A breakout media and political analyst delivers a sweeping snapshot of American Democracy and the role that African Americans have played in its shaping while offering concrete information to help harness the electoral power of the country’s rising majority and exposing political forces aligned to subvert and suppress Black voters.
Black voters were critical to the Democrats’ 2018 blue wave. In fact, 90 percent of Black voters supported Democratic House candidates, compared to just 53 percent of all voters. Despite media narratives, this was not a fluke. Throughout U.S. history, Black people have played a crucial role in the shaping of the American experiment. Yet still, this powerful voting bloc is often dismissed as some “amorphous” deviation, argues Tiffany Cross.
Say It Louder! is her explosive examination of how America’s composition was designed to exclude Black voters, but paradoxically would likely cease to exist without them. With multiple tentacles stretching into the cable news echo chamber, campaign leadership, and Black voter data, Cross creates a wrinkle in time with a reflective look at the timeless efforts endlessly attempting to deny people of color the right to vote—a basic tenet of American democracy.
And yet as the demographics of the country are changing, so too is the electoral power construct—by evolution and by force, Cross declares. Grounded in the most-up-to-date research, Say It Louder! is a vital tool for a wide swath of constituencies.
Author Info
Tiffany D. Cross is a resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. As an on-air political analyst, she is a longtime cable news veteran. Cross is a former associate producer for CNN, DC bureau chief for BET Networks, and liaison to the Obama administration. She cofounded The Beat DC, a daily newsletter intersecting politics, policy, business, media, and people of color that was widely read by Beltway insiders and media influencers. She attended Clark Atlanta University and lives in Washington, DC.
Reviews
[Say It Louder!] is a "lively memoir and polemic. Cross’s straight talk might be hard for some news editors and pundits to hear, but she makes clear that it’s in the country’s best interest for them to listen."—The New York Times Book Review — New York Times Book Review
“Tiffany D. Cross writes with an eloquent rage and makes a convincing case that ‘empowering and employing’ people of color in the media is essential to preserving democracy. This forceful call for change resonates.” — Publishers Weekly
“A compelling exploration of how black voters have the power to shape the country's future.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Tiffany D. Cross is one of the most powerful and fiercest voices of her generation; a fearless young Black woman who’s never been afraid to see the truth and speak it. SAY IT LOUDER! sets fire to the simplistic narratives about race, media, and politics that are crippling our democracy. It’s the call to action we all need now.” — Joy-Ann Reid, host of A.M. Joy on MSNBC
