Desmond Meade was chosen as a MacArthur Fellow in 2021
The inspiring and
eye-opening true story of one man's undying belief in the power of a
fully enfranchised nation.
"You may think
the right to vote is a small matter, and if you do, I would bet you
have never had it taken away from you." Thus begins the story of
Desmond Meade and his inspiring journey to restore voting rights to
roughly 1.4 million returning citizens in Florida--resulting in a
stunning victory in 2018 that enfranchised the most people at once in
any single initiative since women's suffrage.
Let My People
Vote is the deeply moving, personal story of Meade's life, his
political activism, and the movement he spearheaded to restore voting
rights to returning citizens who had served their terms. Meade
survived a tough childhood only to find himself with a felony
conviction. Finding the strength to pull his life together, he
graduated summa cum laude from college, graduated from law school,
and married. But because of his conviction, he was not even allowed
to sit for the bar exam in Florida. And when his wife ran for state
office, he was filled with pride--but not permitted to vote for her.
Meade takes us on a
journey from his time in homeless shelters, to the exhilarating,
joyful night in November of 2018, when Amendment 4 passed with 65
percent of the vote. Meade's story, and his commitment to a fully
enfranchised nation, will prove to readers that one person really can
make a difference.