The history of the United States is littered with injustices. What should patriotism look like when our country does wrong? And how can we be patriotic, in spite of injustices? Can we hope for better? Nikole Hannah-Jones joins host Alex Lovit to talk about America’s history, our country’s truest historical heroes, and how we can push for a more inclusive democracy in the future.
Nikole Hannah-Jones is the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism and the founder of the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University. As a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, she created The 1619 Project, a collection of essays reflecting on 1619, the year that the first enslaved Africans landed in Virginia. Her own introductory essay won the Pulitzer Prize, and the project has been adapted into other forms, including a book and a docuseries.
This is the third and final episode in our series, “Democracy, Under Construction,” which commemorates America’s 250th anniversary by focusing on the moments when our country became a more inclusive democracy and celebrating the historical figures who pushed the country to live up to its ideals.
Do you ever watch the news and wonder, “How did we get here?” Or think to yourself, “Things are bad . . . What can I do?”
The Context is here to help. Our show breaks down the ideas, history, and trends that are shaping democracy. And you don’t need to be an expert to follow along. Every other Tuesday, host Alex Lovit talks about timely topics with big-picture thinkers and hands-on practitioners, like activists, writers, historians, and community leaders.
The topics are heavy, but we try to have fun along the way. To build the future we want, we’ll need knowledge—but also camaraderie and joy.
We hope you’ll join us.