We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy

One of Essence's Best Books of the Year. NAACP Image Awards Winner for Outstanding Literary Work in the Debut Author category.

With a foreword by Speaker Nancy
Pelosi.

“There was no
greater friend to the poor, to the lost, to the left out, and to the left behind.
If you want to understand this great man, read his historic, important book and
learn the lessons and values from his ‘moral voice crying in the
wilderness’ on behalf of our American democracy.”

—Rep. John Lewis
(D-GA)

Known
for his poise, intellect, and influence until his death in October 2019, Elijah
Cummings was one of the most respected figures in contemporary politics, a
politician who held fast to his beliefs but was not afraid to reach across the
aisle in the name of friendship and progress. Since his earliest days in
government through his time as a representative and chairman of the House
Oversight and Reform Committee, he proved his abilities as a politician who
could operate at the highest levels of democracy, serving the people of
Baltimore and illustrating the importance of working with—and for—the underdog.

Yet in
his final years of life, Cummings recognized that democracy was the underdog. We’re
Better Than This draws from Cummings’s own life to show the formative
moments that prepared him for the disturbing first years of the Trump presidency
and spurred him to hold the administration accountable for their actions.
Weaving together the urgent drama of modern-day politics and character-defining
stories from his past, Cummings offers a never-before-told perspective on how
his personal history, coming of age in South Baltimore, laid the foundation of
a life spent fighting for justice. He goes behind the scenes with the House
Democratic leadership, offering an eye-opening chronicle of the grim realities
of holding the Trump administration to account. Detailing this moment of unprecedented
obstructionism by both the president and Republicans, Cummings presents a vital
defense of how government oversight defines our collective trust, examining the
dangerous precedent for both parties that exists if the executive branch
remains above public scrutiny.

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 approach another test of our
democracy, the next race for the White House, We’re Better Than This reminds
people that in this country we don’t elect kings, and we cannot afford
four more years of this false one.

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.

James Dale has collaborated on a number of books on sports, 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.