The 1619 Project
by Nikole Hannah-Jones
Censorship Status
Banned in Various US schools
Reason: Reframing American history, slavery and racism focus
A project reframing American history around the consequences of slavery.
Why The 1619 Project Was Banned
Censorship Concerns
This book was banned for challenging established norms and authority.
Specifically, The 1619 Project was targeted for: Reframing American history, slavery and racism focus. The book's themes and content were deemed threatening to the social, political, or religious order in Various US schools.
Why Read The 1619 Project Today?
- ✓ Historical Significance: Understand why this book was considered dangerous enough to ban.
- ✓ Intellectual Freedom: Support the right to read diverse perspectives and challenging ideas.
- ✓ Critical Thinking: Engage with ideas that authorities didn't want people to consider.
- ✓ Cultural Understanding: Gain insight into the fears and concerns of different societies and eras.
Other Banned Books You Might Like
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
This Pulitzer Prize winner has been removed from required reading lists by progressive school districts in California, Minnesota, and Mississippi. Left-leaning educators argue that despite its anti-racist message, the book centers white characters in Black stories and its frequent use of the N-word can be harmful to Black students. Unlike Republican bans, these removals come from a desire to de-center whiteness in discussions of racism.
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck's Depression-era classic has been removed from multiple progressive school districts including in California and Washington for its use of racial slurs and problematic depictions of Black characters. Progressive educators argue that while historically important, the book's language can cause harm to students of color and its portrayal of disability is outdated.
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
A Pulitzer Prize winner that confronts America's original sin—and makes people so uncomfortable they'd rather ban it than face the truth. Through the innocent eyes of Scout Finch, Harper Lee exposes the brutal reality of racism in the Jim Crow South, showing how prejudice destroys both the oppressed and the oppressor. The book doesn't shy away from the ugly language of its era, which is exactly why some want it silenced. But sanitizing history doesn't change it—it ensures we'll repeat it. Every attempt to ban this book proves its central point: that fear of uncomfortable truths reveals more about the censors than the censored.
Don't Let This Story Be Silenced
Support intellectual freedom by reading the books that challenged the powerful. Get your copy of The 1619 Project today and discover why it's still being banned.
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