THE FORERUNNER

A prominent Black activist relates her story of resilience and political triumph.

A nurse, pastor, and community organizer based in St. Louis, the author charts her journey in becoming the first Black woman from Missouri to serve in the House of Representatives. In these remarkably candid pages, she sets forth her resolute commitment to social change and recollections of the formidable challenges she faced in pursuing it. The impetus for her memoir—and for her political activism—is her outrage at the stark injustices facing Black people, particularly Black women, and conviction that major social transformations are achievable. She first recounts a history of abuse by men as she explores the often traumatic conditions of her adolescence and early adulthood and then turns to focus on systemic forms of discrimination that reflect her own experiences. At the beginning, Bush warns readers that “you will find sometimes traumatic stories of abuse and assault, racism and misogyny.” The author’s firsthand knowledge of the health care industry allows her to pinpoint specific areas of inequity and bring to light their appalling implications. “In St. Louis,” she writes, “Black women are twice as likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth as white women, and Black children make up the vast majority of children suffering from lead poisoning.” Particularly memorable are Bush’s accounts of the evolution of her Christian faith and emergence as a religious leader, the galvanizing effect of the Ferguson protests of 2014 on her political activism, and the inspiration provided by a number of Black role models in her religious, academic, and professional lives. The author might have included more specifics about her policy ambitions and longer-term strategies for realizing them, but she provides a clear and compelling portrait of a fiercely determined reformer.

A frank, powerful account of the life and budding political career of a dedicated advocate for gender and racial justice.