Public historians have a responsibility to present history accurately, and not turn away in our interpretations of our past from difficult memories. Both books, All That She Carried and How the World Is Passed do just this. Both use different means, but they are perfect companion pieces to read.
All That She Carried:
This book was written by Tiya Miles and was released in 2021. The book tells the story of Rose’s sack that she packed for her daughter. The family was enslaved and lived in fear of separation and the auction block, among other atrocities committed against them. Rose packed a sack for her daughter, Ashley. The record is recorded in the fabric of the sack and preserves the memory of an enslaved woman, whose voice and stories are mostly lost to us, due to the historical preservation, the archive, and a legacy of white supremacy.
Tiya Miles relates the story of Ashley to her own life and the stories she hears from her Grandmother. The story of Ashley’s sack is preserved because of her daughter, Ruth Middleton. Ruth preserves the history of her family’s sack and inscribes its meaning on it. She actively challenges the devaluing of women like Rose in the records of American slavery. Rose’s story is a story of love for her child in a country that stole her from her own and then stole her daughter from her.
How the World Is Passed:
Clint Smith’s book explores the story of slavery at 8 locations in America and one outside of America. Clint Smith visits the plantations of Monticello and the Whitney. He comments on how most of the visitors to Monticello are white. This is something we discussed during our tour of Eastern State Penitentiary, most of their guests are white. Smith’s conversations with employees and visitors at Monticello are something that I understand well from my experience working at Eastern State. People came to see the house but weren’t fully aware of the horrors that Jefferson committed, or were unwilling to hear them in the slavery tours offered. Smith also noticed how tours differ depending on who is giving them. This is something I’d like to explore myself. I have some experience from my time at ESP seeing how each guide handles the subject matter in different ways.
The Angola Prison is still open and is built on a former slave plantation. The prison system serves as a legalized form of slavery. Smith sees an image there of a white man on a horse herding black prisoners, and he is amazed by how recent the picture is. His experience with the museum is how it separates ‘’criminals’’ from those who watch them.
I’m failing in my attempt to simplify these complicated stories. Both books deserved to be read. Clint Smith and Tiya White write in such a remarkable way that keeps you engaged and reading, even in the face of the horrible atrocities perpetrated by white supremacy.