How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
Genre: Contemporary Nonfiction
Suggested Age: Adult
What Is The Book About? Author Clint Smith details his exploration of how several monuments and landmarks connected to America’s chattel slavery past portray and communicate (or fail to communicate) an authentic depiction of what slavery was like, and how it shaped this country into what we see around us today. This is a thoroughly researched and clear-eyed examination of places such as historic plantations, a Confederate cemetery, a maximum-security prison, the Statue of Liberty, the House of Slaves on an island off the coast of Senegal, and more. Examining our existing monuments can reveal unexpected things about what they are actually saying about our country’s past.
My Review: I listened to the audiobook on CD read by the author and was thoroughly impressed with not only the in-depth research, but also the author’s keen insight into how our current society has been influenced by slavery’s deep imprint on our country. His detailed descriptions of people he talked to and the placed he visited were vivid and dramatic. Many of the places Smith visited are ones that I had not realized were in existence. That saddens me, because I know I’m not the only one who is unaware. This is a must-read for anyone who is looking to understand why slavery is still a topic of discussion more than 150 years after the Civil War. Whether you grew up with textbooks that called it the “War of Northern Aggression” or not, so much of what we know about our country’s past has been obscured by time and the by people who were allowed to tell the story. I feel that broadening the depth to which each American comes to terms with our past, can help us make informed decisions about tomorrow.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Perceptive, Astute, Thought-Provoking
Give This a Try if You Like… Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi, Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers
Rating: 5/5
