University of Louisville leaders call McConnell's comments on The 1619 Project 'troubling' Leaders said the UofL grad's comments were troubling for 'American descendants of slaves, our allies and those who support us.' Author: Taylor Weiter Updated: 6:49 PM EDT May 6, 2021 LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a campus-wide email Thursday, University of Louisville leadership called alumnus Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's comments on The 1619 Project from The New York Times Magazine "troubling for American descendants of slaves, our allies and those who support us." During a press conference at UofL Monday, McConnell said he would not consider 1619 — the year Africans were first brought to America as slaves — an important moment in the country's history.