November 2020 will be here before you know it. It’s time to govern ourselves accordingly. We need to acclimate ourselves with the issues, the stances of the parties, the politics involved and our place in all of it. Over the past 2 months, I have read the latest releases from some of my favorite political pundits. All of these books were enlightening, educational and entertaining.
I knew I had to read Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams before the November election. In true Stacey Abrams fashion, she clearly and thoroughly lays out the history of voting in America and voter suppression. She chronicles her run for Governor of Georgia against Brian Kemp, who was Secretary of State at the time of the race. As SoS, he essentially had oversight over an election HE was running in. What a disgrace! In addition to the history and personal accounts of what voter suppression looks like, Abrams provides a plan to end voter suppression, excite voters and ignite the democracy that we are supposed to have. The stakes are high right now, and we need a voice like Stacey Abrams in the fight. This was an excellent and timely read. I give it 4.3ish stars.
Zerlina Maxwell is a MSNBC contributor that I look forward to hearing from every week. She has worked on both the Hillary Clinton campaign and Barack Obama’s campaign and has an interesting insight that comes from working in two completely different camps. The End of White Politics: How to Heal Our Liberal Divide is a book is focused on what’s wrong with the Democrats. Why can’t they be a unified party? Where are they falling short? Why are they not listening to all of the voices – especially the voices of Black and brown people. Could the answer be in abandoning “white politics” and acknowledging that times are different now? The same way cannot be the way forward. It’s time to be inclusive and listen to the most marginalized among us. Perhaps that will usher in the change that is sought. I found this book interesting and a had few amen moments, but at times it was a bit slow. I give it 3 stars, but I still think that it is a good political read.
You probably know Symone D. Sanders from her many appearances on CNN. She is the political commentator that spices things up, so when she released her debut book, No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America, I had to read. Symone is probably one of the most woke folks in the political world and her book is too. She takes the time to educate about politics today and how the apparatus works and can/should be changed. Having worked in the Bernie and Biden campaigns, she speaks from a place of experience and understanding when it comes to how the electorate is feeling. She speaks for and to her generation about the time being now. It’s time to learn, understand, and be a participant in the process. Per the usual, she’s funny and candid. She’s open and honest about the missteps in her life and how she has learned from them. She’s asking us all to reclaim America. This is a timely book. November 2020 will be here before you know it.
And now for my favorite political read …Say It Loud! Black Voters, Voices & the Shaping of American Democracy by Tiffany Cross. Tiffany is another MSNBC contributor that I enjoy seeing. I love her voice, her intellect…and her shade. This book brought all of that. I listened to it via Audible because I just needed to hear her tell this story. That was a good choice because she was an excellent narrator. Say It Loud! provides some historical insight into the way the voter system was built and how it really wasn’t meant to include Black voters. It took the Civil Rights Movement for Black people to even enter the system. But why are we constantly overlooked…especially when the Black vote is so needed for the Democratic Party, especially? This book will spark some much needed and timely conversations about voting, voter suppression, and an ever-changing political landscape that will require everyone to take notice. I give this one 4.5 stars. Tiffany didn’t let me down.
I encourage you to check out all of these gems and prepare yourself for November 2020!
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