Former state Rep. Helen Miller, a Democrat who represented Fort Dodge for more than a decade in the Iowa legislature, has published her autobiography.

Titled “I Don’t Swim,” the book traces her life from her childhood in Newark, New Jersey, to the present day, including much about Fort Dodge and her tenure in the Iowa legislature.

Miller plans a book signing in Fort Dodge in the future.

Miller grew up during the heyday of the Civil Rights Movement in America. She descends from a long line of enslaved people, the descendants of whom migrated to the North, like millions of other Black Americans. She grew up in an insulated community where the focus was on family, hard work, education, church and the future. She has become a wife, mother, grandmother, lawyer and legislator.

In “I Don’t Swim,” Miller tells a story that could be told by millions of Black Americans. It is a story that is familiar to some but not to others. Miller shares her story in a unique way intertwining her life with the story of the Civil Rights Movement at its height — a time during which Black Americans were finding and projecting their voices onto the tapestry of what was and is America.

While the “great migration” of Blacks to the North is a familiar story, Miller’s journey is unique in that it shares with the reader the impact of the developments of the Civil Rights Movement and many events in the Black world, and how those events impacted the trajectory of her life on an immediate and personal level,

The chapters are structured chronologically, beginning with Miller’s upbringing in Newark and the early impact of the Civil Rights Movement on her worldview. From there it moves on to challenges and triumphs in pursuing higher education and a legal career while navigating motherhood. Her experiences representing a rural Iowa district in the state legislature focuses on legislative achievements, policy battles, and the unique challenges of being a minority voice in a predominantly white legislative body.

Finally, Miller reflects on the enduring legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, the continuing struggle for racial justice, and her hopes for the future.

Her approach of integrating well-researched historical facts and observations about relevant events in the Civil Rights Movement with her personal story gives readers an authentic look into Miller’s mindset and world views as readers are privy to her thoughts, reactions and actions,

Miller was born in Newark, New Jersey, and graduated from Howard University with a bachelor of arts degree, from Our Lady of the Lake University with a Master of Science in Library and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. She has practiced law in Washington, D.C., held several positions as a librarian, served on numerous boards, served as a state representative in the Iowa House of Representatives and as chair of the Iowa Board of Parole.

Her hobbies include painting, reading, and traveling. She has three adult children and seven grandchildren.