How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, written by Clint Smith
“How the Word Is Passed” by Clint Smith is a non-fiction book that delves into the legacy of slavery in America. Clint Smith approaches the topic of slavery in his book through a deeply personal and collective lens. The author takes the reader on a journey to various historical sites, including Southern plantations, prisons, memorials, and cemeteries, to confront the truths and lies of slavery and its enduring impact on the country. Smith’s exploration begins at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation, and extends to other significant locations such as New Orleans, New York City, and Senegal. The book sheds light on how slavery is remembered and how it continues to shape the United States today, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and understanding this dark chapter of American history. Smith’s narrative is a thought-provoking and immersive examination of the pervasive influence of slavery on the nation’s past and present, urging readers to confront this problematic history and its ongoing repercussions.
The most difficult decision involving this book was the question of which locations to include in its pages. There are thousands of places I could have visited, as the story of slavery is etched into every corner of this country and far beyond.
Each chapter is devoted to a different location, and Smith also includes interviews with individuals to convey their perspectives on the history of American slavery. The book is a reporter’s story of visiting places where slavery is interpreted by tour guides, reenactors, and public historians, offering a comprehensive exploration of how slavery is remembered and its contemporary impact on America.
Some of the key takeaways from “How the Word Is Passed” by Clint Smith include:
1. The Legacy of Slavery: The book presents the history of American culture with black communities at its center, highlighting how slavery has shaped the country’s past and present.
2. Immersive Exploration: Through immersive visits to historical sites, Smith examines how slavery is remembered and how it continues to shape the country today.
3. Collective Reckoning: Smith emphasizes the importance of a collective effort to confront the truths and lies of slavery and its enduring impact on the United States, urging readers to understand and learn from this dark chapter of American history.
4. Uncomfortable Truths: The book reveals uncomfortable truths about America’s history of slavery and its contemporary repercussions, encouraging readers to acknowledge and confront this problematic legacy.
5. Personal and Collective Lens: Smith’s approach is both deeply personal and collective, as he weaves his own reflections with interviews, site descriptions, and scholarly citations to provide a comprehensive examination of the pervasive influence of slavery on the nation’s history and culture.
These takeaways reflect the book’s emphasis on understanding and acknowledging the enduring impact of slavery on America. Frequently, when slavery is discussed by people who don’t want to engage with the topic, the sentiment is that slavery happened so long ago and that we should move on. We can’t move on when we have the Electoral College that was created during slavery, hence why Smith’s book is so important.
Our country is in a moment, at an inflection point, in which there is a willingness to more fully grapple with the legacy of slavery and how it shaped the world we live in today. But it seems that the more purposefully some places have attempted to tell the truth about their proximity to slavery and its aftermath, the more staunchly other places have refused.
Have you read this book? If you have, I look forward to your thoughts about the book. New York University created an amazing LibGuide about the book to explore. It is an in-depth analysis of this important book.
Take care,
Jamia
The Diversity Fellow's Blog 