Coming of Age in Mississippi is an eye-opening testimony to racism that exemplified what it meant to be an African American living in the South before and after the civil rights movements in the 1950s and 1950s. 60. African Americans were granted voting and citizenship rights, but they could not and, to some extent, still cannot enjoy these rights. The Southern economy that Anne Moody was born into in the 1940s was ruled and governed by a group of whites, many of whom were very prejudiced. This caused difficulties for a young African American girl. Coming of Age in Mississippi broadened the horizon of what it was like to live for African Americans in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. There are many traces of slavery in this book. I think one of the biggest examples is in the first few pages of the book describing where he lives and what his parents do. He lived on a plantation with his parents in a two-room wooden shack. Their home was at the top of the hill along with the Carter plantation. The other blacks who worked there all lived at the bottom of the hill. His parents were farmers for Mr. Cater and grew corn and cotton. Another example of slavery is when Ann is beaten by her father for something she didn't even do. I think it's a bit like when slaves were beaten for things they couldn't help; such as getting tired or not working fast enough. Another example is when Anne goes to the movies with two of her white neighbors and has to sit in a different seat from them. This doesn't exactly prove slavery, but it says white people are better. Religion played an important role in Anne Moody's life. It kind of just helped her escape for a while. I... halfway through the paper... who at this point realized how weak men really were. Coming of Age in Mississippi was a very detailed and enlightening biography that detailed the hard life of a young African American girl in the South. I really enjoyed reading this book because it opened my eyes to what it meant to be a Southern African American beyond being a woman. I also think this book is very important to many African Americans today and "yesterday" because it basically outlines all the hard struggles that African American people have had to go through to get to where they are today. I also think this book could be used as a guidance tool, not just for black people but also for white people, for people who are lost and feel like they are of no use in the world. As you can understand by reading this book, even the smallest or most insignificant person can make a difference.