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Reviews tagging 'Death'
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
42 reviews
overthinkereading's review against another edition
5.0
How the Word is Passed fundamentally is a shattering of many stories, both those of the official record and those of legend and lore, in pursuit of the truth at the core of United States history: that slavery was central to our founding and is inextricable from every aspect of historical and contemporary American life.
Despite the (for some, painful) deconstruction inherent in Smith's work, he takes great care with presenting his research and experiences. It is obvious he brings a level of humanity, compassion, and artistry amid this reckoning, and even during the most harrowing passages of the book, his writing is profoundly beautiful. (His experience as a poet is evident especially in descriptions of place).
To answer the question, "What would it take to confront our false history?" we ought to start here, with this book. Highly recommend.
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
nishapan's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, and Colonisation
wifeslife's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
brynalexa's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
amsswim's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
jaiari12's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Trafficking, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
analenegrace's review against another edition
I cannot recommend reading this book, especially if you're trying to deconstruct what racism in America looks like. While there are so many lines I marked as pivotal to the book, the most important comes on page 289 in his epilogue,
"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."
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, War, and Classism
heatherilene's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
leahkarge's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
rachbake's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation