It hardly seems controversial to suggest that slavery was a fundamental building block of our country, and one that has had an enormous long-lasting impact on o

It hardly seems controversial to suggest that slavery was a fundamental building block of our country, and one that has had an enormous long-lasting impact on our society. To label 1619 as the founding of the country sounds like hyperbole designed to draw attention and discussion. Was she wrong to respond the way she did? Sure. And it's a shame that an important project to take a sober look at the legacy of slavery has been diminished by her reaction to the criticism, and generally mishandled by the NYT. Does that mean that the project as a whole is "factually wrong"? That seems dubious at best.