center American history around the history and experiences of African Americans. Additionally, The 1619 Project became politicized because it openly questions whether liberties are intentionally denied to African Americans.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education

Degree

D.Ed.

Keywords

African American
Education
Nikole hannah-Jones
Political Affiliation
Social Studies
The 1619 Project

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Heafner, Tina

Committee Members

Mickelson, Roslyn
Rock, Tracy
Butler, Bettie Ray
Cox, Kyle

Degree Note

Thesis (D.Ed.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2023.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Rochester_uncc_0694D_13433

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:3197