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From trailblazing social justice leader to globally recognized civil rights activist, Tamika D. Mallory’s next project is a heartfelt memoir of perseverance and triumph over tragedy.

I LIVED TO TELL THE STORY: A Memoir of Love, Legacy, and Resilience (Black Privilege Publishing; Hardcover; On Sale: February 11, 2025; $28.99; ISBN:9781982173494) is a powerful follow-up to Mallory’s national bestseller, State of Emergency (2021). In this candid and defiant memoir, Mallory holds nothing back as she shares the origins of her cause.

From early days as a daughter to Black civil rights activists in Harlem, New York, to a young Black woman’s first battles against the physical and political violence she’d fight all her life, to the never-before-shared personal and professional crises launched by those forces intent on keeping her silent, this is a work of activism in motion and a courageous story of America at the turn of the 21st century.

I LIVED TO TELL THE STORY uproots misconceptions about Tamika. It describes in detail the critical moments that inspire her now—teen pregnancies, abortion, the loss of her son’s father to gun violence, mom guilt, importance of education, imposter syndrome, the pleasures and pain of leading the Women’s March on Washington, becoming a face of America’s 2020 Summer of Protest, and her battle through false accusations of antisemitism–with insight on the experience being used as a wedge between communities she had fought all her life to protect.

It is a story of perseverance and a life growing up as a girl, then a young woman in America’s under-served cities, and a look at public advocacy in our social media-driven world.

Unspoken Truth: Tamika’s Childhood Trauma and Its Lasting Impact

  • For the first time, Tamika Mallory unveils a profoundly personal and untold chapter of her life: her experience with sexual assault as a child. This revelation offers a window into the origins of her fierce commitment to justice and invites meaningful conversations about healing, resilience, and survival. It is an opportunity to discuss the long-term effects of trauma on activism and leadership, providing fresh angles for emotional, societal, and cultural conversations that haven’t been explored before.

Standing Alone: The Backlash from Community during the ‘Decency Initiative.

  • Tamika’s work with the ‘Decency Initiative’ reflects on what it truly means to stand up for your principles, even when facing backlash from the people you aim to protect. This story, which hasn’t been explored in depth since her powerful speeches during George Floyd’s protests, asks the question: How does an activist reconcile fighting for justice while enduring criticism from within their community?” It reveals the complexities of advocacy, dissecting the pressures and challenges of representing a marginalized group while holding them accountable—an angle not often examined in discussions around social justice movements.

The Hidden Struggle: Life After Rehab and Rebuilding from Ground Zero.

  • Tamika reveals that the most challenging part of recovery wasn’t rehab itself but the isolation and emotional turmoil that followed. Her account of re-entering the world sober, and the toll it took on her mentally and physically, opens important dialogues around addiction, recovery, and mental health that often go unspoken. Tamika’s recovery is a never-ending journey—a fight that often begins when the world assumes it’s over. It is a day-to-day fight to rebuild a life after treatment.

Tamika states, “I was a real street activist, and in that space, my specialty was transforming pain into power. At work, I gave my all.”

Ultimately, I LIVED TO TELL THE STORY is as candid a coming-of-age story as you will ever find, and it is relevant as we wrestle with our new political moment, our commitments to the First Amendment: free speech and the right to protest.

The book has a soundtrack. Please listen to the I LIVED TO TELL THE STORY PLAYLIST HERE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tamika D. Mallory is a trailblazing social justice leader, movement strategist, globally recognized civil rights activist, co-founder of Until Freedom and the historic Women’s March, and author of the national bestseller State of Emergency (2021). She served as the youngest-ever executive director of the National Action Network. Her speech in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota—entitled “State of Emergency“—was dubbed “the speech of a generation” by ABC News. Mallory is an expert in gun violence prevention, criminal justice reform, and grassroots organizing.

Please visit TamikaDMallory.com and follow Tamika Mallory on IG @tamikadmallory, on X @TamikaDMallory or on Facebook @TDMallory or Until Freedom on IG @untilfreedom, on Twitter @untilfreedom or on Facebook @UntilFreedomOfficial.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Tamika D. Mallory