Praise for Use the Power You Have
“Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal—activist, legislator, organizer—has written a handbook for anyone who seeks to improve their community and change our nation for the better. Through an honest reflection on her personal journey as an immigrant woman of color to the corridors of power, Pramila shares dynamic lessons on how those who are too often on the margins can become the center of a revolution. Use the Power You Have is an insightful testimony on the capacity for progress and a primer on creating opportunity for all.” —Stacey Abrams
“Pramila’s story—and the important lessons she’s learned along the way—will inspire anyone who cares deeply about progressive change and how to achieve it. Her book isn’t just a powerful reflection on why running for office matters. It’s the best argument we have for why, with the stakes so high, more progressives—especially women and people of color—must get off the sidelines and into the game.” —Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
“Pramila Jayapal is a great organizer—and a writer who helps readers find their own greatness.” —Gloria Steinem
“A beautifully told story of relentless courage that should serve as a model to us all. At every turn, Rep. Jayapal has followed her inner light, fighting for the most vulnerable when it mattered most.” —Naomi Klein, author of On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal
“As wise and inspiring as it is instructive, this book gives readers the tools to build power in their communities—and more importantly, to see the power in themselves. I only wish I had Use the Power You Have as a young woman embarking on my own journey.” —Vanita Gupta, president and chief executive officer, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
“Pramila Jayapal’s journey to leadership is full of hope and wisdom. She helps us see what is possible in an American democracy where we all participate, while offering a clear vision for how we get there.” —Ai-jen Poo, director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
“This book is a rare treat: a look into the mind and heart of one of the most inspiring political figures in our landscape today.” —Ilyse Hogue, president, NARAL Pro-Choice America
“The model Jayapal is offering would serve as a manual for any young woman hoping to make her way in American politics, and is suitable for young people interested in exploring a political career.” —Library Journal
“Wise, thoughtful, and meticulously well-organized. . . . It’s both an unusual insider’s account of Trump-era politics in D.C. (including Jayapal’s relationships with other Democratic leaders) and a fierce call for all citizens, no matter their roles in society, to use the power they have. . . . Jayapal recounts her activist career and lays out thoughtful policy proposals in a warm, keen-eyed memoir.” —Shelf Awareness
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) passionately recounts her political awakening, decades of progressive activism, historic election to the U.S. House of Representatives, and her ongoing resistance against the Trump Administration in USE THE POWER YOU HAVE: A Brown Woman’s Guide to Politics and Political Change. Praised as a “passionately articulate memoir and political manifesto” by Kirkus Reviews and with the support of leading progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Stacey Abrams, Jayapal’s memoir is sure to spark fire in anyone, especially women and people of color, seeking to fight for progressive values at a moment in our country’s history when everything is on the line. ORDER HERE —>
Long before the freshman representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley—better known as The Squad—joined her on the House floor, Pramila Jayapal was blazing the trail as a progressive woman of color in state and national legislatures. In 2012, after decades of grassroots activism, Jayapal became the first South Asian American ever elected to serve in the Washington State Legislature; she was also the state senate’s only woman of color. In 2016, Jayapal became the first South Asian American woman elected to Congress. Jayapal made no delays in standing up for the progressive causes, landing a coveted seat on the House Judiciary Committee. She also quickly became Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and would go on to introduce the Medicare For All Act. Mother Jones rightfully named her “One of Trump’s Most Fearless Opponents.”
However, her historic wins began long before her political career. Jayapal’s decades of grassroots activism in Washington State have been part of the crucial seedbed for progressive action all over the country. Jayapal candidly recounts how she and her team helped lead the fight for a $15 minimum wage in Seattle, built unlikely coalitions between immigrant rights groups and labor unions, and advocated for reproductive justice among other things, to make Seattle a beacon of progressive change in support of the most vulnerable. Jayapal’s inspiring leadership and relationship-building was critical in the establishment of Seattle as the nation’s first Hate Free Zone in the wake of 9/11 (40); the Seattle Coalition of Immigrants Workers Freedom Ride, the first major nationwide campaign to push for comprehensive immigration reform led by labor, which convinced the AFL-CIO to entirely reverse its immigration policy (45); and the largest rally and march to ever take place in Seattle--until the historic Women’s March in 2017--protesting Congress’s decision to invade Iraq in 2002 (47).
Furthermore, Jayapal’s personal journey as an immigrant, a woman of color, the mother of a gender nonconforming child, and a person who chose to have an abortion are all laid bare here. She reflects on the bedrock of relationships that have formed her, challenged her, and inspired her to keep going in the face of death threats, hateful rhetoric, and dangerous policies (179). Indeed, Jayapal’s natural gift in organizing and leading people shines throughout USE THE POWER YOU HAVE. She also recalls her early years, for example, working as a defibrillator salesperson going on ride-alongs with paramedics to learn about their work (15).
Along with presenting a broader moral vision for why immigrant rights, labor rights, Medicare for All, and a $15 minimum wage must be crucial platforms for the Left, Jayapal concludes with a touching address directly to young women of color in her Afterword (314-29). USE THE POWER YOU HAVE is a soulful and keen reflection on claiming and using power—a vital blueprint for the next generation of women and people of color seeking change.
“Washington Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal recounts her political education in a memoir of remarkable generosity, humor, and spirit. . . . A remarkable story of a remarkable leader.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Passionate and unapologetically leftist, this hopeful book not only chronicles an immigrant’s political successes, but, more significantly, the enduring faith in American democracy that inspired them.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Jayapal is genuinely captivating when writing about her determination to fight for the poor and oppressed. This inspirational chronicle frequently rises above the pitfalls of political memoir.”
—Publishers Weekly
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal joins Samantha Bee to discuss her new book, the progressive movement, and the upcoming elections.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal discusses her book "Use the Power You Have," navigating sexism and racism as a woman of color in Congress, and her support for Joe Biden's presidential run.
“Published in June, the book is an account of her time in politics and a road map for organizers who want to follow in her footsteps.”
“Jayapal’s book, which is part memoir, part organizing manual traces her trajectory from activist to state senator to member of Congress.”
“Jayapal brings progressive politics from the outside to the inside as an organizer who sees this as the biggest organizing platform yet. ”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal is a civil rights activist who is the first Indian-American to serve in the U.S. House. As protesters around the country call for an end to police brutality and discrimination, she is working for change in law enforcement across the country. Jayapal joined Washington Post national political reporter Robert Costa to discuss her new book, “Use the Power You Have”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal discusses her new book, “Use the Power You Have: A Brown Woman’s Guide to Politics and Political Change.” She also weighs in on the Supreme Court's decision to strike down an abortion law in Louisiana and on new reports about Russia putting bounties on the heads of American soldiers.
“Before Rep. Pramila Jayapal was elected to Congress in 2016, she was an organizer and activist. The Washington State congresswoman brought that spirit with her to Washington, D.C.”
“Jayapal is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Health Policy Chair for Bernie Sanders’ campaign, and the the first South Asian Woman ever elected to the House”
“In Use the Power You Have, the veteran activist writes about her childhood in India, moving stateside at 16, and raising a nonbinary child. She talks to Bustle about her journey ”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal was elected to Congress in 2016. She is the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has become a leader in pushing the party on issues such as Medicare for All. Now Jayapal has a new book out, titled “Use the Power You Have: A Brown Woman’s Guide to Politics and Political Change.”
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who was born in India and came to the United States alone at the age of 16, is one of the people who has taken leadership in the United States to confront racism and discrimination. Her new book 'Use the Power You Have' explains how you can achieve an inclusive country that works for everyone.
“When you hear the title for Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s new book—one that was just released in the middle of an election, a pandemic, and a nationwide reckoning on racism—it’s hard not to think of the congresswoman as prophetic. Use the Power You Have details Jayapal’s path to a historic political career. ”
“When Attorney General Barr told the Judiciary Committee that voting by mail presented a “high risk” for “massive voter fraud,” Pramila Jayapal challenged him—with evidence. She’s co-chair of the Progressive Caucus; represents Seattle; and talks about the fight against Trump for voting by mail.”
“Jayapal’s journey has been marked by an inspiring passion for justice. Her earlier experiences helped her realize that more activists needed to be inside government. Part memoir, part progressive political manifesto, her book recounts her path to an active role in the halls of power.”
Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) spoke about her life, political career, and new book about organizing for change on the outside and the inside. She was interviewed by Representative Jim Himes (D-CT).
The New Republic and Politics & Prose present an interview between Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw about the Representative’s new book, Use the Power You Have.