How_the_Word_Is_Passed

<i>How the Word Is Passed</i>

How the Word Is Passed

2021 book by Clint Smith

How the Word Is Passed is a 2021 nonfiction book written by author Clint Smith and published by Little, Brown. The work examines the legacy of American slavery and how it continues to impact society today. 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),[1] the Stowe Prize (2022[2]), the Dayton Literary Peace Prize (2022)[3] and the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism (2022)[4] for the book.

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Summary

How the Word Is Passed features journeys to Monticello Plantation, Whitney Plantation, Angola Prison, Blandford Cemetery, Galveston, Texas, New York City, 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 our current societal perception of American slavery.

Honors and awards

- Winner of the Stowe Prize (2022)[2]

- Winner of Hillman Prize for Book Journalism (2022)[4]

- Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize (2022)[3]

- Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction (2021)[1]

- New York Times’ “10 Best Books of 2021”[5]

- Time Magazine’s "10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2021”[6]

References

  1. [1]
    Schaub, Michael (2022-03-18). "Announcing the Winners of the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Awards". National Book Critics Circle. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  2. [2]
    "Stowe Prize 2022". Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  3. [3]
    "Award Winners – Dayton Literary Peace Prize". Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  4. [4]
    "How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America". Hillman Foundation. 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  5. [5]
    "The 10 Best Books of 2021". The New York Times. 2021-11-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  6. [6]
    "The 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2021". Time. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
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