Lynda Blackmon Lowery

The first thing we learn about the subject and author of this memoir, Lynda Blackmon Lowery, is that by the time she was 15 years old she had been to jail nine times. Her young age and her time spent in jail are both defining characteristics of her personality and life story and are integral to how she chooses to present herself in this memoir.

Born in Selma, Alabama, in 1950, Lynda grew up in a poor black family in a highly segregated society. She lived in a black community, went to school with other black children, and to church with their black families. As she points out, “in those days, you were born black or you were born white in Selma—and there was a big difference” (13). The community was close-knit, and each family supported one another when needed. She recalls how her loving parents ensured...