Email from From the Desk of James E. Clyburn

From the Desk of

James E. Clyburn

Shortly after publishing my memoir, Blessed Experiences, Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black, back in 2015, some visitors to my congressional office asked about the eight portraits that hang on my office wall.

When I explained who they were, one of them expressed that they thought I was the first Black to serve in Congress from South Carolina. I playfully responded, “Oh no, before I was first, there were eight.”

On that day, I decided that my next book would be about those eight pioneers. Like that visitor, many people are surprised to learn that I am the ninth African American to serve in Congress from South Carolina, and that, at one point, four of South Carolina’s five Representatives were Black. People are also amazed to learn that there was a 95-year-gap (1897 – 1992) between number eight and me.

Being familiar with that 95-year gap, and the era and experiences of those eight pioneers, I recognized almost immediately what was taking place at our nation’s capital on January 6, 2021, and the shenanigans that took place in several states after the 2020 elections. Those events and the events that surrounded the 1876 Presidential election are starkly similar. Consequently, in addition to writing about the experiences of those eight historic figures, I felt moved to also address the what, when and whys of that 95-year gap, and highlight their comparisons to what we are witnessing today. In short, my passion became a purpose.

The result is this book, The First Eight, which will be released by Little, Brown and Company on November 11th. The venues where we will be holding book events in November are listed below, as well as the QR code that I hope you will use and share with family and friends.

Jim Clyburn