How the Word Is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How it Shaped America

On Monday, August 25, author and educator Clint Smith, in conversation with Rethinking Schools editor Jesse Hagopian and educator and Prentiss Charney Fellow Jessica Rucker, will discuss the new young readers edition of How the Word Is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How it Shaped America, which was adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul.

Clint Smith is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction and was named one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2021. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling poetry collection Above Ground and the award-winning poetry collection Counting Descent. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Smith previously taught English in Prince George’s County, Maryland and currently teaches writing and literature in the D.C. Central Detention Facility.

ASL interpretation provided.

Professional development credit certificate provided upon request for attendees.

These online classes with people’s historians are held at least once a month (generally on Mondays) at 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET for 75 minutes. In each session, the historian is interviewed by a teacher and breakout rooms allow participants to meet each other in small groups, discuss the content, and share teaching ideas. We designed the sessions for teachers and other school staff. Parents, students, and others are also welcome to participate.