Pushing Through: Finding The Light In Every Lesson
by Nicole Vick
Description
In Pushing Through she shares both the heartbreaking pain and the extraordinary triumphs that led her to advocacy and social justice work. Her early years of self-doubt and discomfort in her own skin would set her up for decades of bad choices and difficult situations: a teen pregnancy that could have derailed a lifelong dream, a health scare caused by unsuitable partners that mirrored her poor self-image, and the struggle to attain the ideal body that led her to take drastic measures. Her story takes place against the background of the long neglected and overlooked community of South-Central Los Angeles, where she grapples with the grotesque imbalance of power and privilege as it unfolds in every aspect of her life and those around her.
Nicole found herself walking between two very different worlds. She traversed seamlessly between the past and the present, and poverty and privilege. As time passed, the duality in her world grew larger and much more complex, manifesting very deep and painful emotional experiences. Nicole channeled those painful moments of her life into prime opportunities for personal growth. She learned to make sense of the two worlds she existed in and used that skill to connect, build, and create community, comradery, and a sense of purpose.
Tags
More Information
Rights Information
Kim O'Hara - A Story Inside Books - kim@astoryinside.com
Marketing Information
Nicole Vick
Endorsements
“Ms. Vick’s story is a poignant portrait of the often treacherous intersection of the systemic and the personal. This is a bare-knuckles-honest appraisal of personal and familial triumphs and failures in the context of deeply problematic social systems including education, economy and most pointedly health. The day-to-day of a resolute Black woman compared and contrasted against the backdrop of hostile healthcare, public health, and environmental realities. Ms. Vick examines without placing blame, and proposes tangible solutions to long-standing challenges. “
-Marqueece Harris Dawson, Los Angeles City Council, District 8
Pushing Through takes us on a moving and detailed tour of the South Los Angeles Black experience through the lens of the personal and professional life of Nicole Vick. We are invited to navigate the rich culture, connections, and complexities of “South Central” LA that intersects Nicole’s family history, upbringing, education, life choice, and vocation as a public health professional. As a proud native of this very community, I found myself nostalgically reliving my own past as Nicole recalled the colorful sights, myriad of smells, cross-cultural tastes, and soulful sounds while simultaneously bridging the social and system determinants of health that contribute to the regions’ blight, neglect, and historical trauma. Kudos to Pushing Through for uplifting truth, perseverance, and the power of a Black woman to live through and ultimately serve through the pain with purpose.
- Sonya Young Aadam, Chief Executive Officer, California Black Women’s Health Project
Reviews
Amazon Reviews:
“Thank you Nicole - this book is timely for me. The familiarity of the struggles and optimism reminded me to do the work internally. I found myself quoting from the book and referring back to highlight sections. As a LosAngeles resident, the geographic references made this book so much more significant for me. After reading, I am feeling challenged to push beyond and during my journey will pick up this book as a reminder.”
“I like a lot of things about this book, but I especially love Nicole’s description of her great grandparents and the community they founded in South Central Los Angeles. This rich heritage is one of the reasons that she has chosen to stay in the neighborhood and pursue her profession in public health. As a good ancestor herself, she is devoted to building institutions that benefit people today and also future generations of Angelenos. A good story about determination and personal growth.”
“Honest and relatable, this book feels like a good, frank talk from a close friend. Full of stories that are immediately recognizable with excellent, practical advice, this book will help any woman looking to progress personally and professionally and help us all to understand the powerful in our collective experience.”
“Nicole Vick explores the complex relationships between race, class, and health with life experiences that illustrate the themes very well.”
Author Biography
Nicole D. Vick has spent the last fifteen years providing tools and strategies to stakeholders, community-based organizations, and residents to improve health and prevent disease in some of Los Angeles County’s most underserved communities.
She also has 12 years of teaching experience. She is currently an adjunct professor in the Urban and Environmental Policy Department at Occidental College and has taught at Cal State LA, Ashford University, and the University of Phoenix.
Ms. Vick serves on three boards. She was most recently appointed to the boards of Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles and Public Health Advocates. For the past 5 years she has served as Board Secretary at Esperanza Community Housing, an organization that works to achieve community development in the Figueroa Corridor neighborhood of South Los Angeles. For two years she chaired the City of Los Angeles’ newest Commission, appointed by District 8 Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson.
Ms. Vick earned both her B.S. in Public Policy and Management and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Southern California.
In her first book “Pushing Through: Finding the Light in Every Lesson” she shares both the heartbreaking pain and the extraordinary triumphs that led her to advocacy and social justice work. Her story takes place against the background of the long neglected and overlooked community of South-Central Los Angeles, where she grapples with the grotesque imbalance of power and privilege as it unfolds in every aspect of her life and those around her. She traversed seamlessly between the past and the present, and poverty and privilege. As time passed, the duality in her world grew larger and much more complex, manifesting very deep and painful emotional experiences. She learned to make sense of the two worlds she existed in and used that skill to connect, build, and create community, comradery, and a sense of purpose.
Copyright Information
Nicole Vick
A Story Inside Books
A Story Inside Books was formed when Book Coach to Best Sellers® Kim O'Hara launched client Allen Maxwell's book to #3 on the Wall Street Journal Best Business books in July 2020. She saw that her clients who self-publish need an avenue to sell foreign rights. She also saw her clients who wanted traditional publishing needing an extra forum to present their content. As a book coach, she has worked individually with each client for over a year on navigating their books to best sellers. She is now proud to present each special and unique titile at this marketplace.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Winsome Entertainment Group
- Publication Date October 2020
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9781513660431 / 1513660438
- Publication Country or regionUnited States
- FormatPaperback
- Primary Price 19.99 USD
- Pages172
- ReadershipProfessional and Scholarly
- Publish StatusPublished
- Original Language TitleEnglish
- Copyright Year2020
- Page size8.5 (5X9) inches
A Story Inside Books has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Please wait while the payment is being prepared.
Do not close this window.