The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris
(Format used for this read: Print–paperback)
Most of my Christmas wish list this past year was a whole bunch of books.
Okay…let’s be real….most of my Christmas wish list EVERY year is a whole bunch of books! 🤣
Seriously, I don’t need diamonds or flowers or anything elaborate…. just give me books, wine and chocolate for like EVERY holiday or celebratory event and I am one happy girl!
This read along with President Obama’s latest book were part of that wish list….and they have been chilling on my bookshelf just waiting to be read since I opened their pretty packaging from under my tree 6+ months ago 😬
Sometimes it takes me a good, long while to get to my nonfiction picks on my TBR pile.
While I love hearing other peoples real life stories and also broadening my knowledge and worldview, I tend to veer towards fiction when I want to curl up with a book and escape for awhile.
Which I have been doing A LOT recently.
Usually I try to read at least one “growth/information” book while I am also reading a “for fun” book.
I kinda haven’t been doing that much in the past few months. 😬
I figured it was time to get my life together (well…at least my BOOK life) and get back on track.
So, I grabbed this one of my shelf and dug in excitedly.
If you know me in real life, you will know that I did all I could to see the Biden/Harris ticket WIN this past November.
And let me tell yall…hearing Kamala Harris SCHOOL Mike Pence during that VP debate as he condescendingly spoke to her and repeatedly interrupted her….”I AM SPEAKING”…..that just spurred me on to keep fighting the good fight to get them in office and get the other asshats OUTTA THERE.
I REJOICED in a HUUUUUGEEEEE way when they WON!
Our first female Vice President.
What a MOMENT in history.
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
I was pumped to read this book and learn more about this groundbreaking leader.
Here is the summary:
“From one of America’s most inspiring leaders, a book about the core truths that unite us and how best to act upon them.
The daughter of immigrants and civil rights activists, Senator Kamala Harris was raised in an Oakland, California community that cared deeply about social justice. As she rose to prominence as one of the political leaders of our time, her experiences would become her guiding light as she grappled with an array of complex issues and learned to bring a voice to the voiceless.
Now, in The Truths We Hold, she reckons with the big challenges we face together. Drawing on the hard won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values as we confront the great work of our day.”
Confession: this was a bit of a slow read for me and did not keep me as engaged as I thought it would.
I don’t even want to SAY that out loud because there is some real amazingness that Madame Vice President Harris has been a part of and worked for and just IS as a human being….but I have to be honest….it wasn’t the most engaging read. and was a teensy bit boring in some parts. 😬
BUT….I still think she IS a fascinating, intelligent and hard working leader.
“….when it comes to things that matter most, we have so much more in common than what separates us.”
Reading about all the things she has done in her life and her career to fight injustice and serve the communal greater good was impressive.
She really does care and she has tried to do all she can to put that care into action.
To hear her describe the whys and hows of policies and procedures she has endorsed, supported and fought for speaks volumes.
Also, she is honest and direct about the reality of how much is broken in our country and possible ways we can go about trying to fix it.
“For me, to be a progressive prosecutor is to understand–and act on–this dichotomy. It is to understand that when a person takes another’s life, a child is molested, or a woman raped, the perpetrators deserve severe consequences. That is one imperative of justice. But it is also to understand that fairness is in short supply in a justice system that is supposed to guarantee it. The job of a progressive prosecutor is to look out for the overlooked, to speak up for those whose voices aren’t being heard, to see and address the causes of crime, not just their consequences, and to shine a light on the inequality and unfairness that lead to injustice. It is to recognize that not everyone needs punishment, that what many need, quite plainly, is help.”
“The criminal justice system punishes people for their poverty. Where is the justice in that? And where is the sense? How does that advance public safety?…Whether or not someone can get bailed out of jail shouldn’t be based on how much money he has in the bank. Or in the color of his skin: black men pay 35 percent higher bail than white men for the same charge. Latino men pay nearly 20 percent more. This isn’t the stuff of coincidences. It is systemic. And we have to change it.”
“If there aren’t serious consequences for police brutality in our justice system, what kind of message does that send to police officers? And what kind of message does it send to the community? Public safety depends on public trust. It depends on people believing they will be treated fairly and transparently.”
“..in our nation’s approach to healthcare, we’ve created bizarre dichotomy; we are simultaneously home to the most sophisticated medical institutions in the world and to structural dysfunction that deprives million of Americans of equal access to health care, a basic human right….the reality is that health care is still a privilege in this country. And we need that to change.”
“We grew up trusting that when we worked hard and did well, we would be rewarded for our effort. But the truth is, for most Americans, it hasn’t been that way for an awfully long time”
“The goal of economic growth has to be to grow the pie. But if all that’s left for workers are the crumbs, what kind of economy are we really building?”
While most of the book does focus on her work, my favorite parts were when she talked about her family. She speaks of them with so much love and tenderness…you can tell how treasured each and every one of her loved ones are to her heart.
“I told her that there was something my mother used to say that I always held close. ‘You may be the first. Don’t be the last.’ “
I am glad I read this book even though it was a bit dry….I still find her to be a tremendous woman.
I am glad I know more about this history making powerhouse.
But …
I am enjoying my current “for fun” book WAAAAY more 😃