aced the civil rights movement wholeheartedly. She was so amazed to see other blacks that felt like her and wanted to do something other than simply accept their way of life. But eventually, she begins to doubt the effectiveness of the movement and its nonviolent spokesman, Martin Luther King, Jr. Two differing groups began to emerge within the movement itself, the non-violence position advocated by King and his followers, and the more militant stance of Malcolm X. Moody had the courage to wonder aloud whether the civil rights movement could ultimately be successful without violence. She wanted blacks to fight for what they deserved. When your fellow man is being clubbed in the streets or hung in the trees, she wonder whether "turning the other cheek" was an effective response. Having endured beatings by the fists of a white man, it is natural for Moody to want to fight back to protect both herself and her race. In conclusion, Coming of Age in Mississippi conveys what it was like to be an African American and a female living under the oppressive daily shadow of racism. She had the courage to criticize the ineffectiveness of the civil rights movement and question openly whether the nonviolent approach was effective. The autobiography does not offer any pretty conclusions or tell its readers 'don't worry about all of the bad things because in the end we all lived happily ever after.' In the end, she considers the words "We Shall Overcome," which symbolized the march on Washington but she was afraid to speculate and simply says " I wonder, I really wonder." I think in her heart she knew already that changing legislation does not necessarily change minds....
