Coming of Age in Mississippi

  Anne Moody's Canting alAge in Afissimippi is an autobiographical presentation of her life and experiences in the segregationist South during the middle third of the 20th Century. Although Moody was intensively involved in the civil rights movement of the 1950's and I 960's. the real value of her autobiography is that she describes what it was like to grow up in Mississippi long before she became a civil rights activist. The book essay for Canting ofdge in Miscissippi should explore and discuss the following topics and questions: I. Begin with a brief overview of the book: in general. what is it about, who wrote it. etc. 2. Moody's decision to become engaged in the political activism central to the Civil Rights Movement was a result of her experiences at both work and play growing up in Mississippi. What kinds of incidents from her life led Moody to become politically active in the movement? For example, what does she notice about how she is treated as a black person in Southern white society? 3. Women played an important role in Moody's life. Using examples from her autobiography, discuss what Moody learned about race, class and sexual orientation from the women around her. Who were the most important women in her life? Discuss each and explain why that person was so important. 4. Moody was a participant and observer of some of the most important historical events of the 1950's and 1960's. How did she view and describe these events - for example, the murder of Emmitt Till, the sit-in protests, the voter registration drive in Mississippi, Ku Klux Klan activities and the assassination of Medgar Evars.