Promotional Information

Desmond Meade was a convicted felon who turned his life around and got a law degree; when it came time to vote for his wife for state office, he found he had been disenfranchised.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE
Love Has Won the Day

ONE
The Railroad Tracks

TWO
Searching for Purpose

THREE
Down on My Knees

FOUR
A Passion for the Law

FIVE
Back to School

SIX
Staying Sober

SEVEN
Community Service Is My Lottery Ticket

EIGHT
Advocacy on Another Level

NINE
David and Goliath

TEN
A Ballot Initiative?

ELEVEN
Law School

TWELVE
Wouldn’t It Be Great If I Made Dean’s List?

THIRTEEN
The Greatest Indicator of Citizenship

FOURTEEN
No Man Is an Island

FIFTEEN
Cooking Up Some Gumbo

SIXTEEN
Blood Is Thicker Than Water

SEVENTEEN
Let’s Rock This Thing

EIGHTEEN
The Home Stretch

EPILOGUE
Love Will Win the Day

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Desmond Meade is the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, and a graduate of Florida International University College of Law. As a formerly homeless returning citizen, he fought to restore voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. He was recognized by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2019. Today, Desmond continues fighting against new restrictions placed on Florida voters that have been likened to Jim Crow laws. Desmond and his wife and five children live in Florida. Connect with him @desmondmeade.

Reviews

“[An] appealing debut memoir . . . This poignant account soars.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This is a moving and triumphant story of how ordinary citizens can make a difference.”
—Booklist

“Desmond Meade is one of my personal heroes, and his story is an inspiration for all those who aim to build a radically more inclusive democracy.”
—Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow