Clint Smith's 'Above Ground' explores both the joys and tribulations of parenthood through poetry...

In "Above Ground," Clint Smith writes about the everyday joy, anxiety and exhaustion of parenthood with young children. He also writes about the legacy of slavery and racism and how that history shaped the lives of his ancestors and continues into the lives of his children.

Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of the nonfiction book "How the Word Is Passed: Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America." He joins Here & Now's Scott Tong.