''How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America'' is a 2021 nonfiction book written by author
Clint Smith
Clinton James "Snuffy" Smith (December 12, 1913 – May 19, 2009) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and head coach best known for his time spent in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player with the New York Rangers and the Chica ...
and published by Little, Brown. The work examines slavery in America. The text includes visits to a variety of historical landmarks/monuments and describes how each entity depicts the history of American slavery. Smith was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction (2021),
the Stowe Prize (2022
), the Dayton Literary Peace Prize (2022)
and the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism (2022)
for the book.
Summary
How the Word Is Passed features journeys to
Monticello Plantation,
Whitney Plantation
The Whitney Plantation Historic District is preserved by the Whitney Institute, a non-profit whose mission is to educate the public about the history and legacies of slavery in the Southern United States. The district, including the main house ...
,
Angola Prison
The Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola, and nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South", "The Angola Plantation" and "The Farm"Sutton, Keith "Catfish".Out There: Angola angling. ''ESPN Outdoors''. May 31, 2006. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. ...
,
Blandford Cemetery
Blandford Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in Petersburg, Virginia. Although in recent years it has attained some notoriety for its large collection of more than 30,000 Confederate graves, it contains remains of people of all classes and r ...
,
Galveston, Texas
Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, and
Goree Island. With each visit, Smith analyzes how preservative structures within American society (monuments, road names, holidays, neighborhoods, etc.) can reflect deep, conflicting, foundational truths within America’s past. Smith also considers how the cumulative writing and rewriting of history affects the current societal perception of American slavery.
Honors and awards
- Winner of the Stowe Prize (2022)
- Winner of Hillman Prize for Book Journalism (2022)
- Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize (2022)
- Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction (2021)
- New York Times’ “10 Best Books of 2021”
- Time Magazine’s "10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2021”
References
{{reflist
External links
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America at Zinnedproject.org
2021 non-fiction books
Non-fiction books about American slavery
Little, Brown and Company books