Kionne McGhee Becomes Florida State RepresentativeFrom the Project House to the Sate House:

McGhee’s trek from the hollow, unforgiving streets of the Naranja Housing Projects where he was raised by a single mother with five siblings is riddled with cinematic-worthy storylines that he fully chronicled in his memoir, A Mere I Can is American. After overcoming losing a father and brother to senseless violence, enduring 16 years of being labeled as mentally retarded, and barely escaping a 20 year sentence based on false charges, Kionne McGhee has defied all odds—odds that included dismal numbers such as his 78 IQ, 580 SAT score, and being at the bottom 11% of his class which systematically branded him as unsalvageable.

“My philosophy has always been that the only way to save ourselves is to save ourselves,” said McGhee, a graduate of Howard University and Thurgood Marshall School of Law. “I want every person to realize—like I did—that their very ex-istence alone gives them the authority to have a chance at the elusive American Dream. Neither chance nor change is predicated on one individual but rather a collective agreement to regenerate our minds and gain dominion over our cir-cumstances.”

McGhee, known throughout the community as a maverick for justice, can attribute his commanding win to his unflag-gingly commitment to the people and his ability to infuse them with power. Using his own struggle to success story as a model, he tirelessly activated a grassroots campaign that rallied his supporters to stand with him as his journey took him from the housing projects to the State House.

MIAMI, FL – On August 14th, thousands of people banded together with one voice to elect Kionne McGhee—professor, former Assistant State Prosecutor, and author—as Florida State Representative, District 117. The unsuppressed jubila-tion that comes with this victory could only be appreciated by someone who knows the full story of this young, passion-ate powerhouse whose infectious energy many say is comparable to other great activists that came before him.