Former Obama administration member Valerie Jarrett discusses her new book, 'Finding My Voice.'
Valerie Jarrett author of"Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward."
She recounts key moments like being one of only two black staffers in the meeting discussing how to deal with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's incendiary speeches during the 2008 campaign; the white senior staffers were concerned about confronting the situation head-on, but Jarrett encouraged Obama to give what became known as the “race speech,” which proved crucial to his success.
It is a delicate balance. I tried very hard not to be preachy but to tell the story from my perspective, of an African American woman growing up in a time of much change across the country and the world. I think it's better when you hear it through a story instead of “Here are 10 lessons about what people need to do.”
My life was one of enormous privilege. I was a young, single mom but one with resources and parents who lived a mile away, and yet I still felt like I was hanging by my fingertips — so imagine what it is like for the single mom working a second shift without a safety net of support. I became sensitive to them because of my experience.
You and Barack Obama had similar childhoods, spending time growing up overseas and then coming back to America. Was that an important bond?
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