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

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

43 reviews

madradstarchild's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

This is a beautifully written, thoughtful exploration of the history of slavery. You can tell that Smith is both a poet and a journalist. Being British, everything I know about US history I've learnt from books and this one was particularly insightful. It's a great mix of travelogue and history as he tells the narrative of the places he visits and weaves in the wider historical context. It highlights how the foundation of the US is built on slavery and looks at the way the past is reckoned with, or in some cases not reckoned with, but glossed over and rewritten. I found it a really interesting way of learning about history, similar to Afropean by Johnny Pitts.

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

- I'm not sure if there's anything I can add to the discussion of HOW THE WORD IS PASSED, other than to concur with everyone that yes, this book is as vital and as good as everyone says it is.
- I learned a lot from this book: even if you're read a lot of history and antiracist literature, there's still more to excavate, and Smith brings it all up.
- Smith's inclusion of his personal experiences while visiting the sites in this book keep it from becoming a dry historical text. It does exactly what the sites are trying to do: bring the past into the present because it has never left us, as much as many of us try to pretend it has.

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jazzlioness's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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clarabooksit's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

I’m really glad I listened to this via audiobook. Smith reads the book himself and his writing and voice feel like an invitation to share in his journey to uncover the ways in which America has obfuscated the history of slavery and how that legacy impacts and informs America today. He leads the reader on a tour of historical sites and events, effortlessly weaving history into his storytelling as he narrates his experiences. It’s an incredibly effective narrative device as I felt like I was learning and unlearning right along side him.

This immersive experience was bolstered by insightful, moving writing. I especially loved how Smith captures his conversations with the people he meets, the questions he asks and wants to ask but doesn’t, and his reflections on them. The epilogue where he interviews his grandparents is also excellent, highlighting how history is still alive today.

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