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By the late 1960's, the Civil Rights movement had seen great successes along with bitter defeats. Significant anti-discrimination legislation had been passed, but in the view of many Civil Rights activists, society had not changed enough. The Civil Right movement was trending toward the more militant stance epitomized by Malcolm X. Into this cauldron, in 1968 at age 28, Moody published her autobiography, Coming Of Age In Mississippi She told of her struggles and triumphs in Wilkerson County. Her sobering depiction of what it feels like to be Black, to be a young girl and then a woman, to go hungry and poor, to feel the pain of daily racist interactions that occur, and to be outraged by the vanity, arrogance and privilege of white society that has been produced from the oppression and exploitation of Black people, created an unforgettable image that characterized southern society. Moody never thought of herself as an artist or author, but rather as a civil rights activist. This did not stop her, however, from receiving many awards for literary accomplishments. In 1969, Coming Of Age In Mississippi received the Brotherhood Award from the National Council of Christians and Jews and the Best Book Of The Year Award from the National Library Association. During her career as an activist, Moody spoke, organized and participated in many civil rights |
