The 1619 Project, which explores the timeline of American slavery , from its early days to its lasting effects though print essays, poetry, and photo essays, has been lauded since its publication last August. Hannah-Jones even won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her work. While some of its individual claims have been challenged by historians, overall it presents a necessary picture of our country as being rooted in slavery and the brutalization of Black Americans. The fact that Cotton has been bending over backwards to discredit her work and stifle the opportunity teachers have to educate students about the very real origins of the U.S. speaks volumes to his character. That character has been rightfully questioned as racist in the very recent past, thanks to Cotton’s New York Times op-ed calling for the military to take action against anti-police violence protesters and comparing Portland protesters to members of the Confederate Army.