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1619: The Lingering Imprint Returns This Fall – Ideas Welcome

By Richard Myers
Posted: 07/04/2026

1619: The Lingering Imprint will be returning this fall, and I am beginning to plan this season's discussions. As in previous years, I would appreciate your ideas and suggestions for topics, books, articles, documentaries, or speakers.

One possibility I am considering is a discussion of the book Two Ships by David Reynolds. One of the ships featured in the book is the White Lion, the privateer that brought the first recorded enslaved Africans to the English colony of Virginia in 1619. The other ship is the Mayflower, whose arrival in Massachusetts the following year has long occupied a central place in our national story. By examining these two voyages together, Reynolds places the events of 1619 into a much broader historical context.

What especially interests me about Two Ships is that it reminds us that the questions raised by the 1619 Project did not suddenly appear in the summer of 2019. Rather, they are part of a much longer conversation about the meaning of America's founding. From the earliest years of the colonies, through the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, during the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and continuing to the present day, Americans have debated how the ideals of liberty and equality should be understood in light of the nation's history of slavery. Reynolds' book suggests that 1619 is not simply a contemporary topic but an enduring historical discussion that has accompanied our country throughout its history.

Because our discussions will begin in September and continue through October, they will naturally occur during an election season when issues related to history, race, equality, opportunity, and the continuing effects of discrimination are part of the broader public conversation. As a nonprofit organization, Pasadena Village does not endorse candidates, political parties, or public policy positions, and this discussion group is not a forum for political advocacy. Rather, our purpose is educational—to better understand the historical background that has shaped our nation and continues to inform many of the issues Americans discuss today. A deeper understanding of history can help us engage more thoughtfully with contemporary questions, whatever our individual viewpoints may be.

If you have ideas for books, articles, documentaries, speakers, or other topics that would make for thoughtful and respectful discussion, I would be grateful if you would email me your suggestions.

Once the fall schedule has been finalized, I will send information about the first meeting, including the date, time, and Zoom link.

As always, guests are welcome to join us in these discussions.

For more information, contact the Pasadena Village office at info@pasadenavillage.com or (626) 765-6037.