The History Wars: The 1619 Project and Critical Race Theory
By now, it seems everyone has an opinion about The 1619 Project and critical race theory (CRT). Their claims have each been disputed by some historians and defended by others. They have been attacked by many conservatives and promoted by many liberals. Legislators in many states have even passed laws to ban them from school curriculums.
In this four-part course, we’ll talk candidly about what The 1619 Project and CRT actually say — and what they don’t. We will engage with the debates among leading scholars as to their claims and to their merits and get as close as we can to the subjects — like the American Revolution, the Constitution, Abraham Lincoln, and Reconstruction — around which so many of these debates have swirled.
Faculty Bio
Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home which was a finalist for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize.
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Member Praise for Richard Bell
What a wonderful class and brilliant instructor! I loved Rick’s style of presentation = intense and dramatic. I’m so impressed with my fellow OLLIians = smart, informed, engaged. Everything worked for me.
Amazing content. Amazing delivery.
After the first ten minutes of the first class, I turned to my husband, who had also signed up for the class, and said, "He is terrific!"
Faculty Interview
- Read an interview with Richard Bell from our archive.