Remember, You Are a Wiley

A moving, politically-charged memoir of surviving trauma and embracing the power of activism from MSNBC legal analyst and former New York City Mayoral candidate Maya Wiley-"a book that offers hope and inspiration in a moment of division and political unrest in America" (Zerlina Maxwell, author of The End of White Politics).
Born in a country that has repeatedly traumatized her and her loved ones, Maya Wiley grew up in a household that prioritized activism, hope, and resilience above all else. This attitude landed her father on President Nixon's enemies list as her mother organized third-party political platforms. Still, they modeled hope for their children. In the decades since, she has borne witness as presidents and political figures used racism and fascism to gain power, and as cities have again and again elected white men, effectively shutting out people of color and women from having a political voice. As a result, she has been forced, time after time, to confront death, injustice, and indifference-just as her Civil Rights activist parents did before her.
After a mayoral race that further exposed our country's deep divisions, Maya is ready to share her story and that of her parents: one of passion, possibility, and compassion in the face of fear and injustice. She takes readers through her unconventional upbringing, her father George Wiley's tragic death and the resulting trauma, as well as how her experiences spoke to racial, gender, and class identity. Against this painful backdrop, Maya charts her journey of coming into herself and finding hope in a dire political landscape. She also digs into how her previous struggles informed her platform, driving her to represent those who have similarly felt voiceless or ignored. In facing and sharing her own past, Maya shows readers how they too can remain optimistic in the face of adversity.

Maya Wiley is president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights coalition. She is a former legal analyst on MSNBC. A life-long civil rights advocate and a civil rights attorney, she mounted a historic performance in New York City's 2021 Democratic mayoral primary, contesting to be the first woman Mayor on a reform platform. Prior to that race she served as senior vice president for social justice at the New School University and as a member of the graduate faculty at its Milano School. She was the first Black woman to serve as Counsel to a New York City Mayor, Maya's expertise and compassionate approach was (and remains) almost unprecedented in the world of advocacy, activism and politics. She also serves as the Joseph L. Rash Jr. Chair of Civil and Human Rights at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner, Harlan, their three cats and her revolving door of young adult children, two of whom are biological and others happily inherited.