[7] In exploring this thesis, the project aims to demonstrate that slavery has shaped every aspect of American life since then, from policing to justice to capitalism, and that recognition of this fact is essential for social progress.

[10] The New York Times eventually qualified that specific claim to say that it was a motivating factor for "some" colonists, while maintaining that the legacy of slavery is pervasive in shaping modern American life.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Presented with a personal touch by host Nikole Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project is a comprehensive and often eye-opening treatise on American history.

"[13] C. T. Jones of Rolling Stone stated, "It succeeds both technically and as a piece of art, skillfully weaving shots of Black Americans with firsthand accounts, explanations, interviews and stories that have been consistently omitted from the historical record.

"[25] Judy Berman of Time described Nikole Hannah-Jones as an "ideal host" with "an appetite for making bold arguments," and said, "The 1619 Project makes astute connections between the antebellum and pre-civil-rights past, and a present in which Black Americans still disproportionately face police violence, workplace exploitation, and other forms of inequality," while acknowledging the right-wing backlash against The 1619 Project, arguing that the television series is "posed to spark fresh controversy.

"[26] Brian Lowry of CNN asserted, "The 1619 Project basically provides an extended taste of what made the Times' effort both celebrated and controversial, earning Hannah-Jones the Pulitzer Prize in the process.