Coming of Age in Mississippi facts for kids

Coming of Age in Mississippi is a powerful book. It's a true story, called a memoir, by Anne Moody. It tells about her life growing up in rural Mississippi in the mid-1900s. Anne Moody was an African-American woman. The book covers her life from when she was a child until her mid-twenties. It also shares her important role in the Civil Rights Movement. She joined this movement while studying at Tougaloo College. This college was for African-American students. Anne Moody wrote about the challenges she faced. She experienced unfair treatment because of her race. She also faced difficulties because she was a woman, even among those fighting for equal rights. The book received many good reviews. It won awards from groups like the National Library Association.

About the Author

Anne Moody was born Essie Mae Moody. She was born on September 15, 1940. This was near Centreville, Mississippi. Her parents were sharecroppers, which means they farmed land owned by others. They were very poor. Anne was the oldest of many children. She took on a lot of responsibility when she was young. She grew up quickly.

After finishing high school in 1959, Anne received a scholarship. It was a basketball scholarship to Natchez Junior College. Later, she moved to Tougaloo College. Anne became involved in the Civil Rights Movement early on. She helped organize a group called the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). She also took part in a famous sit-in at a Woolworth's store. This happened on May 28, 1963.

After graduating from Tougaloo College, Anne Moody moved to Ithaca, New York. She worked at Cornell University until 1965. Then she moved to New York City. There, she started writing Coming of Age in Mississippi. The book was published in 1968. She married Austin Straus and they had one son, Sascha. Anne Moody passed away on February 5, 2015. She was 74 years old. She died at her home in Gloster, Mississippi.

What's Inside the Book?

Coming of Age in Mississippi is divided into four main parts. Each part tells about a different time in Anne Moody's life:

• Childhood: This section shares her early years.
• High School: This part covers her teenage years.
• College: This section describes her time at Tougaloo College.
• The Movement: This part focuses on her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.