America, a Redemption Story: Choosing Hope, Creating Unity

When I sat down to write this book, I kept coming back again and again to why. Why write a memoir now? I turned fifty-six while typing these pages, and I fully believe I have many more years to grow, to learn, to serve, and to live out my story. Why am I compelled to spend the time to write about my life so far, when life is already busy beyond words? Why not wait a few more years?

I wake up every day with a dream for our country that I just can’t shake. It is the same dream I had when I first stepped into public service in South Carolina back in 1995. In my dream, the American people are more unified than they have ever been. In my dream, a single mother has everything she needs to be successful. In my dream, our nation is woven together by our core convictions that transcend race, ideology, and any other societal markers of identity. My dream is that when we are under duress, we will turn to each other rather than against each other. Though I will explain how it came to be in a later chapter, the dream that motivates me more than any other is the idea that my life will positively influence the lives of one billion people before I die. I get that this might sound crazy, but the best stories always are!

Some will decry them as impossible dreams. Yet I know we can get there if we foster within ourselves a spirit of empathy, grit, and, most of all, hope. I know this because I have seen these realities play out in my life and in the lives of those around me again and again—moments of greatness when everyday people like you and me have created positive change. And these moments are not scarce. Every day, throughout our nation, miracles are taking place. These miracles manifest every time an American citizen sacrifices for a neighbor or for the ones they love. Each and every day there is a little bit of magic being woven into the fabric of our nation.

When I look at our nation, I don’t see division. I don’t for one second believe the false narrative of a racist, divided America that has been spun by big media. I see a tapestry of stories being woven together to form something beautiful. What I see are nearly 330 million souls who wake up every day with dreams of their own. And I believe the vast majority of us, no matter our politics or religious beliefs, are doing all we can to build healthy and strong families, businesses, communities, and, by extension, a stronger America.

In these pages you will not find a typical memoir. While I do dive into many of the most painful, pivotal, and profound moments of my own life, I’ve also woven a tapestry of stories from some of the most profound moments in American history. You’ll encounter the inspiring stories of Jackie Robinson, John Wanamaker, Madam C. J. Walker, and Amos Humiston. You’ll read about two heroic police officers who faced the impossible while trying to protect the innocent. You’ll find my intensely personal story of the Mother Emanuel AME Church massacre in 2015. Through telling these and many other stories, along with my own, I have endeavored to tell the story of us, the story of America. This is a story about finding our identity both as individuals and as a nation. And it is a story of redemption.

While I have great aspirations for this nation, I also understand that my time on this earth is limited. The unbelievable privilege of occupying the Senate seat I now sit in will someday belong to someone else. The honor of representing my friends and family, my neighbors, and complete strangers continues to be such a tremendous blessing. It’s a blessing I sometimes still find impossible to believe has happened to this fatherless, poor kid who was—according to data, history, and experience—supposed to fail.

No matter where you may be in your journey, it is my sincere prayer that you will experience hope within these pages.

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