Reviews with content warning for Hate crime - How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

42 reviews

tlaynejones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

This was such an excellent book. I have an interest in learning about the system of enslavement and exploitation of Black, Indigenous and other Peoples of Colour that the USA has been built upon, so I had high expectations for this one. It was even better than I hoped. Smith has framed his examination of history through visits to key locations in the USA and Africa. He writes in a style that is a mix of conversational anecdotal experiences, and beautifully framed observations and analysis. It was extremely readable and engaging, not dry at all.
I was filled with all the feelings as I listened to this book. I feel so strongly that we all, but especially those of us from privileged positions, have a responsibility to learn, and to unlearn our histories.
Highly recommended. Go get this one. Read it.
Let me know what you think.
❤️📚
** edit. This is a book about the profoundly violent exploitation of Black people for hundreds of years, and the white people who blithely (and often proudly) committed this violence. There are many depictions of white people doing and saying violent and callous things towards Black people, and then justifying themselves. There are many CW for Black readers, and for other people of colour. 💗

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sydapel's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective slow-paced

Part history compilation, part piece of journalism and partly the authors own reflections, but primarily I was fascinated by how Smith keeps coming back to how we teach others about slavery, both in America and abroad. A lot of the images described in this book, as well as the writing, will stick with me for a long time.

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jrosegross's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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annreadsabook's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Just an all-around fantastic book. As someone who majored in history in undergrad, I really appreciate Smith’s contemplation of the intersection of memory and history, and how places explore (or fail to explore) the dark and gruesome past when it comes to slavery and racism in the United States. Something we talked about a lot in one of my history courses years ago is while history itself is comprised of discrete, objective facts, that’s not necessarily true of the act of *telling* history—the question at the end of the day is how close the teller is to the truth of what happened. Smith leans into this idea with deftness and skill, urging his readers to think critically about how the darkest parts of US history are packaged and presented.

Smith’s book is not only a foray into history itself, but the role of collective and selective memory (and, as he mentions, nostalgia). It’s a searing indictment of the ways in which many historical sites in the United States have failed to educate visitors on, and purposely obfuscated, the role such places played in chattel slavery, and the role that chattel slavery played in the US more broadly. I also really appreciated the final chapter on Gorée, as the experiences of enslavement, exploitation, and colonization in West Africa are inextricably bound to the story of chattel slavery in the US.

In my opinion, this should be required reading for all high school students, particularly at a time where many in the US seek to throw a veil over the legacy of slavery, genocide, and racism in this country. All the stars to this book—Clint Smith is just excellent.

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