The
1619 Project's lyrical
picture book in verse chronicles the consequences of slavery and the
history of Black resistance in the United States, thoughtfully
rendered by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and
Newbery honor-winning author Renée Watson.
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.