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A long overdue account of the pioneering life and work of controversial African American Congressman Arthur Wergs Mitchell of Chicago

John Lewis was a Black American civil rights activist and one of the original Big Six leaders of the nonviolent movement along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He said his hero was Rosa Parks, who told him it was okay to get into'good trouble'in fighting for justice and equal rights. Lewis took her advice all the way to the US Congress.

This memoir from the first Black Republican congresswoman in America shows readers how to own their stories, find their voices, and lead with character as they empower others to do the same. For so long, women—and Black women in particular—have been taught that they must have a stellar background, the highest degree of education, and the strongest resumé imaginable to earn their place in a society historically dominated by white men. As a result, women have found themselves plagued with anxiety and self-doubt and have felt constricted by this limiting belief of qualification by achievement and the necessity of sporting a flawless track record. These false assumptions have discouraged women from pursuing positions of power and influence for the betterment of their communities, leading to underrepresentation in our institutions and the tragedy of wasted potential. But it doesn't have to be this way. Mia Love has devoted her entire life to defeating illusive boundaries and redefining the meaning of “qualified.” The daughter of immigrant parents who sacrificed everything to embrace the American Dream, Love learned that she had something unique and valuable that she could give back to her country—her voice. And now she wants to empower others to do the same. For years, Love faced intense scrutiny and fielded questions regarding her political party affiliation, her desire to run for office, and her commitment to championing conservative values. In Qualified, Love explains her answers to these questions by taking readers through her journey from election to her local city council, leading as mayor of Saratoga Springs, and making history in the U.S. House of Representatives serving Utah's 4th Congressional District from 2015–2019. Her story showcases how we can stay true to our integrity, fearlessly voice our values despite fervent opposition, and begin again after every failure and setback.

The American Dream isn't a thing of the past, but a miracle of the present.Now more than ever it's easy to focus on the divisions that plague our nation. It may seem as if our best days are behind us, but bestselling author and senator Tim Scott believes we have yet to realize the fullness of our identity. We are in the midst of a story that's still unfolding. And beautiful opportunities await.In this powerful memoir, Scott recounts formative events of his life alongside the inspiring stories of other Americans who have risen above hardship and embodied the values that make our nation great. Together these personal and inspirational accounts call readers to embracethe mountaintops as well as the valleys on the journey to a more perfect union;a path marked by optimism, hope, and resolve; anda future characterized by endurance, unity, and strength. Both a clear-eyed reckoning with our nation's failures and an ode to its accomplishments, America, a Redemption Story issues a clarion call for all of us to rise courageously to the greatness within our reach.

The first Black Congresswoman to serve in US history traces her political struggle and examines the problems that have long plagued American government.“Shirley Chisholm created a path for me and for so many others. Today, I'm thinking about her inspirational words: ‘I am, and always will be a catalyst for change.'”—Kamala Harris“I want to be remembered as a woman... who dared to be a catalyst of change.” Political pioneer Shirley Chisholm—activist, member of the House of Representatives, and former presidential candidate—was a woman who consistently broke barriers and inspired generations of American women, and especially women of color. Unbought and Unbossed is her story, told in her own words—a thoughtful and informed look at her rise from the streets of Brooklyn to the halls of Congress. Chisholm speaks out on her life in politics while illuminating the events, personalities, and issues of her time, including the schism in the Democratic party in the 1960s and'70s—all of which speak to us today.In this frank assessment, “Fighting Shirley” recalls how she took on an entrenched system, gave a public voice to millions, and embarked on a trailblazing bid to be the first woman and first African American President of the United States. By daring to be herself, Shirley Chisholm shows how one person forever changed the status quo.“A tremendously impressive book.” —TheWashington Post“What [Chisholm] did was so pioneering.... She embraced what made her different and used it as her superpower.” —Regina King“Her motto and title of her autobiography—Unbought and Unbossed—illustrates her outspoken advocacy for women and minorities during her seven terms in the US House of Representatives.” —National Women's History Museum

An Essence Best Book of the Year: “[An] excellent political memoir... A thoughtful and inspiring exhortation to do better.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)NAACP Image Awards Winner for Outstanding Literary WorkIncludes a foreword by Speaker Nancy PelosiKnown for his poise, intellect, and influence, Elijah Cummings was one of the most respected figures in Congress—a politician who held fast to his beliefs but was not afraid to reach across the aisle in the name of friendship and progress. From his earliest days in government through his time as a representative and chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, he operated at the highest levels of democracy, serving the people of Baltimore and illustrating the importance of working with—and for—the underdog.Yet in his final years, Cummings recognized that democracy was the underdog. We're Better Than This draws from Cummings's own life to show the formative moments that prepared him for the disturbing first years of the Trump presidency and spurred him to hold the administration accountable for their actions. Weaving together the urgent drama of modern-day politics and character-defining stories from his past, Cummings offers a never-before-told perspective on how coming of age in South Baltimore laid the foundation of a lifelong fight for justice. He goes behind the scenes with the House Democratic leadership, offering an eye-opening chronicle of the grim realities of this unprecedented obstructionism by both the president and Republicans. He also presents a vital defense of how government oversight defines our collective trust, examining the dangerous precedent for both parties that exists if the executive branch remains above public scrutiny.Part memoir, part call to action, this is the story of our modern-day democracy and the threats we all must face together, and a retrospective on the life and career of one of our most inspirational politicians. As our democracy continues to be tested, We're Better Than This reminds us that in this country we don't elect kings, and we cannot afford four more years of this false one.Includes photographs“There was no greater friend to the poor, to the lost, to the left out, and to the left behind. If you want to understand this great man, read his historic, important book and learn the lessons and values from his ‘moral voice crying in the wilderness'on behalf of our American democracy.” —Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

An essential resource for readers analyzing the presidency of Barack Obama, this book provides a comprehensive summary of the life of 44th president of the United States.Barack Obama stated,'Our destiny is not written for us. It is written by us.'Was the former president talking about himself and his rise to the American presidency?On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, the first African American to be elected to this office. Former President Obama's politics of unity appealed to many segments of American society. When Obama became president, the United States faced challenges at home and abroad. Internationally, the country was stalled in two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Domestically, the country faced a financial and banking crisis, and poverty was on the rise. Undaunted by these colossal challenges, former President Obama noted,'We did not come to fear the future. We came to shape it.'Barack Obama: A Life in American History discusses the life of Barack Obama chronologically and discusses his post-presidential life. Readers of all levels with an interest in Barack Obama, politics, political parties, political ideology, presidential elections, government, and the U.S. presidency will find this book compelling.

In 1992, Carol Moseley Braun became the first, and to this day only, African-American woman elected to the US Senate. Long before this historic victory, which Barack Obama would later say prefigured his own path to the Senate and presidency, veteran Chicago journalist Jeannie Morris saw an incredible opportunity. Here was a bold and politically courageous candidate, a feminist and sensible progressive with whom Morris quickly identified on a personal level. Morris joined the campaign to write the official story of a brilliant retail politician with a charismatic smile. What happened next resulted in a story that went well beyond what Morris could have imagined.Behind the Smile is the riveting campaign-trail memoir of a journalist coming to grips with the shortcomings of an ascendant politician—a charismatic trailblazer whose personal relationship with a key staffer led to her undoing. The narrative unfolds as the personal journey of a sympathetic reporter reconciling her own belief in an inspiring figure with her responsibility to deliver the facts. In Behind the Smile, Morris brings the social and political impact of Moseley Braun's story—from her meteoric rise to her eventual downfall—into clear focus.

A staunch proponent of breaking down racial and gender barriers, Shirley Chisholm had the esteemed privilege of being a pioneer in many aspects of her life. She was the first African American woman from Brooklyn elected to the New York State legislature and the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968. She also made a run for the Democratic Party nomination for president in 1972. Focusing on Chisholm's lifelong advocacy for fair treatment, access to education, and equal pay for all American minority groups, this book explores the life of a remarkable woman in the context of twentieth-century urban America and the tremendous social upheaval that occurred after World War II.About the Lives of American Women series: Selected and edited by renowned women's historian Carol Berkin, these brief biographies are designed for use in undergraduate courses. Rather than a comprehensive approach, each biography focuses instead on a particular aspect of a woman's life that is emblematic of her time, or which made her a pivotal figure in the era. The emphasis is on a'good read', featuring accessible writing and compelling narratives, without sacrificing sound scholarship and academic integrity. Primary sources at the end of each biography reveal the subject's perspective in her own words. Study questions and an annotated bibliography support the student reader.

Although he was one of the most important African American political leaders during the last decade of the nineteenth century, George Henry White has been one of the least remembered. A North Carolina representative from 1897 to 1901, White was the last man of his race to serve in the Congress during the post-Reconstruction period, and his departure left a void that would go unfilled for nearly thirty years. At once the most acclaimed and reviled symbol of the freed slaves whose cause he heralded, White remains today largely a footnote to history. In this exhaustively researched biography, Benjamin R. Justesen rescues from obscurity the fascinating story of this compelling figure's life and accomplishments.The mixed-race son of a free turpentine farmer, White became a teacher, lawyer, and prosecutor in rural North Carolina. From these modest beginnings he rose in 1896 to become the only black member of the House of Representatives and perhaps the most nationally visible African American politician of his time. White was outspoken in his challenge to racial injustice, but, as Justesen shows, he was no militant racial extremist as antagonistic white democrats charged. His plea was always for simple justice in a nation whose democratic principles he passionately loved. A conservative by philosophy, he was a dedicated Republican to the end. After he retired from Congress, he remained active in the fight against racial discrimination, working with national leaderas of both races, from Booker T. Washington to the founders of the NAACP. Through judicious use of public documents, White's speeches, newspapers, letters, and secondary sources, Justesen creates an authoritative and balanced portrait of this complex man and proves him to be a much more effective leader than previously believed.

From celebrated Congressman John Lewis comes an eyewitness account of history from a key member of the Civil Rights Movement and confidant to Martin Luther King Jr. In turbulent times Americans look to the Civil Rights Movement as the apotheosis of political expression. As we confront a startling rise in racism and hate speech and remain a culture scarred by social inequality, there's no better time to revisit the lessons of the'60s and no better leader to learn from than the late Representative John Lewis. In the final book published before his passing, Across That Bridge, Congressman John Lewis draws from his experience as a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement to offer timeless wisdom, poignant recollections, and powerful principles for anyone interested in challenging injustices and inspiring real change toward a freer, more peaceful society. The Civil Rights Movement gave rise to the protest culture we know today, and the experiences of leaders like Congressman Lewis, a close confidant to Martin Luther King, Jr., have never been more relevant. Despite more than forty arrests, physical attacks, and serious injuries, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the discipline and philosophy of nonviolence. Now, in an era in which the protest culture he helped forge has resurfaced as a force for change, Lewis'insights have never been more relevant. In this heartfelt book, Lewis explores the contributions that each generation must make to achieve change. Now featuring an updated introduction from the author addressing the Trump administration, Across that Bridge offers a strong and moral voice to guide our nation through an era of great uncertainty.Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work/Biography.

Political biography of Barack Obama, b. 1961, president of United States.

Award-winning photojournalist, Pete Souza, documents the meteoric rise of the charismatic Barack Obama from his first day in the U.S. Senate right up to the Pennsylvania presidential primary. More than 80% of these candid and stunning photographs capturing private and political moments have not been seen before. Souza provides extended commentary about each photo to place it in context, and describe the scene and participants. Photo-by-photo the viewer is allowed to examine the senator and candidate's path to the very cusp of history.

Barack Obama For Beginners: An Essential Guide is the most concise and reliable short biography available on the 44th President of the United States — from his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, education at Columbia and Harvard, work as a community organizer, writer, teacher, lawyer, and politician in Illinois, to his historic campaign for President. Barack Obama For Beginners keeps the focus on the man and his record — accomplishments and missteps, praise and criticism — to allow readers to gain a balanced understanding of President Obama as they follow his rise to the White House. Entertaining illustrations enliven the reading experience and highlight important details.

Barack Obama, b. 1961, elected president of United States.

NOTE: NO FURTHER DISCOUNT FOR THIS PRINT PRODUCT--OVERSTOCK SALE --Significantly reduced list price while supplies last Black Americans in Congress, 1870–2007, is a comprehensive history of the more than 120 African Americans who have served in the United States Congress. Written for a general audience, this book contains a profile of each African-American Member, including notables such as Hiram Revels, Joseph Rainey, Oscar De Priest, Adam Clayton Powell, Shirley Chisholm, Gus Hawkins, and Barbara Jordan. Individual profiles are introduced by contextual essays that explain major events in congressional and U.S. history. The volume also features:Pictures—including rarely seen historical images—of each African American who has served in Congress Bibliographies and references to manuscript collections for each Member Statistical graphs and charts Index Related products:Paperback edition of the Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007 can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-070-07520-1Hispanic Americans in Congress, 1822-2012 --Hardcover format can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-071-01563-9?ctid=1175 --Paperback format is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-071-01567-1?ctid=1175 Women in Congress, 1917-2006 Hardcover/Clothbound format is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-070-07480-9United States Congressional Serial Set, Serial No. 14903, House Document No. 223, Women in Congress, 1917-2006 can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/552-108-00040-0Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005 is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/052-071-01418-7?ctid=1175 Other products produced by the U.S. Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) part of the U.S. Congress can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/1175

En La audacia de la esperanza, el senador demócrata Barack Obama reclama una política diferente—una política para quienes están cansados del agrio partidismo, una política que se basa en la fe, la participación de todos y la nobleza de espíritu que es parte esencial de “nuestro improbable proyecto de democracia”. En el corazón de este libro está la visión del senador Obama de cómo podemos superar nuestras divisiones para enfrentar los problemas concretos. Él examina la creciente inseguridad económica de las familias estadounidenses, las tensiones raciales y religiosas dentro del cuerpo político y las amenazas transnacionales—desde el terrorismo hasta las pandemias—que se congregan más allá de nuestras costas. En sus anécdotas acerca de su familia, amigos, miembros del Senado y hasta del presidente, existe un poderoso deseo de establecer conexiones: la plataforma de un consenso político radicalmente optimista. Como senador y abogado, profesor y padre, cristiano y escéptico, y sobre todo como estudioso de la historia y de la naturaleza humana, el senador Obama ha escrito un libro de un poder transformador.

Barack Obama's success in becoming President of the United States meant that he dramatically changed the face that his country presented to the world.In this bestselling book, Barack Obama discusses the importance of empathy in politics, his hopes for a different America with different policies, and how the ideals of its democracy can be renewed.With intimacy and self-deprecating humour, Obama describes his experiences as a politician and balancing his family life with his public vocation. His search for consensus and his respect for the democratic process inform every sentence. A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a sceptic, Barack Obama has written a book of transforming power that will inspire people the world over.

President Lyndon Johnson never understood it. Neither did President Richard Nixon. How could a black man, a Republican no less, be elected to the United States Senate from liberal, Democratic Massachusetts - a state with an African American population of only 2 percent?. The mystery of Senator Edward Brooke's meteoric rise from Boston lawyer to Massachusetts attorney general to the first popularly elected African American U.S. senator with some of the highest favorable ratings of any Massachusetts politician confounded many of the best political minds of the day.

Title from eBook title screen (viewed on July 31, 2006).

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Barack Obama's lucid vision of America's place in the world and call for a new kind of politics that builds upon our shared understandings as Americans, based on his years in the Senate “In our lowdown, dispiriting era, Obama's talent for proposing humane, sensible solutions with uplifting, elegant prose does fill one with hope.”—Michael Kazin, The Washington Post In July 2004, four years before his presidency, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners'minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Obama called “the audacity of hope.”The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama's call for a different brand of politics—a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces—from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media—that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.At the heart of this book is Barack Obama's vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats—from terrorism to pandemic—that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy—where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, Obama says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes—“waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”

The story of a slave-turned-US senator and an African American dynasty: “A compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall.” —The Washington Post Spanning more than a century, Lawrence Otis's illuminating biography is a fascinating look at race and class in the latter decades of nineteenth-century America, witnessed through the life of Blanche Kelso Bruce—United States senator from Mississippi and head of America's first black dynasty. Otis reveals how Bruce rose from slavery to achieve power and prestige in the aftermath of the Civil War. With his wife, the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia physician, he would break social and racial barriers—a legacy continued by their children until scandal destroyed the family's wealth and stature. Filled with triumph, tragedy, and the complexities and conflicts of the Reconstruction-era South, The Senator and the Socialite brings into focus an important yet little-known part of our nation's past.“Graham, whose Our Kind of People profiled the black upper class, recovers the history of a family that broke barriers in Washington and at Exeter and Harvard. At the same time, he offers a devastating view of the compromises it made.” —The New Yorker“A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment and weakness.” —The Washington Post “Not just a history but a revealing commentary on race and class, and on their inordinately powerful force in shaping our lives today.” —Chicago Tribune

Andrew Young: Civil Rights Ambassador explores the rising influence of race in foreign relations as it examines the contributions of this African American activist, politician, and diplomat to U.S. foreign policy. Young used his positions as a member of the United States House of Representatives (1973D77), U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations (1977D79), and mayor of Atlanta during the 1980s to further the cause of race in diplomatic affairs and to bring an emphasis to United States relations with Africa. Author Andrew DeRoche begins his study of Young by looking at his formative years as a top assistant to Martin Luther King in the 1960s. It was during this period that Young developed his philosophy and his tactics. Young was committed to working for racial justice around the globe and he was willing to meet with all sides in any conflict. One of the few books that focuses on the influence of race in U.S. foreign policy, Andrew Young: Civil Rights Ambassador is informative reading for those interested in diplomatic history and African American history.

Provides brief biographical sketches of African Americans who were elected to Congress during the Reconstruction. Also, includes excerpts from documents illuminating their activities in Congress.

A political biography of the first African American hero of the Civil WarA native of Beaufort, South Carolina, Robert Smalls was born into slavery but—through acts of remarkable courage and determination—became the first African American hero of the Civil War and one of the most influential African American politicians in South Carolina history. In this largely political biography of Smalls's inspirational story, Edward A. Miller, Jr., traces the triumphs and setbacks of the celebrated U.S. congressman and advocate of compulsory, desegregated public education to illustrate how the life and contributions of this singular individual were indicative of the rise and fall of political influence for all African Americans during this rough transitional period in American history.