A new children’s book written by Rep. Rashida Tlaib details her journey as the first Muslim woman elected to Congress, answering her son’s question, “Is the president Mom’s boss now?”
Tlaib, along with her son Adam, Miranda Paul, and Olivia Aserr, announced on Wednesday the launching of Mama in Congress: Rashida Tlaib’s Journey to Washington, a children’s book that sets out to answer everything from how elections and the government work to what it means to “break barriers” as a woman of color.
The representative tweeted on Wednesday about the release of the book, stating that the moment was “so surreal.”
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“Growing up in a #Palestinian family & in #southwestDetroit was special,” she wrote. “I hope children see themselves in our story and what’s possible.”
This is so surreal!
My kids and I had so much fun doing this together w/ @Miranda_Paul. Growing up in a #Palestinian family & in #southwestDetroit was special. I hope children see themselves in our story and what’s possible.
P.S. Check out Tayta in the background on the cover. https://t.co/GWqmRsDKqG
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 21, 2022
Tlaib grew up in Detroit and was one of 18 children, who are Palestinian immigrants. She was the first one of her family to graduate from high school.
“Through her journey into community activism and then local politics, to eventually becoming one of the first Muslim Congresswomen and an influential national figure, Rashida Tlaib’s inspiring story shows kids that they, too, can do great things and make a difference,” the book’s synopsis states.
A sneak peek of the book’s contents shows a photo of Tlaib and her two sons discussing the working relationship between the president and members of Congress. In the sample, her son says, “If the president doesn’t follow the law, she can vote to give him a time-out!”
Tlaib, along with six other Democratic Michigan representatives, voted to impeach former President Donald Trump in 2019 on allegations he abused his power and obstructed justice. The president was impeached twice but was not convicted in the Senate.
The Michigan representative is known for her environmental activism and recently spoke out against the continuing lead water crisis in the state. She also addressed pollution in Michigan by taking samples of black dust that started showing up on the Detroit riverfront and blowing into homes and parks, determining the “petroleum coke” could potentially cause cancer.
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On Sept. 16, she joined Missouri Rep. Cori Bush and New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman in introducing the Resolution Recognizing the Human Rights to Utilities, which distinguishes utilities such as water, sanitation, and electricity, among others, as basic human rights.
“In the richest country the world has ever known, it is an outrage that millions of Americans struggle with utility insecurity, substandard and dangerous services, and inhumane shutoffs,” Tlaib said in a statement.
