Essie Mae's Coming Of Age In Mississippi

In the early 1900s racism was still very much alive in Mississippi. Although the relationships of whites and blacks had come a long way in the sense that African Americans could live free lives, many still found their life was controlled by white people. For Essie Mae in the book, Coming of Age in Mississippi, she witnessed these scenarios to be true. Essie Mae was a young African American woman that was very well educated for her age and began to understand what type of environment she was growing up in. As events played out in her life she quickly realized the world to be hostile to all African Americans. In this story, it’s very clear of the tension that the opposite races are enduring and Essie Mae’s experiences during these times leave her confused. Essie Mae, growing up in the county of Wilkinson, experiences many heated incidences

In fact, it is my belief that she gains hope from these interactions and this is in turn what fuels her interest in the civil rights movement. In the book, Coming of Age in Mississippi there are many instances where the African American community were treated poorly. In one incident, a house was set on fire and an entire black family was murdered. “That house didn’t just catch on fire. And just think them bastards burned up a whole family” (227). With the only possible