by Harry Dunn
First published 2023
Harry Dunn walked the corridors of the Capitol as a police officer who believed in the system he protected. His faith began shifting after Barack Obama's election sparked his racial awakening. It wavered further as police brutality cases like Ferguson challenged his view of law enforcement. It cracked when he watched Congress members he knew personally succumb to extreme partisanship. On January 6th, that faith shattered completely as he fought alongside fellow officers to defend democracy itself. When some of the very lawmakers he had risked his life to protect later denied what happened that day, Dunn made a choice. He would not stay silent. Following the example of his hero John Lewis, he sought out "good trouble" by speaking to media, lawmakers, and the public. This memoir traces his journey from loyal officer to outspoken witness, examining how America's political and racial divisions threaten the democratic institutions he swore to defend.
Genres: biography-memoir, 21st-century, activism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: memoir, outspoken, witness
Setting: Capitol, Ferguson
Period: January 6th
256 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: racism