Slate Daily Feed Care & Feeding | From What Next: What Kids Aren’t Learning About US History
Dec 25, 2025
Clint Smith, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of 'How the Word Is Passed', dives deep into the complexities of teaching American history, particularly surrounding slavery and systemic oppression. He reflects on his formative years as a high school English teacher, emphasizing the importance of confronting difficult histories to foster understanding. Smith discusses the political pushback against honest history education and contrasts America’s struggle with historical reckoning to Germany’s approach, advocating for a balanced view of the nation’s past.
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Teaching Hard Histories In High School
- Clint Smith recounts teaching high school students difficult first-person accounts like Night and slavery to make history tangible.
- He found the work invigorating despite its emotional difficulty and teenage challenges.
History Clarifies Social Context
- Smith compares vague historical awareness to walking in fog and studying history to holding a stone that reveals contours.
- Knowing detailed history clarifies context and helps people understand their place in society.
Cemetery Stories Passing Distorted History
- Smith describes visiting a Confederate cemetery where a grandfather passed down stories denying slavery's role in secession.
- He shows how family rituals and loyalty can preserve historical distortions across generations.