I could easily imagine this being seven distinct books (or more) for each of the stops that Smith makes on his travelogue of the history of slavery and racism is the United States. He describes his feelings remarkably. For example, when thinking about his children and how children were treated at the Whitney Plantation: “I felt the blood leave my fingers and arrow toward my heart. I felt the saliva bubble up in the back of my throat, and the space around me become swollen with a grief I could not name.” (p. 81-82) While reading, I often reflected on Caste and how Smith makes things personal on each of his stops. This books fits nicely into the continuum of books we’ve read in the Beyond Black History Month Book Club and adds notes from different angles compared to other books.

Absolutely anyone interested in the legacy of public monuments needs to read this book. The audience is obviously much wider than that. So much wider, that I recommend this book to practically anyone, and can do so because Smith makes his observations so well, that the reader, regardless of their politics or perspective, can be drawn into the discussion.

From my review for Porter House:

Clint Smith believes that the U.S. has finally arrived at a reckoning. “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,” he argues. In How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery in America, Smith travels to eight destinations that tell vastly different stories about that legacy. As both tourist and guide, he wrestles with the collective—if often conflicting—memories of institutions and individuals. Throughout his journey, Smith ultimately narrates an American history more complex than one would find at any museum or memorial.

I received an E-ARC of HOW THE WORD IS PASSED almost a year ago (thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and review this title). I'm not sure WHY it took me this long to pick it up!!! This was a 5 star narrative nonfiction book that I think every American should read and that should, ideally, be taught currently in high schools and colleges throughout the United States.

In this book, author Clint Smith travels to places throughout the United States and to Senegal to explore how monuments, landmarks and historical sites portray the history of slavery. He reflects on his own identity while visiting each place. His writing included beautiful prose, which is not all that common in a lot of nonfiction books. Maybe it was the poet in him? The prose really enhanced my reading experience.

The book ends with Smith talking to his grandparents, whose grandparents had been born into slavery or just after it was abolished. I love how he tied in this personal narrative and it really made me reflect on how recent slavery actually happened in the United States.

Bottom line--go pick this book up and do not sleep on it like I did! Excellent, excellent book.

I don't know a better way to say it - this was a perfect book. It's my favorite I've read in a long time, so much so I already want to read it again. Clint Smith is a fantastic writer and skillfully breaks down painful, complex histories in ways that will enrage you, make you laugh, and break your heart. This is the book we all needed when we weren't being taught the truth in our history classes in school.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

This book was incredibly powerful to read, and a needed reminder of how racism and white supremacy still shapes the spaces we inhabit.

THIS WAS HEAVY!

Wow - what a read! Clint does an amazing job of both showing and telling the various stories of how where slaves resided and the horrific treatment they faced in six separate locations. This book had me running to google to research these places and to see if my own ancestors ever came in contact with any of these locations.

This is a must read and Clint has quickly become an auto-buy for me. His writing is phenomenal!

It took me a while for me to write this review. I actually finished How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America this summer. But when I finished it I just had to sit with it for a while and sort through my thoughts and emotions that came from reading about Clint Smith’s experiences. This was one of the best books that I read in 2021.

Some Reading Advice
A piece of advice as you read: Be okay with going slow and taking your time. I paused after each chapter to just meditate on what I had read and learned. Each chapter focuses on a different location connected to slavery. The topics will make you think and that is a good thing. He is such a great writer, that those places will sit with you for a while, as they should. Also, get the audiobook if you can. It was phenomenal. Clint Smith narrates it.

5 Reasons Why I Loved How The Word Is Passed
#1: It sits at the intersection of novel, memoir, and historical account.
#2: It is a poetic narrative about truth versus memory.
#3: It provides voice amplification to those who are often left out of the narrative. It amplifies those who share the narratives, the tour guides. This is something I have not come across before.
#4: The painstaking attention to detail and his thoughtful approach to his research journey. During his chat, he mentioned his determination that the book be airtight so that errors would not distract or takeaway from the story he was telling.
#5: The revelation of stories that had not been shared widely but are still important.

This book is a MASTERPIECE and a must-read. Clint Smith deftly explores the ways in which slavery has been remembered and/or memorialized through case studies ranging from Angola to Juneteenth to confederate cemeteries. Every chapter serves a purpose and every line in this book is meaningful. If you have any interest in history, urban planning, and/or the politics of memory this absolutely belongs on your shelf. Easily one of the best books I've read this year.

Everyone should read Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed. Certainly every American, but probably every European too. The information and insights here are eye opening and mind-widening, even for one predisposed to want to learn about the Black experience. I am white, with no apparent ties to the American South, but, as Smith so carefully clarifies, I am not excluded from the audience for this book.

In part of his excellent summary, Smith provides the following:

The history of slavery is the history of the United States.
It was not peripheral to our founding; it was central to it.
It is not irrelevant to our contemporary society; it created it.
This history is in our soil, it is in our policies, and it must,
too, be in our memories. (loc 4325)

The material of the book is centered on Smith’s visits to six sites related to slavery in America: Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson writer of The Declaration of Independence but also keeper and father of slaves; The Whitney Plantation, where a new owner is attempting to create a true record of what plantation life and slavery actually were; Angola Prison, which has a long history of “lending” out prisoners for free labor and for cruelty; Blandford Cemetery and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, where festive Confederate Memorial Day events celebrate the heroes of the South to this day, and the Daughters of Confederacy see to the upkeep of monuments and cemeteries to this day; Galveston, Texas and Juneteenth, and the history of slavery in Texas; New York City and its ties to the slavery market long before the Underground Railroad. Lastly, there is a visit to Goree Island, Senegal, Africa and its famous House of Slaves, and the beginning of the slavery industry.

I guarantee that most, if not all, readers will learn something new from this book, something that will cause you to look at history differently and to hope for a better future of more understanding.

Obviously I recommend this book for everyone I know and everyone I don’t know too. It’s that important and that well done.

A copy of this book was provided by Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three recent works of nonfiction focus on America’s history of slavery and evolving narratives regarding acknowledgement of enslaved people.

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
Clint Smith; June 2021; Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group
Themes: history, social science, memoir, African American & Black Studies
A travelogue, a memoir, a history, and a powerful reckoning… Clint Smith shares his experiences visiting sites connected with the history of enslaved people from Africa to the United States.

On Juneteenth
Annette Gordon-Reed; May 2021; Liveright/W. W. Norton
Themes: history, social science, memoir, African American & Black Studies
Blending both heart-wrenching and uplifting personal anecdotes about growing up Black in Texas with key historical events and stories, Annette Gordon-Reed takes readers on a journey through history with connections for today.

William Still: The Underground Railroad and the Angel at Philadelphia
William C. Kashatus; April 2021; University of Notre Dame Press/Longleaf
Themes: history, social science, biography, African American & Black Studies
Set within the context of the broader anti-slavery movement, William C. Kashatus tells the compelling story of William Still, a key leader of the Underground Railroad and early civil rights advocate. Of particular note is the detailed database of the 995 runaway slaves who William Still helped escape between 1853 and 1861 which provides priceless information about each individual.

Let’s explore seven timely take-aways for life-long learners:
1) Free black abolitionist William Still coordinated activities of the Eastern Line of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia. The detailed records kept by Still in the mid-nineteenth century about escaped slaves provide a priceless tool for researchers exploring the African American enslavement experience.
2) Those involved with the anti-slavery and later civil rights movements often disagreed about the best approach to address abolition, the plight of enslaved peoples, and the aftermath of slavery.
Juneteenth refers to June 19, 1865. On this date, the news arrived in Galveston Texas proclaiming the end of slavery and defeat of the Confederacy (General Order No. 3).
3) Although long celebrated by Black Texans, Juneteenth has recently become part of the national conversation and ongoing battle to acknowledge the racism and battle for civil rights in America.
4) The nationalist-oriented, conventional narrative of American history comes from a white, English-speaking perspective closing off varied influences and viewpoints.
5) Many historical sites are working toward a more truthful approach to the discussion of enslaved people.
6) While some historical sites are striving to fill the gaps with a more accurate picture of their connection to slavery, others are finding the process of reconciliation a challenge.

In clear, concise language Clint Smith draws the reader into an examination of how the institution of slavery shaped the development of the United States. Smith examines monuments and institutions and through his descriptions and conversations with various people allows us to see how our economy, politics and social institutions were formed. This is probably the most informative and important book examining this topic that I have read. Thank you , Mr. Smith for delving into this most difficult topic. This is a must read for most Americans.

During these last few years, the United States has willingly placed itself in a medically induced coma while the victims and descendants of slavery deal with the reckoning across America: failed justice system, systemic racism, and police brutality. Although slavery ended over 200 years ago, the traumas and systemic oppression have continued to shape and influence the lives, families, and communities of Black people today. Which makes Clint Smith’s new meditation on history and memory of slavery in 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 so crucial in learning new stories about the past to help shape our present and guide our futures.

Smith does exactly as Frederick Douglass commands in “The Nation’s Problem:” The duty of to-day is to meet the questions that confront us with intelligence and courage.” From the various locations—former plantations, Confederate cemeteries, prisons, etc.—Smith takes us on a quest of locating the truth, maintaining awareness, and being transparent about the past and present state of racial dynamics in America. It is through Smith’s compelling endeavor here that readers are privy to the art of storytelling from these individuals and their ability to speak on their experiences. Stories grants us agency and identity—it tells others how we think, what we feel, and how we justify our decisions in life. In fact, it prevents it prevents the same story being told the wrong way again—which is precisely why Smith writes this book in the first place.

It is no coincidence that “The echo of enslavement is everywhere” or “The history of slavery is the history of the United States” as Smith reminds us in his book, but it is a memory that all of us have to reckon with and confront. Unfortunately, while Black people deal with the history of slavery, many whites cater to the nostalgia that nestles them. If we don’t confront what’s bothering us as a nation, then we’ll never wake up to a better tomorrow. Smith has given us some room to wrestle with our past so pick up the book—you’ll need it for a deep, hard lesson on the collective will of a nation to tell a different story.

Such an incredible book. The author takes a look at various historical locations (mostly in the US) to see/hear what is displayed and said about each one pertaining to slavery. So much can be learned by this book and what the author finds about the teaching of history today. Should be required reading for students (and well, everyone).

This book is one of those books that will take you forever to read, but it'll stay with you for awhile. I can attest to that too, since my NetGalley review is officially a week late...

I have loved Clint Smith since I discovered his poetry a few years back. His book "Counting Descent" has so many excellent pieces that I may have well just sticky noted the pieces I DIDN'T want to teach. While this book is markedly different than his poetic works, it still has passages of Smith's narrative prose that make his writing phenomenal. As he took me through a journey of the United States (and beyond) to places with a complicated relationship and history with slavery, each location came alive with his descriptions of the people he met and the places he visited.

The best part about this book, and the reason you should read it, is you will legitimately learn so much. You'll leave this book feeling, why haven't I ever heard of this? I have read a lot of books about the history of slavery and its rippling effects it has had since Emancipation, and I usually don't come away with more than a few tidbits to add to my knowledge. But with Smith's book, I not only learned more about how we are still grappling with the history of slavery today, but also details about these places and events I genuinely didn't know before.

I'm intending on rereading this on audio eventually. I did have to speed read through the last part, and I'd like to read it again even slower than I did this time.

Clint Smith strikes again. It seems like no matter what this man writes, I will be completely absorbed in it. In How the Word Is Passed, Smith travels to different locations that have a tie to slavery. He uses each trip to tell the story of how slavery - in that particular place, but also overall - has shaped the United States into the country it is today. This is not Black history, as he says, but history that is integral to the very essence of this country.

It's hard to describe just how engrossing Smith's writing is. I kept thinking, "I'll put this down at the end of this chapter," only to continue reading through to the next. Every chapter was fantastic, but I found the New York City chapter particularly powerful, in its discussion of how the North is seen as "the good guys," but the North was built on slavery just as much as the South was.

And wow wow wow, that epilogue. After giving us a beautiful tour of history and the present, he then turns to his grandparents and how his own family was/is affected by the history he has just written a book about. Absolutely incredible.

Clint Smith did not come to play with us!!! We are traveling!! He gathered all the folks together to take us on an epic journey that I know I needed and I'm sure you do as well. I love information! There is nothing like having your mind and soul fed. Ibram X. Kendi told no lies when he said "We need this book." ⁣

One of the many things that I have appreciated while reading this book is how Clint exposes (providing context and history) things that are right in front of our eyes. He takes the reader to monuments and landmarks revealing how they are tied to the legacy of slavery. We are in a time where folks are trying to whitewash and reshape history in America. I'm thankful for writers who do the work to make sure the full story is told. Without a doubt this is one that should be on school curriculums .

An excellent companion to the documentary "The Neutral Ground." Both feature Louisiana's Whitney Plantation which tells the straight truth of plantation slavery.

With the heart of a teacher, the eye of a poet, and the mind of a researcher, Clint Smith teases apart and weaves together the threads of history, nostalgia, place, and memory to tell a powerful story — not of slavery's distant past, but of a legacy that lives and breathes among us.

Smith visits, personally and through interviews and primary sources, the Whitney Plantation and the maximum-security Angola Prison in his home state of Louisiana, Jefferson's Monticello Plantation and Blandford Cemetery's thousands of fallen Confederate soldiers in Virginia, a Juneteenth celebration in Galveston (Texas), the site of the second largest slave market in the U.S. (right in downtown Manhattan), Gorée Island and the Door of No Return in Senegal, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C., and countless other sites and that inform the narrative but aren't specifically featured. What comes together is more than a well-curated tour. It's a generous, gracious, engaging, intensely personal yet scholarly exploration. The descriptive writing is lyrical and poignant without being overwrought, the interviews reveal both a courage and a kindness, and the research is perceptive and fair-minded. It's difficult material presented in an accessible, approachable way—one of the least intimidating but most profoundly affecting books on history and slavery that I have ever read.