Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings & James Dale — "We're Better Than This"

Join the Boston Public Library for an online talk with distinguished political expert Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and longtime non-fiction writer James Dale, co-authors of We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy, primarily authored by the late Elijah Cummings. BPL President David Leonard will moderate this program, which is part of the BPL's Repairing America Series and presented in partnership with the GBH Forum Network.

People who wish to attend are required to register. Please visit the following link to access the registration page: https://wgbh.zoom.us/webinar/register/9016099535591/WN_r3TFJybGTIKHjsQUNJwqNA.

Part memoir, part call to action, We're Better Than This is the story of our modern-day democracy and the threats that we all must face together, as well as a retrospective on the life and career of one of our country’s most inspirational politicians. As we approached another test of our democracy, the 2020 race for the White House, Elijah Cummings reminded people through his memoir that "in this country we don’t elect kings, and we cannot afford four more years of this false one."

“Excellent political memoir by the late Democratic representative from Baltimore…A thoughtful and inspiring exhortation to do better by a much-missed leader.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

To purchase this book from one of the BPL's community bookstore partners, Trident Booksellers and Cafe, please visit the following page on their website: https://www.tridentbookscafe.com/event/bpl-event-dr-maya-rockeymoore-cummings-james-dale-%E2%80%94-were-better. Use the code BPLSHIP for free media mail delivery!

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and died there on October 17, 2019. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Howard University, serving as Student Government President and graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and then graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law. Congressman Cummings dedicated his life of service to uplifting and empowering the people he represented. He began his career of public service in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he served sixteen years and became the first African American in Maryland history to be named Speaker Pro Tem. First sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996, Congressman Cummings proudly represented Maryland's 7th District since 1996. He became Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in 2011 and was appointed as Chairman of the Committee in 2019.

Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is a social entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and strategist who’s on a mission to drive society toward inclusion. After a quarter of a century of working on innovative public policy and multimillion-dollar social change initiatives in the government, nonprofit, and private sectors, Maya is a policy and political expert who understands how to build and sustain cross-sector collaborations, diverse coalitions, dynamic diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, and effective education campaigns. An accomplished public speaker and author, Maya has appeared in a variety of media outlets such as CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and BET and her writings have been published in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, and the Washington Post among other publications. She has served on numerous boards including the National Association of Counties Financial Services Corporation, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the National Academy of Social Insurance. She is the recipient of multiple honors such as the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellowship Award and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Fellowship Award and has been a candidate for Maryland governor and the U.S. Congress. A former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, Maya earned her B.A. in political science from Prairie View A&M University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in political science, with an emphasis in public policy, from Purdue University. She is the widow of the late Congressman Elijah E. Cummings and lives in West Baltimore with her dog Andy.

James Dale has been author-collaborator on a number of books on topics including business, medicine, and life lessons. His works include The Power of Nice with agent-negotiator Ron Shapiro; Just Show Up with Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr.; and The Q Factor with Super Bowl–winning coach Brian Billick.

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The Repairing America Initiative is the Boston Public Library's pledge to focus its 2021 programming and services on bridging the gaps that divide America. By prioritizing economic recovery, civic engagement, COVID-19 recovery, racial equity, workforce development, and youth engagement, the BPL is working to help Americans rise above the challenges they face.

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