I met author and poet Clint Smith several years ago at a conference we were both speaking at. I heard his speech and was uber impressed with his eloquence, insights, and positions on social justice. Prior to that, I had heard him interviewed on NPR where he read a few of his poems aloud. I immediately bought his first book of poetry, Counting Descent. I was blown away not only by the power of the poems but by his ability to share his experience of what it means to be a Black man in American raising a son. His popularity has skyrocketed in the past couple of years with his new best-selling book, How the Word is Passed.