In September 2025, National Trust President and CEO Carol Quillen and #1 New York Times bestselling author and poet Clint Smith gathered with preservationists at PastForward in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a keynote and fireside chat focused on how preservation connects us with the past.

In his keynote, Smith shared with audiences (as he recounts in his book How the Word is Passed) how neighborhoods, communities, and historic sites grapple with the history of slavery in this country. The subsequent conversation between Quillen and Smith explored the power of storytelling and how historic sites can serve as a vehicle for reflection, connection, and joy, particularly when they are physically standing where history happened.

For a limited time, watch the full plenary in the video below. Smith’s keynote starts at 32:32, with the fireside chat beginning at 54:35.

This video will not be available after February 28, 2026.