The debates over U.S. monuments that celebrate Confederate generals, soldiers, and politicians show just how pervasive slavery's legacy is - and how it continues to impact the way Black America moves and exists in the world today. How is - or isn't - this nation reckoning with the history of slavery, and what does it mean for our community? Today, we begin to answer that question with author and award-winning poet Clint Smith. Using his debut nonfiction book, "How the Word is Passed," as a guide, we explore how America is or isn't accounting for the system of slavery and more fully understand history's vital role in the progress of our community. BHY is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company – hit us up at BlackHistoryYear.com and share this with your people! PushBlack exists because we saw we had to take this into our own hands. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at https://BlackHistoryYear.com​. Most people do 5 or 10 bucks a month, but everything makes a difference. Thanks for supporting the work. The Black History Year production team includes Tareq Alani, Abeni Jones, Patrick Sanders, Tasha Taylor, William Anderson, Jareyah Bradley, Brooke Brown, Shonda Buchanan, Briona Lamback, Akua Tay, Leslie Taylor-Grover, and Darren Wallace. Our producers are Cydney Smith and Ivana Tucker, who also edits the podcast. Black History Year’s Executive Producer is Julian Walker. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices