If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Did you know that some of America’s most iconic landmarks are hiding profound stories about slavery that remain hidden in plain sight?
- Have you ever wondered why certain communities choose to celebrate specific historical narratives while completely erasing others?
- Are you curious about how the physical landscape of the United States—from luxury plantations to maximum-security prisons—continues to shape our modern reality?
Listen to How the Word Is Passed — Free Audiobook
Key Takeaways from How the Word Is Passed
- Discover the crucial difference between history and nostalgia, and understand how the distortion of America's past continues to shape modern racial injustice.
- Learn how major American cities like New Orleans act as living memorials to slavery, with dark histories hiding in plain sight behind everyday street names, parks, and luxury hotels.
- Uncover the disturbing truth behind Thomas Jefferson's legacy, exploring how he penned the Declaration of Independence while simultaneously enslaving hundreds to fund his lavish lifestyle.
- Explore the forgotten history of the 1811 slave rebellion in Louisiana, and see why confronting gruesome historical truths is essential to combating the romanticized narratives of antebellum plantations.
- Understand why America is currently experiencing a profound reckoning with its collective memory, driven by recent tragedies and grassroots movements fighting to dismantle symbols of white supremacy.
Learning Tools
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How the Word Is Passed — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: New Orleans
Chapter 3: Monticello Plantation
Chapter 4: The Whitney Plantation
Chapter 5: Angola Prison
Chapter 6: Blandford Cemetery
Chapter 7: Galveston Island
Chapter 8: New York City
Chapter 9: Gorée Island
How the Word Is Passed Summary & Overview
How the Word Is Passed (2021) is a travelogue that underscores how slavery has shaped America’s collective history and its reality today. Nine locations serve as gateways to important stories that are hidden in plain sight. They exemplify how communities have reckoned, or not, with their roles in the history of slavery and invite us all to dig deeper into what we believe – and why.
Who Should Listen to How the Word Is Passed?
- Anyone who wants to better understand America’s relationship with slavery
- Community members seeking historical context on Black Lives Matter
- Activists and history buffs interested in how the past informs the present
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