Oakland's Daughter and Her Struggles to Overcome

About the Book

“Oakland’s Daughter and Her Struggles to Overcome” is about a young girl who grew up in poverty and faced almost every adversity or obstacle one could encounter in life. Maria faced molestation, rape, prostitution, drugs, and discrimination, but did she betray her country? Through it all, Maria is still standing on the promises of God.

About the Author

Born and raised in Oakland, California, the eldest of three girls to poor teenage parents, Maria has faced her share of obstacles beginning with the violent death of her father at eighteen months of age. Maria understood and appreciated the struggles and obstacles her mother faced to raise her and her sisters as a teenage parent. Maria attended Oakland and Emeryville public schools graduating from Webster, Hamilton, and Skyline High School in 1979. Her college plans and education were put on hold for a number of years before she obtained her Political Science degree from California State University at Hayward. Maria served two years in the U.S. Army before receiving an honorable discharge. Much of Maria’s life after the military involved, working for the government, caring for family, and serving the Lord. Regrettably, Maria never had any children to call her own and didn’t marry until the age of 43. Knowing on December 1, 1999, forty four years after Rosa Parks was jailed for not giving up her seat on the bus that I would one day write a book has been a long time coming. I am overjoyed that it has finally come to fruition. If I can help someone along away it was all worth it.