Synopses & Reviews
In this “inspiring memoir about the real power of courage and hope” (Kirkus Reviews), lifelong activist Shirley Sherrod explains why she was fired from the USDA under false charges and how she stood up against the politics of fear.On July 19, 2010, Shirley Sherrod was forced to resign from her position as Georgia State Director for Rural Development at the USDA, in response to allegations made by a right-wing blogger that she was racist. Ask Willie Nelson: "Sherrod has always stood for equality." Neither the White House nor the NAACP made any investigation into the matter before they decided to let Sherrod go. When the full story of Sherrod’s exemplary record came to light, the Obama administration tried to clean the matter up by offering her another job.
In The Courage to Hope, Sherrod reveals what went on behind the media firestorm and shares compelling, instructive stories about the ways this country has worked against the efforts of poor people, white and black, and farmers across the country. "Shirley Sherrod is a survivor," says The Washington Post. Her moving memoir will inspire all who read it and "make ou want to yell, cry, and stand up and cheer" (Terri Schlichenmeyer, WashingtonInformer.com).
Review
Sherrod sets the record straight on her forced resignation from the Department of Agriculture in 2010. An inspiring memoir about the real power of courage and hope. –Kirkus Reviews
Review
“When I first met Shirley Sherrod, she was advocating for black farmers in Georgia. We needed her expertise for all farmers and she immediately jumped in to work with every farmer, no matter their color. [She] has always stood for equality, and she does not bow to fear. I am proud to have worked together with [her] in the movement to keep family farmers on the land, but I’m even more proud to call her my friend.” –Willie Nelson, President of Farm Aid and music legend.
Review
“The stories of inequality and those striving for solutions may sound familiar to many, but the ability of Shirley Sherrod and her husband Charles and many of those represented in this book to forgive and move forward with strength in the face of these examples is unparalleled and holds invaluable lessons for us all.” – Majora Carter, MacArthur Award-winning environmental activist
Review
“Shirley Sherrod is a survivor.” –The Washington Post
Review
“One of those books that makes you want to yell, cry, and stand up and cheer.” – Terri Schlichenmeyer, WashingtonInformer.com
Review
Sherrod sets the record straight on her forced resignation from the Department of Agriculture in 2010. An inspiring memoir about the real power of courage and hope. -Kirkus Reviews
Review
“When I first met Shirley Sherrod, she was advocating for black farmers in Georgia. We needed her expertise for all farmers and she immediately jumped in to work with every farmer, no matter their color. [She] has always stood for equality, and she does not bow to fear. I am proud to have worked together with [her] in the movement to keep family farmers on the land, but I’m even more proud to call her my friend.” -Willie Nelson, President of Farm Aid and music legend.
Review
“The stories of inequality and those striving for solutions may sound familiar to many, but the ability of Shirley Sherrod and her husband Charles and many of those represented in this book to forgive and move forward with strength in the face of these examples is unparalleled and holds invaluable lessons for us all.” - Majora Carter, MacArthur Award-winning environmental activist
Review
“Shirley Sherrod is a survivor.” -The Washington Post
Review
“One of those books that makes you want to yell, cry, and stand up and cheer.” - Terri Schlichenmeyer, WashingtonInformer.com
Synopsis
Sherrod was a lifelong activist who served as Georgia’s first black director of rural development. In the summer of 2010, a right-wing blogger disseminated an ill- conceived video clip of a speech Sherrod had given to the Georgia NAACP, intending to make her an example of “reverse racism.” The media frenzy that ensued caused the Obama administration to demand her resignation. After hearing from Sherrod herself and learning the entire truth of what she said in that speech, the administration tried to backtrack. Public officials and media professionals admitted to being duped and apologized for their rush to judgment. Ultimately, Sherrod found herself the subject of a teachable moment. The Courage to Hope addresses this regrettable moment in American politics, but it also tells Sherrod’s own story of growing up on a farm in southwest Georgia during the final violent years of Jim Crow.
About the Author
Shirley Sherrod lectures nationally on issues of importance to middle class families, the poor, and small communities. She promotes empowerment strategies for economically and socially disadvantaged people and runs educational projects for struggling farmers. She lives in Georgia with her husband.Catherine Whitney has coauthored more than fifty books on legal, political, and social issues, including Where Have all the Leaders Gone? and The Weekend that Changed Wall Street. She lives in New York.