declare their independence from Britain was because they wanted to protect the institution of slavery.” It is commonly accepted that revolution ignited mainly because England was becoming increasingly more controlling and restrictive, abandoning their previous model of salutary neglect. History professor at Northwestern University, Leslie M. Harris helped fact-check for the 1619 Project. She said, “Despite my advice, the Times published the incorrect statement about the American Revolution anyway… Th e United States was not, in fact, founded to protect slavery — but the Times is right that slavery was central to its story.” Th e New York Times wrote an “ Th ese errors, which concern major events, cannot be described as interpretation or ‘framing.’ Th ey are matters of verifi able fact, which are the foundation of both honest scholarship and honest journalism. but not all, after the feedback from historians. Th e second criticism concerns the magazine’s depiction of Abraham Lincoln as an enemy to African American equality, despite issuing the Emancipation Proclamation as an executive order. Th e project claims, “Anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of this country, as does the belief, so well articulated by Lincoln, that black people are the obstacle to national unity.” Th e letter writes that the 1619 Project “ignores [Lincoln’s] conviction that the Declaration of Independence proclaimed universal equality, for blacks as well as whites, a view he upheld repeatedly against powerful white supremacists who opposed him.” the assertion that African Americans have largely fought alone in their battle for freedom and equality. ***** Th roughout the rest of the ” article to clarify that abolition was a fear of some revolution supporters, project, the articles examine a wide range of topics including healthcare, music, sugar, and the criminal justice system. For example, one article explores how the construction of highways after World War II purposely divided white and black communities, reinforcing residential segregation, a direct cause of the congested roadways that plague 27 America’s metropolises today. Th e same is true for our community, as Highway 101 was constructed to divide East Menlo Park and East Palo Alto from the rest of the Menlo Park and Palo Alto. Some of these articles faced criticism, but most backlash was directed at Hannah-Jones’ introductory article. In addition to the alleged factual inaccuracies, many saw Hannah-Jones’ writing style as a problem for responsible discussions “ Th e fi nal criticism was against Th e project claims, “Anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of this country, as does the belief, so well articulated by Lincoln, that black people are the obstacle to national unity.” of history. For example, King’s Cross University history professor Tom Mackaman, in a 2019 lecture, criticized the 1619 Project for its “anti-historical metaphors,” calling the project “dangerous politics, and very bad history.” Th ese metaphors refer to biological determinism, “that racism is printed in a ‘national DNA,’” and religion, “that slavery is ”
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