This year's Book in Common is How the Word is Passed, by Clint Smith. Smith starts in his own hometown of New Orleans, and goes on a quest through seven locations to understand how slavery was integral to our country's history -- and how the stories we have told ourselves about that history have glossed over the parts we don't want to think about.
The Library has plenty of copies of How the Word is Passed to check out, and an ebook accessible at any time. We've also put together an online guide to the book, packed with information and extra resources for use in your class, your discussions, or your personal study. You'll find tips on reading history at the college level, links to sources on African-American history, videos, and more.
“What [Smith] does, quite successfully, is show that we whitewash our history at our own risk. That history is literally still here, taking up acres of space, memorializing the past, and teaching us how we got to be where we are, and the way we are. Bury it now and it will only come calling later." —USA Today