How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
- Downloads：7672
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-12-28 17:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Clint Smith
- ISBN：0316492922
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Helena Zahar Vaz
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4，5
Stephanie Ridiculous
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Smith does an excellent job of weaving beautiful writing and heavy truths together。 I really appreciate his personal observations and impressions of the places detailed here; he made them come alive without making them seem unreal or like they have a shine。 Instead we get honest silhouettes of these important locations， and Smith is able to show us the macro by focusing on the micro and contrasting the two。 This is an incredible read and I highly highly recommend folks take the time。
Mary
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Should be required reading for all high school students。 The Notes section is dense with opportunities for further reading。 Clinton Smith offers a new understanding of American slavery by asking the questions most difficult to pose and having the courage to expand our knowledge with the information he knows to be true。
Cara Group
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Wow。 Well written and covering a variety of locations both in the US and abroad。 This is an important， must read book。
Mrs。Tucker
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This book is beautifully written and very important for all Americans to reconcile their roles and lineage in the fabric of this country’s past， present， and future。
Patricia Larkin
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This book is so beautifully written and educated me in deep and lasting ways。 It is hard for me to write a review that would do this book justice。 Suffice it to say that Mr。 Smith has put his heart and soul into telling not only slavery history， but also the lasting effects on our society， in a narrative style。 I have new understanding of the history of the United States。 It is rare to have an expository text written in a way so that you come away knowing the author。 Mr。 Smith has done just that This book is so beautifully written and educated me in deep and lasting ways。 It is hard for me to write a review that would do this book justice。 Suffice it to say that Mr。 Smith has put his heart and soul into telling not only slavery history， but also the lasting effects on our society， in a narrative style。 I have new understanding of the history of the United States。 It is rare to have an expository text written in a way so that you come away knowing the author。 Mr。 Smith has done just that。 。。。more
Meg Stratton
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Should be required reading
Eric Sullenberger
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I'm almost speechless - powerful， informative， & thought-provoking。 I'm almost speechless - powerful， informative， & thought-provoking。 。。。more
Arielle Imber
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read this one for class。 the chapter on angola prison is definitely a standout。
Janie
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So。 Good。 the author goes and visits like 10 different places that have strong historical ties to slavery like Thomas Jefferson‘s plantation， prisons， New York City， and he even went to Senegal which was one of the main locations where slaves from west Africa were taken。 And because the author is black， and his family are descendants from slaves， he offered more of his perspectives about slavery in depth。
Steph K
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How the Word is Passed was Northwestern's "One Book One Northwestern，" which means a lot of dialogues and events around the topics of this book were held during winter quarter and will be held for the rest of the year。 This book almost feels like one really really really long op-ed， which isn't necessarily good or bad。 I found it to get tedious at times （hence it taking me 4 months to read the book）， but I'm sure others enjoyed the structure。 Smith clearly is an amazing writer， but， as a few oth How the Word is Passed was Northwestern's "One Book One Northwestern，" which means a lot of dialogues and events around the topics of this book were held during winter quarter and will be held for the rest of the year。 This book almost feels like one really really really long op-ed， which isn't necessarily good or bad。 I found it to get tedious at times （hence it taking me 4 months to read the book）， but I'm sure others enjoyed the structure。 Smith clearly is an amazing writer， but， as a few other reviews said， the amount of time spent reading about the landscape and the specific features of his interviewees tended to be unnecessary。 However， the information in the book is so interesting and essential， and a great jumping off point for more diversity-related dialogue。 Happy I read it， even if it's not a happy read。 。。。more
Melanie Springer Mock
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Such an important book， especially in this place and time， when so many people are trying to whitewash the truth of our country's history: that what we have was built on the backs of the enslaved。 I learned so much from this book， and Smith's refrain， that this history of enslavement was not so long ago， in the scheme of things， is one we all need to remember。 Wishing this book could be taught in our schools。 Such an important book， especially in this place and time， when so many people are trying to whitewash the truth of our country's history: that what we have was built on the backs of the enslaved。 I learned so much from this book， and Smith's refrain， that this history of enslavement was not so long ago， in the scheme of things， is one we all need to remember。 Wishing this book could be taught in our schools。 。。。more
Nancy Russell Waggoner
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I just finished this thought-provoking and painful kind of travelogue， as it were， on the history of chattel slavery in the United States。 Clint Smith's excellent writing in recounting the history of these nine destinations is as interesting as it is informative。 I daresay few U。S。 citizens have the facts regarding the history of these well-known places， mostly because of whitewashing by so-called historians and others who went before us; I hope we will continue to reveal the history of our coun I just finished this thought-provoking and painful kind of travelogue， as it were， on the history of chattel slavery in the United States。 Clint Smith's excellent writing in recounting the history of these nine destinations is as interesting as it is informative。 I daresay few U。S。 citizens have the facts regarding the history of these well-known places， mostly because of whitewashing by so-called historians and others who went before us; I hope we will continue to reveal the history of our country， so we might avoid repeating the mistakes we've made。 Clint Smith's book should be required reading for students of United States History classes。 。。。more
Ingrid
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Essential。 A must read。 I learned so much， the writing is gorgeous。 The call to understand our history and how it shapes our present is clear， powerful， personal and undeniable。
Dana U
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Clint Smith can write and you can devour this book in one sitting if you’re not thinking about what he’s actually writing。 He touches on difficult subjects in a very interesting way。 Highly recommend to anyone
Stephanie
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The author visits different historical sites in America and relates his experience there as well as the history of that site and what it represents and how the conveyance of that history has changed over time。 I appreciated the interweaving of personal experience， emotion and facts。 The author did a great job of employing lots of data in a meaningful way。 My main takeaway has been that we often separate slavery from the history of our country as tangential， when it actually affected everything a The author visits different historical sites in America and relates his experience there as well as the history of that site and what it represents and how the conveyance of that history has changed over time。 I appreciated the interweaving of personal experience， emotion and facts。 The author did a great job of employing lots of data in a meaningful way。 My main takeaway has been that we often separate slavery from the history of our country as tangential， when it actually affected everything about our nation especially as the driving force of our economy and thus politics。 By separating slavery， we are not giving an accurate representation to ourselves and future generations。 We need to teach history with a more holistic approach。 Celebrating founding fathers without also acknowledging them as slaveholders does a disservice to us all。This book is powerful and relevant。 Grounding current feelings and ideas in actual tangible historical locations is a very meaningful。 。。。more
Karna Converse
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History。 Nostalgia。 Memory。 Myth。 Tradition。 Gaps。 An exploration of each that takes readers from America to the West Coast of AfricaSmith visits seven communities and invites readers to tour a wide variety of plantations， cemeteries， monuments， and museums with him。 He talks with those who give the tours and those who happen to be participating with him。 I was familiar with some of the sites but even if familiar， the questions Smith poses， the conversations has， and the reflections he shares ch History。 Nostalgia。 Memory。 Myth。 Tradition。 Gaps。 An exploration of each that takes readers from America to the West Coast of AfricaSmith visits seven communities and invites readers to tour a wide variety of plantations， cemeteries， monuments， and museums with him。 He talks with those who give the tours and those who happen to be participating with him。 I was familiar with some of the sites but even if familiar， the questions Smith poses， the conversations has， and the reflections he shares challenged me to consider what is known， what is unknown， and how I feel about slavery as manifested in that particular plantation， cemetery， monument， or museum。 This multi-award-winning work of nonfiction is highly researched but not an academic tome。 It's both journalistic reporting and poetry—and a joy to listen to。 But the challenge of listening to the audiobook is that I couldn't highlight the passages that moved me。 So， somewhat paraphrased here—some statements Smith made; some he notes from a tour guide:"History is the story of the past using all the facts。 Nostalgia is no facts。 Somewhere between the two is memory。""Just because you've been told a story doesn't make that story true。""If you don't remember where you've been you can't be sure where you're going。""We have to keep telling the story in order to understand it。" Smith's journey is personal—his grandfather's grandfather was born into slavery; his grandparents lived in a Mississippi town near the site where Emmett Till was lynched—and he grapples with the question he knows has been posed to many: "Why didn't you fight back？" "Some did，" his grandparents tell him as they visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D。C。 "They died。"The sites: Monticello Plantation （Virginia）， Whitney Plantation （Louisiana）， Angola Prison （Louisiana）， Blandford Cemetery （Virginia）， Galveston Island （Texas）， New York City， Gorée Island （West Africa）。 。。。more
Jessica Adams
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“Just because something is difficult to accept， doesn’t mean you should refuse to accept it。 Just because someone tells you a story， doesn’t make that story true。” There were so many times that I had to stop reading （listening to） this book and just make myself sit with and absorb the information。 So， this quote stuck with me more than anything else。 Oftentimes， we are quick to become defensive and believe the story， whatever it may be， that most closely aligns with our own comfort。 We close off “Just because something is difficult to accept， doesn’t mean you should refuse to accept it。 Just because someone tells you a story， doesn’t make that story true。” There were so many times that I had to stop reading （listening to） this book and just make myself sit with and absorb the information。 So， this quote stuck with me more than anything else。 Oftentimes， we are quick to become defensive and believe the story， whatever it may be， that most closely aligns with our own comfort。 We close off before we even process what is being said。 We have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable。 。。。more
Ravi
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Great and important bookHow do we reckon with history？ What do we remember？ How do we tell the truth to ourselves？ Clint Smith’s book is a wonderful， poetic visitation of monuments relating to slavery in this country and also in Senegal。 He also relates his grandparents memories as well， their lived experiences of bigotry and racism。 Highly recommended。
Sarah Bennett
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I struggled to get through this。 I think in another year I could have held more focus for it， and think I should have read it versus listened。 Learned a lot
Ellen
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This book has profoundly moved me by exposing the myths that continue to fuel racism both individually and institutionally。 It shows how white people （like me） continue to choose a narrative of life as a black person in the US that absolves them of their implicit and explicit racism — allowing the claim “I’m not racist”。 Will read again and again。 I wish this was required reading for ALL secondary US History classes。
Shannon Andros
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Quite possibly one of the most important books I’ve ever read。 C。 Smith has a talent for weaving historical narratives while also paving the way to grapple and face difficult aspects of our nations past。 I promise that once you read his work， it will open your mind and heart in ways you didn’t know existed。
Leslie Ayala
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This true story of how slavery shaped our nation's economy， history， and memory is unique！！！ The author uses his tour of monuments and landmarks to tell the story。 The author makes an important point that Jefferson wrote letters espousing the urgent need for liberty while simultaneously enslaving 400 people。 His research on Angola which first was a plantation where slaves worked and then becomes a prison that is filled with black men who work for virtually no pay。 It is interesting and quite dis This true story of how slavery shaped our nation's economy， history， and memory is unique！！！ The author uses his tour of monuments and landmarks to tell the story。 The author makes an important point that Jefferson wrote letters espousing the urgent need for liberty while simultaneously enslaving 400 people。 His research on Angola which first was a plantation where slaves worked and then becomes a prison that is filled with black men who work for virtually no pay。 It is interesting and quite disgusting how first black men were slaves， then deprived of freedom during the Jim Crow years， and now are once again slaves in Angola！！！ 。。。more
Nichole Underhill
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Beautifully written and read by poet Clint Smith， this approachable book examines the role of slavery and its impact on the foundation of country。
Alafia
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I don't fully have the words for this book and probably won't for a while。 But the more I learn about the atrocities of slavery and colonialism， the more I understand importance of truthful and conscious education。 Please read this book I don't fully have the words for this book and probably won't for a while。 But the more I learn about the atrocities of slavery and colonialism， the more I understand importance of truthful and conscious education。 Please read this book 。。。more
Kelsey Eagen
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I listened to the audiobook and the authors voice is incredible， first of all。 This book is beautifully written and so thoughtful。 I think my jaw was hanging open for at least half of the book because of how shocking it was - especially the Angola prison chapter。 This book is a must read。
Amanda Augsburger
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This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read。 Clint Smith's prose is heartbreakingly beautiful， and his ability to weave the past and the present together gave this book a weight that I will carry for a long time。 This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read。 Clint Smith's prose is heartbreakingly beautiful， and his ability to weave the past and the present together gave this book a weight that I will carry for a long time。 。。。more
Amy
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Everyone should read this accessible， well written book。 It is about how we learn history， what that history contains， and how complex the telling and learning can be。 The author travels to various historical sites to see what the place and its tour guides， and the people he meets， can tell him about the history of slavery。 He starts at Monticello， owned by Thomas Jefferson， and travels to New York， Louisiana， Virginia， and Senegal。 I’d love to see the list of places that didn’t make it into the Everyone should read this accessible， well written book。 It is about how we learn history， what that history contains， and how complex the telling and learning can be。 The author travels to various historical sites to see what the place and its tour guides， and the people he meets， can tell him about the history of slavery。 He starts at Monticello， owned by Thomas Jefferson， and travels to New York， Louisiana， Virginia， and Senegal。 I’d love to see the list of places that didn’t make it into the book， but the short， well edited and organized chapters are one of the strengths of the book。The journey is personal， but he tries to approach it as a sociologist and a scholar， and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions， though he does describe his own reactions and concerns。Interesting， readable， and educational。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Tammy Mannarino
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Highly recommend。 Clint Smith takes the reader on a tour of sites connected to the enslavement of people in the United States。 At first， his lyrical， descriptive style might seem incongruous with the subject matter， but I quickly adjusted and came to appreciate his carefully crafted turns of phrase。 Compared to other books that tackle this difficult subject （e。g。 Caste）， I found Smith's approach to be more conversational and exploratory。 He's seeking the truth and taking the reader alongside in Highly recommend。 Clint Smith takes the reader on a tour of sites connected to the enslavement of people in the United States。 At first， his lyrical， descriptive style might seem incongruous with the subject matter， but I quickly adjusted and came to appreciate his carefully crafted turns of phrase。 Compared to other books that tackle this difficult subject （e。g。 Caste）， I found Smith's approach to be more conversational and exploratory。 He's seeking the truth and taking the reader alongside in the process。 It's a subject we need to talk about。。。 and keep talking about。 This book gives us some excellent vocabulary。 。。。more
Gretta
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