As attempts to ignore, refute, or even remove African-Americans' contributions to the American record, we at "Black Book Talk" continue to affirm Black history and culture as expressed through our literature. To this end, we rebroadcast our November 2021 conversation with New York Times Best Selling author Renee Watson about The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, co-authored with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and 1619 Project originator Nikole Hannah-Jones.
In the Authors Note, Watson and Hannah-Jones state their intention to “show that Black Americans have their own proud origin story, one that does not begin in slavery, in struggle, and in strife but that bridges the gap between Africa and the United States of America. We begin this book with the rich cultures of West Africa and then weave the tale of how after the Middle Passage, Black Americans created a new people here on this land.”
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A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.
And the people planted dreams and hope,
willed themselves to keep
living, living.
And the people learned new words
for love
for friend
for family
for joy
for grow
for home.
With powerful verse and striking illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, Born on the Water provides a pathway for readers of all ages to reflect on the origins of American identity.
- KBOO