What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe 1619 Project
Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman and Jake Silverstein · Book
If you loved The 1619 Project, start with The Realignment (The Realignment, 2026) — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 3 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The 1619 Project across media.
What hooked you in The 1619 Project is the way it forces you to confront the uncomfortable, hidden foundations of American history.
Films on the same thread
BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee · Film · 2018
Shares a thread with The 1619 Project: Systemic Racism.
Like The 1619 Project, this film exposes the deep-seated legacy of systemic racism by using an undercover operation to reveal the persistent and dangerous influence of white supremacy.
12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen · Film · 2013
Explores: Injustice, Survival, Loss of Freedom.
This film provides a visceral, unfiltered look at the institution of slavery, matching the unflinching historical examination found throughout the essays in The 1619 Project.
The Help
Film · 2011
Explores: Racial Injustice, Female Empowerment, Civil Rights.
This story offers a localized perspective on the racial injustices and social hierarchies that The 1619 Project explores on a national, systemic scale through the eyes of domestic workers.
Judas and the Black Messiah
Shaka King · Film · 2021
Shares a thread with The 1619 Project: social justice.
The 1619 Project highlights how power structures suppress dissent, a theme mirrored here in the FBI's calculated effort to dismantle the Black Power movement and silence Fred Hampton.
Series on the same thread
Reconstruction: America After the Civil War
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. · Series · 2019
Explores: Racial Justice, Democracy and Governance, Systemic Inequality.
This docuseries serves as a perfect companion to The 1619 Project by detailing the specific, turbulent era where the promise of democracy first clashed with entrenched systemic inequality.
The Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with The 1619 Project: Systemic racism.
By reimagining the Underground Railroad as a literal network, this narrative echoes the way The 1619 Project centers the Black experience to reclaim and define American historical reality.
The U.S. and the Holocaust
Ken Burns · Series · 2022
Shares 2 threads with The 1619 Project: American History, Historical Revisionism.
Much like The 1619 Project, this documentary series challenges national myths by examining how American policies and societal attitudes intersected with global atrocities during the twentieth century.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Realignment
The Realignment · Podcast · 2026
Explores: institutional change, populism, technological disruption.
This podcast aligns with the mission of The 1619 Project by dissecting how shifting institutional power and political realignment fundamentally change the trajectory of the modern American experience.
Slow Burn
Slate Podcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Political scandal, Archival research, Cultural impact.
If you valued the archival research in The 1619 Project, this series provides a similar deep dive into the hidden, consequential moments that shape our current national understanding.
Keep exploring
Common questions
How long is the audiobook version of The 1619 Project?
The unabridged audiobook version of The 1619 Project is 18 hours and 57 minutes long. This recording features narration by Nikole Hannah-Jones alongside a full cast of contributors.
Who narrates the audiobook of The 1619 Project?
The 1619 Project is read by Nikole Hannah-Jones and a full cast. The audiobook captures the essays adapted and expanded from The New York Times Magazine, exploring America's entanglement with slavery and its legacy.
What is the primary focus of The 1619 Project?
The 1619 Project examines America's historical entanglement with slavery and its ongoing legacy. The content consists of essays that were originally adapted and expanded from The New York Times Magazine.
Is The 1619 Project available as an unabridged audiobook?
Yes, The 1619 Project is available as an unabridged audiobook. The production runs for 18 hours and 57 minutes and features narration by Nikole Hannah-Jones and a full cast.