Carrying the Story Forward: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones

🎙 Episode 2 Show NotesTitle: Carrying the Story Forward: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-JonesDescription:As the United States approaches 250 years of independence, this episode asks a deeper question: What happens when we center 1619 in the American story?In Episode 2 of Our Truth, Our History, Our Story, Rita Coburn reflects on the tradition of the griot — the sacred responsibility of carrying history forward — from Africa and a people born on the water to the modern-day storyteller armed with books, cameras, and digital platforms.Rita sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project, to discuss truth, power, narrative control, and the national debate that followed the project’s publication.Together, they explore:Why history becomes “dangerous” when it is questionedWhether confronting the full truth strengthens or weakens a nationThe role of libraries as living institutionsWhy reading can be an act of resistanceHow we shape identity when we read with our childrenThis episode also features a special intergenerational moment with the young Naomi, delivering a heartfelt and powerful reading of excerpts from Born on the Water — a reminder that when children know the truth, they inherit power.As we move from Black History Month into Women’s History Month, this episode calls us to pause, reflect, read, and continue to record the voices of those who came before us.Go to the library.Be still.Read.Act.Repeat.Carry the story forward.Our TruthOur HistoryOur StoriesBecause when we carry the story forward, we carry power forward.Links & Resources:Read The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-JonesFind Born on the Water for the children in your lifeWatch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240 Listen and subscribe on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323Social / Call to Action:Share your reflections using #OurTHSLast Episode: Record the elders in your family and preserve their storiesThis Episode: Read he 1619 Project and Born on the WaterFollow for updates and opportunities to connect virtually and in personhttps://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia