Written in the tradition of works by Joan Didion, Bell Hooks, Toni Morrison, and Eve Ensler, Powell's book is a provocative and soul-searching "autobiography of America" It presents past, the present, and the future Kevin Powell wants for us all, through the lens and lives of three major figures: his mother, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Ten short years ago, Barack Obama became president of the United States, and changed the course of history. America was hailed globally as a breath-taking example of democracy, as a rainbow coalition of everyday people marching to the same drum beat. Both the presidencies of Obama and Trump have produced some of the ugliest divides in history: horrific racial murders, non-stop mass shootings, the explosion of attacks on immigrants and on the LGBTQ community, the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, a massive gap between the haves and the have-nots, and legions of women stepping forth to challenge sexual violence--and men--in all forms. In this gripping new collection of thirteen essays, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man.

, Kevin Powell interweaves brutally honest personal stories with the saga of America, then and now. Be it politics, sports, pop culture, hip-hop music, mental health, racism, #MeToo, or his very complicated relationship with his mother, these impassioned essays are not merely a mirror of who America is, but also who and what Powell thinks it ought to be. *Kevin Powell traces the history of segregation as experienced by his ailing mother, who lived through the Civil Rights movement in the South in the '60s. In examining American history's ongoing saga around race and identity and politics and leadership, Powell also recalls President Barack Obama's legacy, from his first speech as the 2004 DNC to his last day in office. *Similar to how J.D. Vance explored the culture and beliefs of a misunderstood region of America, Powell provides an eye-opening look at the history of race and racism in the South. *The book will be crucial during the mid-term elections in fall of 2018.

*Powell actively facilitates and maintains conversations with the people who would read this book: young and progressive individuals who are passionate about social justice issues.