How can teachers get students to understand the racist underpinnings of slavery—and to acknowledge its legacies in contemporary America?  Understanding and Teaching American Slavery (University of Wisconsin Press, 2016), co-edited by Associate Professor of History Cynthia Lynn Lyerly and Bethany Jay of Salem State University, offers college and high school teachers guidance on explaining the insidious institution of slavery and its continuing ramifications within American culture. The book address topics such as, slavery and the nation’s founders, the diverse experiences of the enslaved, slavery’s role in the Civil War and the relationship between slavery and the northern economy. Contributors offer ideas for teaching through slave narratives, runaway ads, spirituals, films and material culture.