Joining with Pulitzer Prize®-Winning Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times, media entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey and global content leader Lionsgate have partnered to produce a multi-media history of slavery’s impact on America. The media collaborators intend to draw upon world-class talent in their adaption of the 1619 Project that will be seen across a range of studio platforms to reach a global audience.
The 1619 Project is considered a landmark issue of The New York Times Magazine done by a Ms. Hannah-Jones that became a hit New York Times podcast and now will be transformed into an expansive portfolio of films, television series and other content. The Project was launched in August 2019 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans to arrive in the English colonies that would later become the United States. It examined the legacy of slavery and depicts how it shaped all aspects of society, including the principles of American democracy.
Ms. Winfrey’s role as a producer will provide stewardship to its development and production which is a continuation of her prior projects that have focused on Black history and the Black experience in America. Her previous efforts include: “Tuesdays with Morrie, the Emmy-nominated “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”; “Beloved” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Toni Morrison, among others.
“From the first moment I read The 1619 Project and immersed myself in Nikole Hannah-Jones’s transformative work, I was moved, deepened and strengthened by her empowering historical analysis,” said Ms. Winfrey.
Ms. Hannah-Jones is viewed as one of the nation’s foremost investigative journalists and will serve as the creative leader and producer, enlisting Black creative voices to adapt her celebrated series.
“We took very seriously our duty to find TV and film partners that would respect and honor the work and mission of The 1619 Project, that understood our vision and deep moral obligation to doing justice to these stories,” said Ms. Hannah-Jones. “I am excited for this opportunity to extend the breadth and reach of The 1619 Project and to introduce these stories of Black resistance and resilience to even more American households.”
The Project’s focus on the origins of slavery in America, its lasting impact on American society and the brutality of racism that still endures is seen an awakening that may make people uncomfortable.
“The truths she uncovers are painful and disturbing, but we are better for it because her crowning accomplishment in shining a spotlight on the previously untold contributions of Black Americans delivers a powerful message of empowerment and inclusion,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Joe Drake and Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs.
