1619: And away we go!
Week 3: Thank you for a great first discussion. Now let’s read “Democracy.”
Thank you everyone for a great discussion on Saturday! It was wonderful to see you all. I must say: You are a dazzling, thoughtful group.
A summary: We said hi, I shared some slides, we discussed “Origins” in small groups, we reflected on our own, we celebrated one another, and Camille won Born on the Water. (Sorry, Toronzo; you were so close.)
Now it’s time to time to dive into Module 2. Here’s a sneak peek of our schedule.
This week, let’s read “Democracy,” by Nikole Hannah-Jones. This essay is a big and important one: It’s 30 pages long. It introduces the thesis of the book. It won the Pulitzer Prize. It spurred white backlash. It’s beautifully written.
I’m going to read it slowly. I hope you do, too!
This week
Read “Democracy,” by Nikole Hannah-Jones.
Recommended: What is one thing you learned? Please leave a comment.
Encouraged: Fill out this two-question survey about your experience on Saturday. It’ll help make March’s discussion even better.
Also, please feel free to reach out. All you need to do is hit reply. Let’s build on our momentum from Saturday and make this book club a deep and transformative one. Thank you and have a great week!
I’ll get things started! Here’s one thing I learned: Even though I’ve studied (and even taught!) Bacon’s Rebellion of 1676, now I can say that I know a little bit about it – specifically, how Virginia elites knew they could keep power if they convinced poor white workers of their racial superiority (by codifying it into law). It was even better for them to sell this as “freedom” and “liberty” and “democracy” (for white people) when really it was a slavocracy (19).
I learned so much more than I even thought I would. I would have to say that the new learning was around the intricacies of so many historical moments that were so simplified with a "white" focus. The beginnings of the American Revolution, the reality of the evolution Emancipation Proclamation, and so much more. I also have been circling on and reflecting on and digesting the quote, "No one cherishes freedom more than those who have not had it." Just in the last week of current events, this quote still reverberates.