Qualified Finding Your Voice, Leading with Character, and Empowering Others

by Love, Mia

• ISBN13: 9781546003274
• ISBN10: 1546003274
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2024-01-16
• Publisher: Center Street
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Summary

This memoir from the first Black Republican congresswoman in America shows readers how to own their stories, find their voices, and lead with character as they empower others to do the same. 

For so long, women—and Black women in particular—have been taught that they must have a stellar background, the highest degree of education, and the strongest resumé imaginable to earn their place in a society historically dominated by white men. As a result, women have found themselves plagued with anxiety and self-doubt and have felt constricted by this limiting belief of qualification by achievement and the necessity of sporting a flawless track record. These false assumptions have discouraged women from pursuing positions of power and influence for the betterment of their communities, leading to underrepresentation in our institutions and the tragedy of wasted potential. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 
 
Mia Love has devoted her entire life to defeating illusive boundaries and redefining the meaning of “qualified.” The daughter of immigrant parents who sacrificed everything to embrace the American Dream, Love learned that she had something unique and valuable that she could give back to her country—her voice. And now she wants to empower others to do the same. 
 
For years, Love faced intense scrutiny and fielded questions regarding her political party affiliation, her desire to run for office, and her commitment to championing conservative values. In Qualified, Love explains her answers to these questions by taking readers through her journey from election to her local city council, leading as mayor of Saratoga Springs, and making history in the U.S. House of Representatives serving Utah’s 4th Congressional District from 2015–2019.

Her story showcases how we can stay true to our integrity, fearlessly voice our values despite fervent opposition, and begin again after every failure and setback. 

Author Biography

Mia Love became the first Black Republican woman to be elected to Congress in 2014. She served as the U.S. Representative for Utah’s 4th Congressional District from 2015–2019. While in Congress, Love supported the Republican Party’s major legislative initiatives, voting for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and backed the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act of 2017. Love also assisted in pushing bipartisan legislation, which eventually became law, to reform how Congress handled sexual harassment, adding a provision ensuring that taxpayers are no longer held liable for settlements paid by Congress. She served on the House Financial Services Committee, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood, the Congressional Western Caucus, and the Climate Solutions Caucus. Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, was born in New York, studied theater in Connecticut, converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and settled in Utah, where she launched her career in politics. Love’s first involvement came at the community level when she won a seat on the Saratoga Springs city council. In 2009, she was elected mayor of Saratoga Springs, becoming the first African American woman elected mayor in the state of Utah. Love’s political journey led her to speak at the 2012 Republican National Convention and see much change take place in Congress. Love is now working for CNN as a political commentator, and she is still determined to use her voice and push for Republican policy.