Hulu is making a documentary series dependent on The 1619 Project, a New York Times series that investigated the history of slavery in the United States and its suffering effect on American life. Roger Ross Williams, who was the first African American director to win an Oscar, will create the docuseries and direct the first episode. Peabody Award-winning writer and producer Shoshana Guy will go about as showrunner.
Nikole Hannah-Jones, the project’s maker and a New York Times author, won a Pulitzer Prize for her introductory essay in the series. The 1619 Project started publication in August 2019 and it included articles, poems, fiction, live events and a podcast. It denoted the 400th anniversary of the first ships carrying oppressed Africans showing up in what might become the United States.
“The 1619 Project is an essential reframing of American history,” Williams said in a statement. “Our most cherished ideals and achievements cannot be understood without acknowledging both systemic racism and the contributions of Black Americans. And this isn’t just about the past — Black people are still fighting against both the legacy of this racism and its current incarnation.”
The Times collaborated with Lionsgate and Oprah Winfrey a year ago to make films, TV shows and different ventures dependent on The 1619 Project. It’s not yet clear when Hulu’s docuseries will debut.