Reclaiming Her Time: The Power of Maxine Waters

by Helena Andrews-Dyer, R. Eric Thomas

Overview

Named a Best Political Book of the Year by The Atlantic

In the tradition of Notorious RBG, a lively, beautifully designed, full-color illustrated celebration of the life, wisdom, wit, legacy, and fearless style of iconic American Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

“Let me just say this: I’m a strong black woman, and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O’Reilly or anyone.”—Maxine Waters 

To millions nationwide, Congresswoman Maxine Waters is a hero of the resistance and an icon, serving eye rolls, withering looks, and sharp retorts to any who dare waste her time on nonsense. But behind the Auntie Maxine meme is a seasoned public servant and she’s not here to play. Throughout her forty years in public service and eighty years on earth, U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd district has been a role model, a crusader for justice, a game-changer, a trailblazer, and an advocate for the marginalized who has long defied her critics, including her most vocal detractor, Donald J. Trump. And she’s just getting started. 

From her anti-apartheid work and support of affirmative action to her passionate opposition to the Iraq War and calls to hold Trump to account, you can count on Auntie Maxine to speak truth to power and do it with grace and, sometimes, sass. As ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee and one of the most powerful black women in America, she is the strong, ethical voice the country has always needed, especially right now.

Reclaiming Her Time pays tribute to all things Maxine Waters, from growing up in St. Louis “too skinny” and “too black,” to taking on Wall Street during the financial crisis and coming out on top in her legendary showdowns with Trump and his cronies. Featuring inspiring highlights from her personal life and political career, beloved memes, and testimonies from her many friends and fans, Reclaiming Her Time is a funny, warm, and admiring portrait of a champion who refuses to stay silent in the face of corruption and injustice; a powerful woman who is an inspiration to us all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062992048
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/20/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	47 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Helena Andrews-Dyer is a features reporter for the Washington Post and the author of the memoir-in-essays Bitch Is the New Black.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Meme (July 27, 2017) 9

Chapter 2 Maxine in the Making (1938-1965) 21

Time Out: Life in Watts 35

The Timeline 44

Chapter 3 MS. Waters Goes to Sacramento (1965-1976) 51

Time Out: The Notional Women's Conference of 1977 62

Chapter 4 International Implications (1979-1986) 67

Time Out: Maxine and Sidney 79

Chapter 5 Uprising (1990-1993) 81

Time Out: The Presidents 101

Chapter 6 Shut Up (1992-1994) 115

Chapter 7 Wall Street and Gangsters (1992-1994) 129

Time Out: The Work 146

Chapter 8 There Are Lows to this (2008-2011) 151

Chapter 9 She Betta Werk 161

Time Out: And Now a Word from the Book of Maxine 172

Chapter 10 "I'm not Afraid of Anybody" (2016-2020) 187

Chapter 11 Final Thoughts 201

Appendix: Maxine in the Media 205

Acknowledgments 211

Notes 215

Credits 235

Index 239

Editorial Reviews

There’s plenty of funny on these pages. And not just a line here or there; we’re talking curse you for making my face wrinkle this way I am now reaching for the eye cream funny. The writers are unabashed fans, writing for those who share the love and making the case that political biographies shine bright when they have as much panache as their subject.”  — Washington Post

“Reclaiming Her Time renders Congresswoman Waters’s extraordinary career in penetrating detail and razor-sharp wit. Andrews-Dyer and Thomas have created a beautiful celebration of Waters’s great vision, wisdom, and heart in this book."
— Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Thoroughly researched, sharply written, full of amazing visuals and just as commanding as the Congresswoman herself, Reclaiming Her Time is an inspired portrait of the always fearless and inspiring Maxine Waters.”  — Gabrielle Union, actor, activist, and New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine

"When Congresswoman Maxine Waters made her iconic proclamation “Reclaiming my time,” a generation of activists rose up in solidarity and thankfulness for our Auntie Maxine. Congresswoman, hero, voice of democracy, Maxine Waters is a beacon of hope and promise during these times."
— Patrisse Khan Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, New York Times bestselling author and joint recipient of The Sydney Peace Prize.

"When Maxine Waters speaks, not only do people listen, but they learn, and they understand about her indomitable will to fight for the voiceless." — Bakari Sellers, author of My Vanishing Country

"[Andrews-Dyer and Thomas'] buoyant and zesty portrait of the woman known as 'Auntie Maxine' is perfect for the vivacious, unconventional, tireless, and essential Waters." — Booklist (starred review)

"In turn both entertaining yet serious, this informal biography will especially engage political buffs but also general readers of excellent biography." — Library Journal (starred review)

"Energetic... Readers who enjoyed Notorious RBG will cheer this vibrant account of another progressive hero." — Publishers Weekly

"A lively pop history of an impressive career." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Thoroughly researched, sharply written, full of amazing visuals and just as commanding as the Congresswoman herself, Reclaiming Her Time is an inspired portrait of the always fearless and inspiring Maxine Waters.” 

Gabrielle Union

"[Andrews-Dyer and Thomas'] buoyant and zesty portrait of the woman known as 'Auntie Maxine' is perfect for the vivacious, unconventional, tireless, and essential Waters."

Booklist (starred review)

"When Congresswoman Maxine Waters made her iconic proclamation “Reclaiming my time,” a generation of activists rose up in solidarity and thankfulness for our Auntie Maxine. Congresswoman, hero, voice of democracy, Maxine Waters is a beacon of hope and promise during these times."

Patrisse Khan Cullors

Reclaiming Her Time renders Congresswoman Waters’s extraordinary career in penetrating detail and razor-sharp wit. Andrews-Dyer and Thomas have created a beautiful celebration of Waters’s great vision, wisdom, and heart in this book."

Ibram X. Kendi

There’s plenty of funny on these pages. And not just a line here or there; we’re talking curse you for making my face wrinkle this way I am now reaching for the eye cream funny. The writers are unabashed fans, writing for those who share the love and making the case that political biographies shine bright when they have as much panache as their subject.” 

Washington Post

"When Maxine Waters speaks, not only do people listen, but they learn, and they understand about her indomitable will to fight for the voiceless."

Bakari Sellers

There’s plenty of funny on these pages. And not just a line here or there; we’re talking curse you for making my face wrinkle this way I am now reaching for the eye cream funny. The writers are unabashed fans, writing for those who share the love and making the case that political biographies shine bright when they have as much panache as their subject.” 

Washington Post

★ 09/01/2020

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) boasts both political longevity and a relentless capacity to continue to adapt, challenge, and inspire. Thomas (Here for It), creator of the Auntie Maxine meme, collaborates with Washington Post reporter Andrews-Dyer to capture the energy—and urgency—of Waters with an addictive, fully illustrated read brimming with quotations. The authors set out to "disrupt the cultural practice of flattening Black women" by telling the story of Waters and her life in politics with care and nuance, offering a fully realized portrait that is complex, multifarious, and personal. The narrative tells of Waters's childhood in St. Louis, MO, the fifth of 13 children, and how school became her sanctuary. It then effortlessly transitions to her first marriage and subsequent move to California, where working at Head Start led to a renewed sense of purpose. Informative time lines help readers navigate pivotal moments in her life and career, as the conversational tone moves readers through the decades, pointing out Waters's highs and lows, including her efforts on the House Financial Services Committee. VERDICT In turn both entertaining yet serious, this informal biography will especially engage political buffs but also general readers of excellent biography.—Emily Bowles, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Library Journal

2020-08-18
An homage to a political powerhouse.

In a book conveyed in the same breezy tone as Brenda Jones and Krishan Trotman’s Queens of the Resistance: Maxine Waters, Washington Post reporter Andrews-Dyer and Thomas, a senior staff writer at elle.com, offer an admiring biography of the prominent legislator, illustrated by Dorsainvil and including many photographs. The authors draw on abundant media coverage of Waters’ life and career, her legislative record, interviews with friends and colleagues, and Thomas’ interview with Waters in 2017 to recount her rise from “humble beginnings as a Head Start teacher in the projects to meetings with Nelson Mandela and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.” The book’s title comes from Waters’ testy exchange with Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, in July 2017, where she repeatedly insisted that he answer her questions, interrupting his calculated digressions by invoking the parliamentary rule of “Reclaiming my time.” The much-publicized anecdote testifies to Waters’ outspoken, take-no-prisoners style and refusal to be intimidated, earning her the epithet “Kerosene Maxine.” One of 13 children, Waters struggled to claim her time at home and at school, working hard for recognition. Married at 18, a mother at 20, she and her husband moved to California, where she worked at the telephone company until a friend told her about an opening at Head Start. “Head Start changed my life,” Waters said in an interview. “Through Head Start I discovered me.” She learned how to organize parents and community volunteers, raise funds, and marshal grassroots power. Those skills served her well as she moved into more public positions, winning an election to the California State Assembly in 1976 and to the U.S. Congress in 1990. The authors report the many causes that Waters has championed, trace her rise to increasing visibility and power, and even include a gushing chapter on her fashion choices.

A lively pop history of an impressive career.

Kirkus Reviews