My Father's House: An Ode to America's Longest-Serving Black Congressman

(Hardback)

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Description

In this moving work, part clear-eyed assessment, part memoir, the son of iconic African American Congressman John Conyers Jr. shines a spotlight on his father and his political legacy, and reveals how, as his son, he eventually learned to leverage his own voice in a world that his father helped create.

A respectful, thoughtful, yet clear-eyed reframing of a national heros personal and political odyssey, My Fathers House is John Conyers III's love letter to his father and a record of his own journey. Conyers reveals a towering figure in modern American political history and an ordinary family man; a leader whose work in Washington necessitated his many absences as a father from a son coming of age in Detroit.

John Conyers III introduces us to John James Conyers, Jr. the legislator, who changed lives and made history, and of his equity-focused work that remains to be done. We meet Conyers the politician and mentor who worked with and counselled a network of powerbrokersoften from the family home on Seven Mile Road in the Motor Cityincluding President Bill Clinton, Congressmen Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Charlie Rangel, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, feminist Gloria Steinem, entertainer-activists Harry Belafonte, Berry Gordy, Stevie Wonder, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Chris Tucker, Vivica Fox, and a slew of other players in Washington, DC, and across the nation.

A resonant political, historical, and family story, My Fathers House explores how John James Conyers, Jr., was at once a man of deep and abiding spiritual faith, human talents, and human weaknesses. As he places his father among this land's greatest lawmakers, he also demystifies and grounds the Civil Rights giants of that era, reminding us of their noble yet deeply flawed humanity. This exploration of John James Conyers, Jr., told through John Conyers III's eyes and experiences, is essential to a thorough understanding of modern U.S. politics and the cultures and human lives it continues to shape.

My Fathers House includes a black-and-white photo insert.

Reviews

"Congressman John Conyers Jr. was a towering figure in American politics, a relentless advocate for justice and equality whose impact spanned generations. In My Father's House, John Conyers III offers a deeply honest account of what it means to carry his father's iconic legacy while forging his own path... John's ability to bridge the personal and political makes him a voice we should all be paying attention to. This is more than a memoir--it's a call to action for generational change and a roadmap for leadership that future generations can look to." -- Anthony Scaramucci, Founder of SkyBridge Capital and former White House Communications Director

"Urgent and packed with historical resonance, My Father's House is a memoir that will stand the test of time." -- Bakari Sellers, New York Times Bestselling author of My Vanishing Country and The Moment

Author Bio

John Conyers III is an accomplished entrepreneur and dedicated political organizer deeply rooted in the Detroit community. He's a proud graduate of Detroit Renaissance High School and pursued studies in Philosophy at Morehouse College and The New School. John is committed to revitalizing Detroit's economy through Jobs, Justice, and Peace. He's also an avid basketball enthusiast, mentoring youth in valuable life skills. Additionally, as the son of former Congressman John Conyers, Jr., and former City Council President Monica Conyers, John brings a unique perspective to community service and humanitarian causes given his family's generational civil accomplishments.