New Books in History 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 acclaimed author, delves into the legacy of slavery in America through the lens of his bestselling book. He explores historic sites like Monticello and Angola Prison, revealing how these places shape our understanding of enslavement. Smith discusses the complexities of public memory, the ethics of tourism at these sites, and the power of oral histories. He challenges listeners to confront the narratives we inherit and advocates for memorials that promote justice over nostalgia.
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Jefferson As America's Contradiction
- Thomas Jefferson personifies America's moral paradox: founding ideals and slaveholding coexist. Rejecting Jefferson's racial claims can be an act of literary and historical resistance.
Angola's Tangible Link To Slavery
- Angola prison sits on a former plantation where many incarcerated men feel the land's continuity with slavery. Formerly incarcerated guides described working the same fields their ancestors once labored in.
Afterlife Of Slavery In Carceral Landscape
- Prisons built on plantations expose how the afterlife of slavery shapes mass incarceration. Physical continuity makes metaphorical links between slavery and incarceration literal.
