The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Confronting the Legacy of Slavery in America

In his acclaimed work, author Clint Smith turns

In his acclaimed work, author Clint Smith turns a probing lens on the narratives Americans construct around the institution of slavery. Rather than simply examining historical records, he investigates the spaces where memory and forgetting intersect—from plantations to prisons, from monuments to school textbooks. His central question is not just what happened, but how we choose to remember it, and what those choices reveal about our present-day identities.

Smith's book "How the Word Is Passed" takes readers on a journey through sites that hold deep significance in the nation's racial history. He visits former slave plantations, the cemeteries of New Orleans, and even a Confederate prison, listening to the stories told by tour guides, historians, and local residents. What emerges is a portrait of a country that often sanitizes its past, preferring comfortable myths to uncomfortable truths. The delicate balance between honoring heritage and acknowledging brutality becomes a recurring theme.

His poetry collection, "Above Ground," offers a more intimate counterpoint to his nonfiction. In these verses, Smith writes directly to his children about the weight of their ancestry—the resilience of those who endured and escaped bondage. The poems grapple with what it means to raise Black children in a land still wrestling with its foundational contradictions. He weaves personal moments of joy and fear with the long shadow of history, creating a lyrical bridge between generations.

In conversations with Terry Gross on Fresh Air

In conversations with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, Smith elaborated on these dual approaches to storytelling. During his 2021 interview, he discussed the challenge of visiting plantations that now host weddings and parties, questioning how such spaces can simultaneously celebrate and ignore their past. By 2023, his focus had shifted to the emotional labor of teaching his own children about slavery—a task he describes as both necessary and heartbreaking.

What distinguishes Smith's work is his refusal to offer easy resolutions. He does not presume to know how Americans should feel about their history; instead, he insists they engage with it honestly. By listening to the voices of those who interpret the past, he reveals how much of our understanding depends on who is telling the story. The result is a compelling invitation to look beyond the myths and confront the complex, often painful, realities that shape who we are.