Coming of Age in Mississippi is a memoir of Anne Moody, and her life growing up as a female African-American during the mid-1900's. Moody grew up on a farm with her family, as they were poor sharecroppers, before they move into a town in order for her to begin school. Anne Moody understands that there is a difference between the white and black people early on as she grows up in the town. Yet, she continues living a somewhat blissful life during the years of grade school.
When Moody begins high school, so does her interest and fight for rights for the colored. A black boy is tortured and killed by white people for whistling flirtatiously towards a white woman, and Moody is left shocked. She starts researching the reasons and racism in her state, and learns of NAACP from her teacher, despite her mother’s warnings. The more she learns about her history and current states, the tougher her thoughts towards white people grow. Her feelings are heightened as she is ripped off by several white people, without justice as she starts college.
Moody received a basketball scholarship that leads her to Natchz college. Moody starts activating herself and her fellow blacks in class, working against the discrimination and bullying they were put through in school. She becomes a member of the NAACP, where she and her fellow members go through a great deal of affair that are both disturbing and terrifying, as they try breaking the rules of the separation of the colors.
In the last and final part of the book, Moody joins the movement for real. One of the main happenings she goes through is when they sit in Woolworth's lunch counter and are physically abused for several hours, while the police stood outside watching. When Moody realizes this, her anger towards the white supremacy in Mississippi is fueled and she decides to work even harder for the cause. She also finds out she is on the Klan list.
