Smith begins with Monticello, the plantation owned by Thomas Jefferson, which, like many institutions of its time was built mainly by the labor of enslaved Africans. The aegis of the book is this: Smith traveled 'to eight places in the United States as well as one abroad to understand how each reckons with its relationship to the history of American slavery.'

In his first major work of nonfiction, How the Word is Passed, poet, scholar and Atlantic Magazine staff writer Clint Smith seeks out this troubling history to understand the stories America tells itself about who we are through what is remembered. This all points to a desire to present a white-centered view of American history - to erase the oppression of Black Americans and the history of white supremacy and white violence. Today, as writers, scholars, and activists push back against this erasure of Black history, conservative white Americans in power have responded with a push to make learning about this 'critical race history' illegal - along with sweeping anti-voting rights legislation. But this history is generally not taught in schools. Tulsa was not the only site of white violence against Black communities in the early 20th century. As many as 300 Black Americans were killed, many more were injured, and 35 blocks of the city were destroyed, with damages amounting to what would be more than $20 million today. One hundred years ago, from May 31 through June 1, 1921, a group of white police officers organized white citizens in an attack on the Black residents of Tulsa, Okla., with both aircraft and ground forces. Disrupted is produced by Kevin Chang Barnum, Emily Charash and Catie Talarski.ĭisrupted is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, by Clint Smith Carlisle Larsen, Kevin Chang Barnum and Catie Talarski. This episode originally aired on Septemand was produced by J. Author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across Americaand the poetry collection Counting Descent. Clint Smith: Staff writer for The Atlantic. Smith is the recipient of the 2022 Stowe Prize and will be speaking at the Harriett Beecher Stowe Center on September 22, 2022.ĭr.

On this week's Disrupted, he joins us to talk about what he learned while researching the book. It became the basis for his best-selling book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. Clint Smith began visiting sites like Monticello Plantation and Angola Prison to learn more about the ramifications of slavery in the United States today. Lee came down in his hometown of New Orleans, Dr.

How the world is passed clint smith