In August, The New York Times Magazine dedicated an entire issue to exploring the history of slavery and mapping the ways in which it has touched nearly every aspect of contemporary life in the U.S. To reflect upon this, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Black Studies Program and the Office of the Provost are presenting “1619 Commemoration” at noon each of the following days, Monday, Sept. 30-Thursday, Oct. 3 with programs in the Morris University Center (MUC) and Lovejoy Library.
In August 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived at a coastal port in the British colony of Virginia. The people on board were sold to colonists, marking the beginning of a more than two-century-long institution that would radically alter and continue to form the identity of a young nation. August 2019 was the 400th anniversary of that ship’s arrival.
The programs are:
Monday, Sept. 30 – Morris University Center / Goshen Lounge
Anthony Cheeseboro, PhD, associate professor of historical studies in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), is the keynote speaker presenting “The Most Important Event in History with No Date.” The Spirit of Angela African Dance Ensemble will perform.
Tuesday, Oct. 1 – Lovejoy Library / Friend’s Corner
Bryan Jack, PhD, associate professor of historical studies in CAS, will moderate a panel on Faculty Perspectives on 1619.
Wednesday, Oct. 2 – Lovejoy Library / Redmond Reading Room
The Black Studies Student Advisory Board will present “How You Comin’?” – a conversation about the New York Times 1619 Project. Opening performance by SIUE Black Theatre Workshop.
Thursday, Oct. 3 – MUC / Goshen Lounge
“What Does Freedom Mean to YOU?” – a 24-hour social media conversation and an interactive art display.
The 1619 Project began as an idea pitched by Nikole Hannah-Jones, one of the magazine’s staff writers. Her proposal was clear and ambitious: to dedicate an issue to examining the ways the legacy of slavery continues to shape our country.