BY AMIRA TURNER
Just a few steps from Grand Army Plaza’s Soldiers and Sailors Arch that commemorates Civil War soldiers, Brooklyn’s Central Library is home to a new exhibit that asks viewers to reexamine the ways they think of the Civil War and U.S. history.
On October 22, the Library hosted an opening for The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience. The public art exhibit is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’ work with The New York Times to reframe U.S. history in the context of the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans, harkening back to 1619, the year African slaves were first transported to North America. The exhibit is being introduced to celebrate the release of an illustrated edition of The 1619 Project book.
Around 300 attendees filtered into the central lobby of the library to get a first look at the exhibit, and to hear author and exhibit curator Hannah-Jones in conversation with the director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem Thelma Golden. The hour-long talk included a discussion of Hannah-Jones’s choice to include graphic images of Black resistance, “We have to show the violence we were subjected to at all times, and yet we existed,” she said. “And even though we didn’t have an army, Black men and women were subjugated to fighting and conflict.”
Hannah-Jones also commented on the significance of her work highlighting the struggle of Black Americans as it pertains to the upcoming election, “The experiences of African American art, photography and writing show struggle as much as freedom. As our democratic freedoms go on the line, you go on the line. All you have to do is commit, and remember that if we follow black folks, we keep our freedoms.”
The 1619 Project itself has been at the center of many conversations surrounding freedom of speech. Notably, it came under fire in 2021 when Florida’s Board of Education banned it as a part of Governor Ron DeSantis’ stance against Critical Race Theory. The 1619 Project has also been featured in Brooklyn Public Library’s 2023 “Books Unbanned” list of recommended texts, frequently challenged across the country.
The exhibit’s location in the Central Brooklyn Library was chosen intentionally to draw in diverse crowds from all over the borough. Curator Thelma Golden said, “I think it’s so important to have an exhibition like this in a library because it will allow many, many people to see this art and engage with this art.”
The talk was followed by a short book signing for attendees, who were invited to purchase the book at the event. While in line for the signing, attendee Little Wing Lee remarked on the racial and age diversity of the turn-out. “It brings together community. Just to see this huge group of beautiful black people together, and then just to experience the art in this public open space is really important for older folks, middle-aged folks like myself, and younger people.”
Accessibility to Black art was a main draw for many attendees, including Brooklyn resident Olivia Bathea, “This is one of the few events I’ve come across in Brooklyn that is celebrating African American culture and the diaspora,” she shared. “That really caught my eye as an African American. As the author said in her talk, [the exhibit is] about showcasing how African Americans have been resilient in how they fought back and how they’re also joyous.”
The exhibit features artwork from the book by 10 different Black artists that covers topics of the Black struggle in America. The works cover a variety of topics from the history of police brutality to reparations, each providing a colorful insight into Black American history.
The exhibit is open to the public and will be on display on the first floor of the Center Library through November 24.