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

Powerful. Compelling. Devastating. I learned a lot I didn’t know about myriad locations around the country (and world) that were and still are institutions of slavery and oppression. There’s a lot to unpack and reckon with about our history as a nation in this book and I think it’s worth the discomfort to know more about the nation’s real history.

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overthinkereading's review against another edition

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challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

"What would it take - what does it take - for you to confront a false history even if it means shattering the stories you have been told throughout your life?"

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.

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blakeandbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a must read!! Clint Smith. What an incredible book and an incredible author. As a white woman who grew up in the South, I did not learn true depictions of slavery, until I went to college and took an American History course that opened my eyes to so much violence and horror. Coming from a point of privilege, it could be easy for me to brush it off and say that it’s so much better now than it was then, but there is so much that has happened since the founding of the U.S. that is gross and appalling and surprising yet unsurprising that there is still so much systematic racism everywhere you look.

This was an entire experience listening to Clint narrate through each section of this book. He took so much time to research, interview, document, and write his findings, beliefs, history, and so much more.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you grew up in the U.S. and were not educated well on slavery and the transatlantic slave trade due to the never-ending whitewashing of history.

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kallsypage's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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maevedora's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective

5.0

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triple_m's review against another edition

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emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

This book is part history and part personal reflection about Clint Smith’s journey as a Black man learning parts of history that have previously been buried.

Well-written and important.

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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4.5

Prose written by a poet is just so lovely. And it was interesting to see how a story takes shape: the twists and turns, the reconstructions and the lies. The way that place holds such a deep meaning, and that place is imbued with history. The way that we are still molding history, that our current actions are both informed by history and become history. This book is part of that story that we tell about history. One particular section that I (a white southerner educated in the public school system) plan to revisit is Smith’s discussion of the South’s rallying cry of States Rights and how the story diverges from the history.

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leahgustafson's review

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This beautifully written piece of nonfiction demonstrates how the institution of slavery is so intricately woven into our systems and daily lives. How the Word Is Passed should be required reading in American schools.

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While it may sound strange for nonfiction, Clint Smith is a masterful storyteller. The way he depicts the history of the places he visits and how he confronts the truths about history and slavery is both moving and profound. The stories in this book make it so much more real, relatable, and accessible. The accessibility of this book is why I feel it has the ability to makesuch a strong impact.

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I learned a lot from this book. It also led me to reflect on and think more deeply about a lot of things—on my current beliefs, my own education and experiences, and some new perspectives shared in this book.

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If you’re looking for some solid nonfiction to add to your TBR, this is definitely some of the best I’ve read! The audio is also fantastic—Clint Smith narrates his own work, and his ability to share these stories is incredible!

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Check out what I’m reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!

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