In this "inspiring memoir about the real power of courage and hope" ( Kirkus Reviews), lifelong activist Shirley Sherrod explains why she was fired from the USDA under false charges and how she stood up against the politics of fear. On July 19, 2010, Shirley Sherrod was forced to resign from her position as Georgia State Director for Rural Development at the USDA, in response to allegations made by a right-wing blogger that she was racist. Ask Willie Nelson: "Sherrod has always stood for equality." Neither the White House nor the NAACP made any investigation into the matter before they decided to let Sherrod go. When the full story of Sherrod's exemplary record came to light, the Obama administration tried to clean the matter up by offering her another job. In The Courage to Hope, Sherrod reveals what went on behind the media firestorm and shares compelling, instructive stories about the ways this country has worked against the efforts of poor people, white and black, and farmers across the country. "Shirley Sherrod is a survivor," says The Washington Post. Her moving memoir will inspire all who read it and "make ou want to yell, cry, and stand up and cheer" (Terri Schlichenmeyer, WashingtonInformer.com).