Book Review: The Truths We Hold: An American Journey (Young Readers Edition) by Kamala Harris

Sunday April 25, 2021 8:04 pm Sunset

79 degree Florida Spring Weather

I picked up The Truths We Hold: An American Journey (Young Readers Edition) by Kamala Harris in November 2020. I started reading this book with the intention to learn about our newly elected Vice President. I can honestly say that while reading this book, Madam Vice President Kamala Harris took me on a life journey. At every turn of this book, I found myself seeing my own life's story in its reflection. I read this book very slowly in the middle of a full graduate class load, full time work and another part time job. I started to realize how hard this woman worked her entire life to get the position of Vice President of the United States.

Madam Vice President Harris talked about critical issues like marriage equality, implicit bias in the criminal justice system, US Supreme Court case on home foreclosures in California, historical events that sparked her interest attending college, Immigration stories and her race in the Senate. She worked on United States Senate Intelligence Committee where she protected American interest on various issues like terrorism, securing our borders, the challenge posed by nuclear weapons, and civil liberties.

I felt myself relate to these issues because my family has a lot of retired service men from the armed forces. I also started graduate research on the introduction of terrorism, advanced terrorism topics, and global governance. As a graduate research student, I also find it interesting that Madam Vice President teaches the reader about the procedures and methods of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Her education and experience shows a lot of development character in her life journey.

I was glad that I took a long time to really read and understand every aspect of this book. I found it to be a good release from the intensity of graduate research. While reading her book, I found myself embodying some of the leadership qualities that she talks about learning when she was in college as a young professional. Even though the times have changed, there is still a similarity of character traits that are needed to produce effective organizational change. I'm excited to see the next steps Madam Vice President Kamala Harris will take.

Forever grateful,

Diwata Thomas