OPRAH WINFREY, The New York Times and Lionsgate are partnering on a series of feature films and television shows based on “The 1619 Project.”

The collaboration was announced Wednesday, nearly a year after the newspaper debuted “The 1619 Project” series to re-examine the legacy of slavery in the United States on the 400th anniversary of the first Africans’ arrival in Virginia. Nikole Hannah-Jones, who was the architect of the series, won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary this year.

Hannah-Jones will serve as the creative leader and producer in developing feature films, TV series, documentaries, unscripted programming and other forms of entertainment.

“From the first moment I read ‘The 1619 Project’ and immersed myself in Nikole Hannah-Jones’ transformative work, I was moved, deepened and strengthened by her empowering historical analysis,” said Winfrey.

“The 1619 Project” explored how slavery shaped all aspects of society, from music and law to education and the arts. It includes essays, poems and stories.

“For many Americans, ‘The 1619 Project’ was a great awakening and a true history that you probably never learned in school,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.

(SD-Agencies)