Blessed Experiences: Genuinely Southern, Proudly Black

Contents

C o n T E n T s list of illustrations ix foreword xi Alfre Woodard Preface xiii Chronology xvii Pa r t o n E Blessed by Experiences 1. Conversations with a Former President 3 2. Courting the Superdelegates 12 T W o a Blessed Beginning 3. Inherited Values 21 4. A World without Blinders 32 5. The Young Clyburns 45 T h r E E finding My Way 6. Into the Streets 61 7. Back to the Basics 71 f o U r The Charleston shuffle 8. Two Steps to the West 81 9. Two Steps to the East 88 10. Two Steps Forward 101 11. One Step to the Rear 112 f i v E Making history 12. Trailblazer 121 13. Myth Buster 126 s i x a racial arbiter 14. The Chester Controversy 137 15. The Citadel Confrontation 139 16. The Conway Crisis 142 17. The Confederate Battle Flag 147 s E v E n Coming to Grips with reality 18. A Day of Reckoning 163 19. Reaffirming My Goals 174 E i G h T The Dream realized 20. Deciding to Run for Congress 179 21. Adventures in Campaigning 186 22. Primary Election Day, 1992 195 23. General Election, 1992 206 n i n E Mr. Clyburn Goes to Washington 24. Arriving in Congress 217 25. Playing Hardball Clinton Style 226 26. My First Bill 232 27. Building Friendships 241 T E n Treading and Toiling 28. Wandering in the Wilderness 253 29. Principles above Politics 257 30. Service above Self 265 E l E v E n The age of obama 31. 3-V Day: Victory, Validation, Vindication 281 32. Barack and Me 289 33. Reforming Health Care 295 34. Reducing the Deficit 305 T W E l v E Blessed by the Past 35. Genuinely Southern 319 36. Proudly Black 325 Epilogue 335 index 339 ...