The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story

“First to Rise” poem by Yusef Komunyakaa

“proof [dear Phillis]” poem by Eve L. Ewing

The narrative the American people have learned about the slavery-based economy of the Colonies often focuses on cotton or tobacco. However, it was sugar that bolstered the Atlantic economy. Sugar, or “white gold,” changed the world. Sugar was once a luxury item, but it is now a “foodstuff” for the masses and remains a substantial American export, “rank[ing] fifth in global production, with about nine million tons annually” (73). Sugar’s impact is more than economic, as it has drastically impacted the American diet, with consumption rates nearly twice the recommended limit. Sugar consumption is so high in America that it is a major factor in the overall poor health of Americans and “linked […] to diabetes, obesity, and cancer” (74). When sugary processed food takes up limited shelf space, it creates food deserts, which are found more often in redlined Black communities.

Sugar is a crop that requires “coordinated human labor in warm climates and on fertile land” (75). Sugar must be processed quickly after it is picked or it spoils, and its costs made it a symbol of wealth. The English laid

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