These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Poet and Atlantic staff writer Clint Smith’s first major work of nonfiction—an immediate bestseller—offers a critical look at the ways in which the U.S. erases, distorts and commodifies its history of enslavement. Smith travels the country, weaving in his personal history as he visits historical sites and modern memorials and ruminating on the effects of this dark legacy. Smith forces us to ask: How does our perception of the past inform our national identity and, especially, the treatment of Black Americans?
Buy Now: How the Word Is Passed on Bookshop | Amazon
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness