Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones

17 reviews

kurtwombat's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

 
This staggering work seeks to reset our understanding of slavery and its lingering aftermath—to take our limited view of history and expand it dramatically—like an empty balloon suddenly filled. It does so with a collection of essays that approach our American history and our American present from many different angles—political, economic, geographic, psychological, sociological etc. The essays are bridged by recollections and poetry and short fiction that act as palate cleansers before the plunge into the next demanding chapter.  I listened to the 18+ hour audiobook and enjoyed the different voices—especially when the bridges were performed. The spoken narration drew me out of myself and I believe I was more receptive to the information. The bridges reaffirmed what the chapters had to say or prefaced what was to come.  The essays themselves vary in quality and impact but as a collection 1619 packs quite a wallop—alternately inspiring outrage and sadness but always inspiring. I understand the desire to add this to school curriculums—and even to create entire courses around it (I think in some form or another it should be in every school until our educational system improves enough to grow beyond it)—but I would encourage close monitoring for younger readers. Some of this material, making up the fabric of our nation, covers the worst of what humanity is capable—horrific  brutality the thread of which still runs through today.  Indeed much of the impact comes from blending the intimate with the big picture—looking into the eyes of history. I see this book as kind of a solution guide. I knew there was a puzzle and I could see some of the pieces and suspected there were others but I had no idea how many or how they all fit together. If you doubt the need for such a book, take a look at a few of the one star reviews—filled with the kind of negative passion born of ignorance and fear. 

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frawst_disasta_reads's review

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

I did find parts of this book dragged when I already knew something.  While I enjoyed how the book was laud out, I think I found it jarring on occasion.

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chillinmcvillian's review against another edition

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This book was really heavy and effecting me in a way where I felt hopeless. The information is sad and I started wondering, how can we benefit from this information when all odds are against us. I would read again in the future but I wasn’t in the right space to read it.

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chelscola's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0


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tlaynejones's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0


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readandfindout's review against another edition

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challenging informative medium-paced

4.5

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Perspective: 4.5 stars

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novelteareader's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0


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xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5


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meganpbennett's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

Started as a special edition in the the New York Times to commemorate the 400 year anniversary of the first African captives sold against their will as chattel slaves in Virginia, the 1619 Projects aims to be the framework for critical race theory, which looks at American history and adds back in the truths previously deemed unnecessary and to remove various beliefs about slavery. It's a devastating and necessary read. 

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andsoitgoes's review against another edition

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5.0

This is an excellent history of America. It's content and frame of reference are unique in the historical literature and it expertly fills a long-timeline black history void that has been missing from the core reading cannon for upper high school / lower college. If you are a history teacher looking for a sub section, or someone who doesn't want to read all in one go, each chapter is self contained and covers a timeframe from 1619 to modern day. The chapters are by topic. I recommend Race, Sugar, Citizenship, and Justice if you are looking for topics not often covered elsewhere.

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