The 1776 Project is an effort by African American historians, academics, and advocates to address alleged historical inaccuracies of the 1619 Project, which was created by The New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. 1776 Unites is supported by the Robert Woodson Center. Some of the high-profile academics involved include Carol M. Swain, Glenn Loury, Jason D. Hill, Wilfred Reilly, Shelby Steele, John McWhorter, and John Sibley Butler. Other contributors include journalists Coleman Hughes and Clarence Page. In addition to material on U.S. history and historical controversies, 1776 also seeks to promote what it considers to be founding American values like entrepreneurship, self-determination, and mutual social support. Many contributors to 1776 promote current and historical examples of prosperous black communities as “a powerful refutation of the claim that the destiny of black Americans is determined by what whites do, or what they have done in the past.” 1776 also promotes the work and thought of entrepreneurs, philanthropists, business and community leaders, and others it considers “achievers,” hoping to illustrate the opportunities for success that are open to African Americans today, their contributions to national economic and cultural life, and their stake in U.S. life and history.
Robert Woodson said his central motivation in founding 1776 Unites was to counter the "lethal" narratives he claimed were embedded in the 1619 Project; he called the 1619 Project's thesis “one of the most diabolical, self-destructive ideas that I’ve ever heard", and that the assumptions behind the 1619 Project are actually a form of "white supremacy". In addition to critiquing arguments that place slavery at the center of America’s origins, 1776 also publicizes the historical achievements of African American individuals and communities, including those who had been “in slavery but not of slavery” and became successful business leaders after emancipation. 1776 Unites was publicly launched in a kickoff event at the National Press Club on February 14, 2020, featuring project contributors Glenn Loury, Coleman Hughes, Clarence Page, John Sibley Butler, Ian Rowe, Jason D. Hill, Robert Cherry, Carol M. Swain, Taleeb Starks, Wilfred Reilly, Toni Mcilwane, and Latasha Harrison Fields, along with project founder Woodson. That same day, 1776 partnered with the Washington Examiner to release a series of essays critical of the 1619 Project, celebrating African-American contributions to business and education and arguing that slavery and its legacy should not be seen as definitive of the black experience.
