Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody

1264 Words3 Pages

The United States of America, the land of the free. Mostly free if the skin tone matches with the approval of society. The never ending war on racism, equality, and segregation is a huge part of American culture. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement equality was laughed at. People of color were highly discriminated and hated for existing. During the years nineteen fifty to nineteen seventy, racism began to extinguish its mighty flames. Through the lives of numerous people equality would soon be a reality. Through the Autobiography “Coming of Age in Mississippi” by Anne Moody first person accounts of all the racism, social prejudice and violence shows how different America used to be. The autobiography holds nothing back, allowing the author to give insight on all the appalling events and tragedies. The Re-telling of actual events through Anne Moody’s eyes, reveal a connection to how wrong segregation was. The “Coming of Age in Mississippi” is an accurate representation of life in the south before and during the Civil Rights Movement.

Throughout all of history there is someone around to see it happen and give record of what they saw. “Coming of Age in Mississippi” written by Anne Moody is a first person autobiography set in Mississippi. Being an autobiography the story mainly follows Anne Moody growing up, showing her different ways of thinking as she grows older. From poverty filled childhood to becoming an activist within the Civil Rights Movement. The story feels authentic, adding a realistic perspective showing her struggles of living in Mississippi. She faces various obstacles which disillusion her in the fight for equality. Although the novel only gives one perspective the novel’s authenticity relies in the reality of raci...

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...ity between the different ethnic groups.

The “Coming of Age in Mississippi” is highly accurate to the time period. Showing how different life was. The truth being, racism was real, and still is. Not to the same extent were lynching were open ceremonies, or it was okay to discriminate because of color. The world we live in today is constantly changing and racism still evident. The reason most people of color are treated different is because racism still lingers throughout our society. In order to change society, people must first recognize the problem. Allowing the perspective of the past such as the “Coming of Age in Mississippi” could change the future. Showing how radical people were towards the idea would allow them to understand why not repeat the same mistakes.

Works Cited

Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Dell, 1976. Print.

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