New Books Network Clint Smith, "How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America" (Little, Brown and Company, 2021)
Nov 9, 2025
Clint Smith, a staff writer for The Atlantic and poet, engages in a profound dialogue about memory and history in America, particularly regarding slavery. He shares insights from his book, exploring significant sites like Monticello and Angola Prison. Smith addresses the complexities of public memory, balancing truth with visitor comfort when discussing the legacy of slavery. He also highlights the importance of oral histories and the moral responsibilities of visitors, making for an enlightening and thought-provoking conversation.
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Statues Sparked A National Reckoning
- Clint Smith watched Confederate statues come down in New Orleans and questioned why his majority-Black city honored enslavers more than the enslaved.
- That moment launched his journey visiting sites to see how America narrates slavery's legacy.
Jefferson As National Contradiction
- Jefferson embodies America's contradiction of liberty proclaimed and slavery practiced simultaneously.
- His writings both shaped American ideals and explicitly demeaned Black humanity, revealing foundational hypocrisy.
Angola Makes History Visceral
- Angola prison sits on a former plantation and holds mostly Black men, many serving life sentences while working the same fields for pennies.
- Formerly incarcerated guides like Norris Henderson described how the land and labor connect inmates' bodies to slavery's legacy.
