Courage in the People's House

March 1, 2023

Neguse, the first Black American elected to Congress from Colorado, here profiles nine key U.S. representatives who have made a difference, ranging from Joseph Rainey (South Carolina), the first Black American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, to the redoubtable Margaret Chase Smith (Maine) and visionary Texans Henry B. Gonz�lez and Barbara Jordan. Prepub Alert.

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May 1, 2023
A collection of stories about members of the House of Representatives who exhibited political and moral bravery. Colorado Congressman Neguse, whose parents came to the U.S. from Eritrea, states at the outset that his first book is similar to John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage. Yet whereas Kennedy's book focused on members of the Senate, Neguse looks at the House of Representatives, aiming to enhance the tattered image of Congress via the lives of representatives who made courageous decisions in the face of discrimination, hostility, and political pressure. Some of those featured, such as Margaret Chase Smith, Shirley Chisholm, and Barbara Jordan, are familiar figures. Neguse makes excellent use of the Library of Congress to highlight lesser-known stories of Black congressmen such as Joseph Rainey and Josiah Walls, who worked to advance civil rights legislation after the Civil War; Henry B. Gonzalez, who "devoted himself to the truth, even when it led to uncomfortable places and exclusion from the in-siders' club"; and Oscar Stanton De Priest, who sought to advance the rights afforded by the Constitution to all citizens. The author lauds William B. Wilson and Adolph Sabath for their efforts on behalf of labor and immigrants, respectively, in addition to broad-mindedness in the political arena. Neguse brackets the profiles by often mentioning his role as a House impeachment manager in 2021 as part of the inspiration for the book. He clearly wants to be considered in the same vein as the members he profiles, which is presumptuous. Still, Neguse's profiles are admirably crafted, accessible, and well researched. This is a fine first effort that could become the foundation of an ongoing series that would add to the noble history of the House of Representatives, but it also serves as a reminder of how largely devoid contemporary Congresses have been of courageous politicians. A well-written addition to the history of Congress.

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June 1, 2023
The saying goes something like this: "Those that don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it." From that we can infer the value of Neguse's book, nine short biographies of past U.S. Congressmen and women whose courage and tenacity helped change the course of human history. Some were formerly enslaved, some were immigrants or from families of immigrants, most were from very humble beginnings. These individuals helped knit the country back together after the Civil War, advanced the cause of organized labor, pushed to expand civil and voting rights, opposed McCarthyism, or fought segregation and Jim Crow. Some succeeded, some goals were not reached until after they lost office or died--but all fought the good fight. These snapshots of historic courage are a reminder that individuals can make a difference, whatever the odds. Neguse, himself an historic figure (as the first African American from Colorado to be elected to the House), wrote this book as a reminder of how courage can make a difference, and how, especially in the darkest of times, the lessons of history are most needed. An uplifting read.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 12, 2023
Colorado congressman Neguse profiles nine of his predecessors in the House of Representatives in his brisk and spirited debut. Six of the nine are politicians of color, including Joseph Rainey (1832–1887) of South Carolina, who was instrumental in enacting the 1875 Civil Rights Bill, though some of his fellow Republicans criticized him for ensuring its passage by linking it to amnesty for former Confederates. Rainey lost the vote of another subject of Neguse’s research, Florida’s Josiah Walls (1842–1905), who abstained because language had been eliminated from the bill that would have desegregated schools. Neguse also spotlights Pennsylvania’s William B. Wilson (1862–1934), a former miner who battled to protect coal miners in the early 20th century, and Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith (1897–1995), who advocated for equal treatment of women in the military. Elsewhere, the author delves into Shirley Chisholm’s controversial 1972 decision to visit her congressional colleague, staunch segregationist George Wallace, in the hospital after he survived an assassination attempt. Neguse optimistically concludes that the potential for political courage in the House remains robust in 2023. His judicious selection of subjects will give some readers hope.