Synopsis

I entered politics as a United States Congressional candidate for Alabama’s 3rd District (AL-03) on February 8, 2018. I was 38 years old, newly divorced, and the single mother of four children ages 13, 12, and 10-year-old twins.

My leap into politics came as the result of a life filled with divinely timed moments, including my active campaign volunteerism for Doug Jones in late 2017. Four weeks after this special election miracle, the Democratic Party Chair of my county introduced me to the first person to tell me I would make a great Congressional candidate. 

Though not on my immediate radar, politics was an arena that interested me, and with the qualifying deadline less than two weeks away, I had to think fast. 

My children all encouraged me to go for it. My mother, a former politician herself, spoke to me about the pressures that come with running for office. She also assured me I had her support, which would be critical as a single mother running for Congress.

I prayed, cried, and prayed some more. Two days later, with my 10-year-old son in tow, I made the two-hour drive to Montgomery and jumped feet first into politics as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Running For My Future is a book that shows politics is for regular citizens too, as I went from being a campaign volunteer with no political backing to a viable U.S. Congressional candidate within 8 weeks.  Running For My Future is an inspirational story marking a historic period in American politics, in which a record number of women from around the country, and particularly in Alabama, ran for office. Running For My Future is a testament to the power of resilience. My first run at politics was full of ups and downs, and has opened doors, yet to be seen. Running For my Future is my personal testimony that with faith and courage all things are possible.

Do you have an unrealized dream? Are there seeds planted from childhood showing up in your adult experiences? Are you trying to find that voice you silenced when you became a parent? This book can be a source of inspiration reminding you it is not necessary to have all the answers before you act on a goal.

Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated:

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

Outline

Part 1: Education, Hip Hop, and My Segue into Political Engagement

Part 1 introduces the serendipitous, divinely timed, and pivotal moments from my pre-teens to my 20s, which prepared me to take the major leap into politics. 

Chapter 1: Planting the Seeds of Political Engagement (1992-1997)- As a middle and high school student, Hip Hop culture influenced my understanding of the tumultuous 1990s, and shaped my initial interest in politics.

Chapter 2: Building A Life (1998-2010)- After high school I decided to ignore my early interests in politics, choosing instead to focus on career, marriage, and children.

Chapter 3: Returning to Myself (2011-2014)- After years of running away from my destiny, life began to remind me of who I really was, opening my mind to political involvement again.

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Part 2: The Roots of My Political Future

Part 2 explores the opportunities that positioned me to go from campaign volunteer for Senator Doug Jones to Congressional candidate within 8 weeks. It also chronicles my campaign, which went on to garner national attention.

Chapter 4: Sweet Home Alabama (2014-2017)- Grief and loss brought me back home to Alabama and reminded me that all things would work together for my good.

Chapter 5: The Election of Doug Jones (October 2017-December 12, 2017)- Through several serendipitous meetings, I became engaged in politics again

Chapter 6: #WINfreyForCongress (January 2018-March 2018)- From campaign volunteer to Congressional candidate in the blink of an eye

Chapter 7: For Ida & Fannie Lou & Shirley & Maya (April 2018-May 2018)- Against all odds, my Congressional candidacy began making waves nationally

Chapter 8: Because I Am Black (May 2018-June 2018)- The ups and downs of being a Black woman running for U.S. Congress in Alabama 

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Part 3: The Ending, Where it All Begins

Part 3 looks at the impact of my campaign, which immediately opened doors for me after the Democratic Primary, and began bringing my experiences full circle.

Chapter 9: Still I Rise (June 2018-September 2018)- Emerging like a phoenix from the ashes, I began to understand the impact of my Congressional campaign and what it means for the future of politics

Chapter 10: Walt For Governor (September 2018-November 6, 2018)- My political engagement took another unexpected turn and created even greater opportunities

Chapter 11: Visioneering (2019 and Beyond)- Think it, believe it, receive it and it shall be yours.

Audience

This book is targeted at those interested in running for office or simply interested in understanding more about our political system from the nontraditional candidate’s perspective. For those interested in running for office, this book offers an inside look into a political campaign, and the ups and downs that come with being the non-establishment candidate, which would likely be the reality for most people engaging in politics.

According to a 2014 Pew Research study, about 2% of Americans said they had run for office. The vast majority of this 2% being white and male. However, with 2018, American politics saw a major demographic shift with women of various ethnicities running for office in record numbers. And with the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote approaching, diversity in politics is receiving even more attention. There are also a number of national organizations like Emerge and Higher Heights who's mission is bringing women into politics. This book would be ideal for participants in these groups.

This book will also appeal to people of all walks of life with unrealized dreams, including single parents, Gen-Xers and Millenials , and women looking to break into politics and other male-dominated spaces.

Jack Canfield, an award-winning leader in personal development and peak performance, identified “roadblocks, fears, and considerations” as the three components that keep most people from achieving their goals. This book shows how I moved past all three and even used aspects of each in my victories.

Promotion

Collaboration. My book will be promoted through a strategic and ongoing campaign, in conjunction with the Let Her Shine initiative being launched by Publishizer. I will also collaborate with organizations whose mission is preparing women for engagement in politics, social justice groups, political organizations, women’s empowerment organizations, and Hip Hop-based institutes around the world.

Media. I will promote the book launch on various podcasts, radio, television and online media platforms, focusing on topics covered in the book and providing snippets into its development to build up momentum and excitement.

Social. A promotional campaign on social media to include video, text and visuals, with behind the scenes looks into the book’s creation, archival video footage, research, and progress will be posted across various platforms and shared with a mailing list. Hashtags whose followings match my book's audience will also be targeted.

Competition

Since the election of Doug Jones in December 2017, there has been an increased interest in Black women in politics. Recent best-selling memoirs by other politcial Black women, all published in 2018 and 2019, including Becoming by Michelle Obama, Minority Leader by Stacey Abrams, and The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris are my closest competition. The biggeest difference between my book and theirs is my journey to and connection with politics. However the great success of these books points to a market that has gone largely untapped, that is full of interested readers.

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister, is another competing book. A primary difference between our books is mine is an autobiographical memoir.

Lost and Found: Finding Hope in the Detours of Life by Sarah Jakes is another competing book, as it too focuses on the power of faith in the journey of life. And while both books are inspirational stories about Black women overcoming obstacles to achieve their dreams, my book brings in the element of politics, which is relevant to today's social climate.