By Ericka Alston Buck
Special to the AFRO
Nearly 200 attendees filled the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s main hall June 30 to witness living history. Former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun—trailblazing politician, diplomat and author—held center stage to discuss her new memoir “Trailblazer,” in an intimate conversation moderated by Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper, publisher of The Afro-American Newspaper.
The event, hosted by the Pratt Library in Baltimore, was more than a book talk. It was a masterclass in resilience; an up-close reckoning with power, pain and purpose from the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Each guest received a copy of the book—and by the end of the discussion, many likely left feeling ready to devour it cover to cover the moment they got home.
“Trailblazer” chronicles an extraordinary life that reads like a roadmap of American “firsts.” Born on the South Side of Chicago, she rose from modest beginnings to become the first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, the first woman to represent Illinois, and the first Black woman appointed U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. But as Moseley Braun made clear throughout the evening, her story was shaped just as much by heartbreak as by historic wins.
When the question was asked—how do you lead with integrity and impact?—Braun responded simply: “First, believe in yourself. Second, don’t give up. Third, don’t take other people’s advice,” she said to knowing laughter and applause. “Life can be difficult sometimes. But if you don’t give up, you’ll be fine.”
The memoir opens with a scripture that has guided Moseley Braun for decades: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.” When asked why she chose it, she replied, “I’ve come through such bizarre circumstances… if not for God, I would’ve been in trouble. But He protected me every step of the way.”
The conversation dug deeper than the book at times, touching on deeply personal memories. Moseley Braun recalled her brother’s death from addiction, the strain of raising her son during her Senate tenure, and the racial and misogynistic backlash that nearly derailed her political career.
When asked how she managed public service while dealing with private pain, Moseley Braun responded, “That’s my mother’s voice in my head: Do the best job you can where you’re planted.”
Even her controversial marriage, once seen as a political liability, became a lesson in unexpected support. “My ex-husband gave me $10,000 to run for Senate,” she said. “I thought I’d fall on the floor. That’s what launched my career.”
Moseley Braun also revisited her fight against the renewal of the insignia patent for the United Daughters of the Confederacy because it contained a Confederate flag—a defining moment of courage during her Capitol Hill tenure.
“It wasn’t bold. It was natural,” she said. “Senator Howell Heflin—whose grandfather was a Confederate general—stood up and said, ‘It’s time for us to move past this.’ And because of that, I won the vote. We killed the patent renewal.”
Ambassador to paradise and the politics of peace
One of the more lighthearted moments came when Moseley Braun contrasted her Senate experience with her diplomatic post.
“Being ambassador, everybody’s nice. In the Senate, people took pleasure beating up on me. In New Zealand, the racism was even different,” she said. “I thought, I’ve arrived in paradise.”
Braun reflected on the cultural beauty of New Zealand, the leadership of multiple female prime ministers, and the integration of the indigenous Māori people.
“Everything I had fought for in the U.S. existed there,” she said.
Hope for the future—and a message to the next generation
Moseley Braun remains cautiously hopeful about democracy’s future.
“What gives me pause is the technological shift. But I believe if we recommit to protecting our democracy, we’ll hand the next generation something better,” she said.
In one of the evening’s most heartfelt moments, Moseley Braun recounted what she tells her grandchildren about legacy: “It’s not about you. It’s about the community you’re part of. If you believe you can make a difference, you will.”
When asked what she’s most proud of, she reflected on the risks she took before the national spotlight ever found her. “I filed a lawsuit over racist political maps in Illinois, and people told me I was ruining my career. But I won. That put me on the path to the Senate,” she said. “If you’re guided by the spirit and try to do the right thing, you can’t go wrong.”
What’s Next?
While Moseley Braun joked about retirement, her passion for justice and storytelling remains strong.
“Career-wise, I like to think I’m retired,” she said, smiling. “But if I’m called to do something more, I’ll work as hard as I can.”
She has no illusions about fame. “My grandson once asked me, ‘Grandma, are you famous?’ I told him, ‘Not like Beyoncé!’” she laughed.
In “Trailblazer”as in her Enoch Pratt discussion, Moseley Braun offers readers—as she did a room full of admirers in Baltimore—the kind of blueprint most rarely get: one that is unvarnished, unapologetic and entirely human.
“Just do the best you can where you’re planted,” she said. “And tell the truth. Tell the truth and shame the devil.”
Great Job Ericka Alston Buck & the Team @ AFRO American Newspapers Source link for sharing this story.
