Cynthia McKinney Autobiography Details Congress Challenges

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Former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) has written an autobiography titled “Ain’t Nothing Like Freedom” that is now available from Clarity Press, and in e-book format on Amazon.com.

The book is described by Amazon.com as follows:

“Detailing her six terms in the House of Representatives, this memoir by the United States congresswoman for Georgia’s fourth district reveals the woman behind the engaging political career. Best known for her vote in Congress against the Iraq war, a stance which she has continued to hold, she has also stirred controversy over legislation to dismantle corruption in Washington and elsewhere.

Describing the personal history that has informed her convictions, the congresswoman points to her pioneering parents, her own pursuit of the best possible education, her experiences as a community organizer, and her juggling act as a mother and a working woman.”

McKinney writes about her work on redistricting while in the Georgia Legislature; her lesser known work on human rights and international relations issues, especially involving Africa, while in U.S. Congress, her work assisting constituents with cases involving the federal government, and on a wide variety of issues of federal policy.

The stories attempt to illustrate the machinations of a system that she believes seems to be stacked against progressive change and potential agents of such change.

For example, McKinney writes about the rules of the U.S. Congress — how seniority is allocated, how decisions are made regarding what Congressional hearings will be held, who gets to invite witnesses or ask questions at these hearings, what bills come up for a vote — that constrain what a lone progressive member of Congress can accomplish beyond simply their roll call vote.

She also writes about the tricks “the powers that be” use to dodge Congressional oversight, and how she responded: by being so well-prepared, she writes, that her questions would be framed well enough not to be evaded.

The book includes pages of photographs, letters, and other archival materials, as well as excerpted speeches, in addition to narrative text.

McKinney writes that she is still hoping to write her dissertation and complete her Ph.D. and that she continues to look for ways to be involved in the struggle for social justice. Her son, Coy McKinney, recently received his J.D. from the University of the District of Columbia.

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