Oprah Winfrey to Adapt ‘1619 Project’ for Film and TV

Oprah Winfrey Attends 'A Wrinkle In Time' film premiere in London, UK - 13 Mar 2018. (Credit: Shutterstock)

The landmark New York Times “1619 Project” is heading to television and film.

Oprah Winfrey is partnering with Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist and creator of “The 1619 Project,” Nikole Hannah-Jones, to adapt “1619” into films, documentaries, and TV series that examine the legacy of slavery.

“The 1619 Project” is an ongoing project that was launched in August 2019 in the New York Times Magazine to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to Virginia. The project examines how the impact of slavery shaped and continues to impact all aspects of American society.

Related Story: Black Father Tells Oprah He Created ‘The Dad Gang’ to Change Views on Black Fatherhood

“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,” Hannah-Jones said in a statement to The Root. “Through every step of the process, Lionsgate and its leadership have shown themselves to be that partner and it is a dream to be able to produce this work with Ms. Oprah Winfrey, a trailblazer and beacon to so many Black journalists.”

Winfrey and Hannah-Jones will serve as producers of the adaption and will work alongside Lionsgate to develop a multi-media history of slavery inspired by the reporting.

“From the first moment I read “The 1619 Project” and immersed myself in Hannah-Jones’s transformative work, I was moved, deepened and strengthened by her empowering historical analysis,” Winfrey said in her own statement. “I am honored to be a part of Nikole’s vision to bring this project to a global audience.”

Additionally, “The 1619 Project” is being adapted into a series of books.