Review: How The Word Is Passed

 How The Word Is Passed by Clint Smith Published 2021

This is a hard book to stomach.

But isn't that the point?

Slavery is not pretty. It cannot be wrapped and presented neatly with a bow.

It is violent and dehumanizing.

It is degrading and horrific.

And, if you have taken a history class in the United States of America, you have likely not even heard the stories Clint Smith covers. 

Smith delved into stories I did not know about Monticello Plantation, Whitney Plantation, Angola Prison, Blandford Cemetery, Galveston Island, New York City, and Goree Island. This is not to say I have never heard of these places. I knew Jefferson lived at Monticello. I have been to Galveston and knew a very simplistic history of Juneteenth. Everyone knows stories about New York City. This is more to say that I did not know how deeply entrenched these places were in the history of slavery in our country. I did not know of the children Jefferson fathered with Sally Hemmings. I did not know that in Galveston, many slaves owners disregarded the end of slavery and kept people enslaved by lies by omission. I did not know of the rampant slave trade occurring on the streets of New York, despite New York being a free state in the north. I never knew, but I know now.

Smith addresses the history of each place through visits and interviews. Each visit marking a period in time and events that shaped American history. His interviews range from people who enjoyed history but were misinformed about our nation’s forefathers, to people who still believe the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery, and people who acknowledge that slavery exist but fail to see how that was bad.

Smith’s book was a lot or unlearning and relearning America history. It's heartbreaking to hear the stories of the enslaved people in the United States. To hear the conditions they were forced to live in and the atrocities committed against them. I was not taught this in school.

If you want the full experience of this book, listen to the audiobook read by author Clint Smith. It is well worth your time.