Book Details:
Book Title: From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream by Janice S. Ellis
Category: Adult NonFiction, 412 pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing
Release date: February 1, 2018
Tour dates: March 19 to 30, 2018
Content Rating: G (No sex scenes and no obscenity)
Book Description:
From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream vividly recounts the journey of an African-American woman from rural, segregated Mississippi through academia, corporate America, and politics. It is the story of how she triumphed even when, more often than not, the ugly realities of racism and sexism tried to deter her.
This book tells the broader story, too, of how her life epitomizes what the Civil Rights Act and Equal Rights Amendment have meant and have not meant for blacks and women as she has lived through their maturation during the last 50 years. What better time than now to examine how these two seminal and defining events played out in the life of an ordinary African-American woman who believed in all of America s promises?
What better moment than today to look deeply at the life of a woman who prepared herself and worked tirelessly to achieve her goals only to realize that many lay beyond her reach and that of most women and most blacks. From Liberty to Magnolia shows readers, especially aspiring women and minorities with whom her story will have special resonance how to navigate and ultimately embrace the challenges at every major crossroads and be triumphant.
A Discussion Guide is included for use by book clubs, classes, and group discussions.
I loved this memoir. This is an incredible moving book written by a woman that inspires me, Dr. Ellis. She has a way with words that just really resonated with me. I couldn't put this book down, which is rare for me with nonfiction.
In this book, Dr. Ellis shares her hopes, dreams, and her life with us. I loved the honesty and rawness of her writing. She includes details that will empower women everywhere to speak up and not allow the same treatment against themselves. As a woman, I couldn't help but connect with her story almost immediately. I have struggled in some of the same ways in my personal and work life. I feel many women have experienced gender discrimination at some point in their life.
The stories about being black were eye-opening. I have never had to deal with those discriminations but reading about them couldn't be more timely. My heart broke at times for her. The things Dr. Ellis went through were shocking. While this book dives into her past we can hear stories about discrimination constantly today. Which shows we have a long way to go. I think this book was a great study of race and gender.
The thing I love most is even with all these bad things she doesn't let it destroy her. She doesn't let this turn her to hate. That was amazing in my opinion. I hope she writes more because I can't wait to read more about her life and build more understanding around race and gender.
From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream is one of the most powerful books that I have ever read. It is an empowerment to people everywhere and helps build peoples understanding of race and gender. I think readers of all ages will connect with various parts of Dr. Ellis's life.
About the Author:
Janice Ellis, Ph.D., has been an executive throughout her career, first in government, then in a large pharmaceutical company, later as President and CEO of her own marketing firm, and finally as President and CEO of a bi-state non-profit child advocacy agency. Along with those positions, she has been writing columns for four decades on race, politics, education, and other social issues. They have appeared in a major metropolitan daily newspaper, The Kansas City Star; a major metropolitan business journal, The Milwaukee Business Journal; and for community newspapers The Milwaukee Courier, The Kansas City Globe, and The Kansas City Call. She began her career writing and delivering radio commentary for two years for one of the largest ABC radio affiliates in Wisconsin. Later in her career, she wrote and delivered a two-minute spot on the two largest Arbitron-rated radio stations in the Greater Kansas City area. She has also written for several national trade publications, focusing on healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Ellis published an online magazine, USAonRace.com, for seven years dedicated to increasing understanding across race and ethnicity, in which she analyzed race and equality issues in America. The website continues to attract thousands of visitors per year. The site also has a vibrant Facebook page with fans numbering in the thousands. Five years ago, Dr. Ellis launched a companion site, RaceReport.com, which aggregates news about race relations, racism, and discrimination from across the United States and around the world daily. Dr. Ellis also has her own website, JaniceSEllis.com, which houses a collection of her writings and where she continues to write about race inequality, gender inequality, politics, education, and other issues related to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Janice Ellis, a native daughter of Mississippi, grew up and came of age during the height of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. Born and reared on a small cotton farm, she was influenced by two converging forces that would set the course of her life. The first was the fear and terror felt by blacks because of their seeking to exercise the right to vote along with other rights and privileges afforded to whites. The second was her love of books, the power of words, and her exposure to renowned columnists, Eric Sevareid and Walter Lippmann, whose work solidified her belief that the wise use of words is what advances the good society.
Janice Ellis became determined to take a stand, and not accept and allow the conditions of that farm life, or the strictures of oppressive racial segregation and entrenched sexism limit what she could become. She became determined to use whatever talents God had blessed her with and the power of words to help improve the human condition. FROM LIBERTY TO MAGNOLIA is her first book.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
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