Synopses & Reviews
A trailblazing activist's passionate and incisive look at why she started a movement to ensure that 26 million Americans have access to the IDs they need to escape poverty and live healthy and productive lives
American Identity in Crisis weaves together three remarkable stories: the making of an activist in the wake of the 2016 presidential election; the fight against the onerous rules that are being used to keep vulnerable and targeted populations from participating in all facets of American life — from obtaining jobs and housing to going to the polls — and how we can solve a problem that impacts millions of American adults.
Kat Calvin ties all of these threads together in profound ways. In American Identity in Crisis, she takes us on a cross-country tour as she and her team uncover one of the biggest secrets in America and learn how to solve it. We meet veterans, the unhoused, and senior citizens, and learn the story of the fierce advocate who insists on recognizing their humanity and seeing them as souls who are resilient and striving for change.
Told in a voice that is strong and vulnerable; funny and fearless, confident and self-deprecating, American Identity in Crisis is a defense of human dignity and everyone's right to have access to the pursuit of happiness.
Review
"In this stunning book, Kat Calvin shines her light on ID-less Americans, an issue that could have changed the shape of the 2016 election, and currently affects the lives of over 26 million people. Calvin writes with a courageous heart that leaps off the page, as she incisively lays out the contours of this crisis of personal agency, while managing to provide inspiration, and a delightfully whacky sense of humor. Between her work spearheading Spread the Vote, Project ID, and this wildly generous political guidebook, I think it's only fitting to identify Kat Calvin as an American hero." Lauren Duca, Author of How to Start a Revolution: Young People and the Future of American Politics
Review
"I've made a habit out of reading whatever Kat writes — op-eds, newsletters, and now books — because I know that whatever she tackles will be funny, smart, and eye-opening. She makes a habit out of finding the clearest, most brilliant solutions to complex problems. As a reader, I'm just happy to be along for the ride." Ben Sheehan, Author of OMG WTF Does The Constitution Actually Say
Review
"I used to view the absence of a valid ID as no more than a minor, annoying inconvenience — a wasted afternoon at the DMV or scrapped overseas travel plans. Oh, how Kat Calvin has opened my naively privileged eyes to see the vast inhumanity and indignity the absence of state-issued ID really is. Thank you, Kat, for not simply shining a light on the problem, but relentlessly working to solve it too." J. Kelly Hoey, Author of Build Your Dream Network
About the Author
Kat Calvin is the founder and executive director of Spread The Vote + Project ID and the cofounder and CEO of the Project ID Action Fund. A lawyer, activist, and social entrepreneur, she has built a national organization that helps Americans obtain the IDs they need for jobs, housing, life--and in some states, the voting booth. Kat and her work have been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Essence, Glamour, and Marie Claire, and on NPR, PBS, BET, and many other outlets. She has been a guest commentator on MSNBC, CNN, Headline News, Sirius XM, and more, as well as a frequent keynote speaker and a sought-after voice for her expertise and opinions on politics, voting, ID-related issues, and more.