The book is a coming of age story and a personal account of the Civil Rights Movement in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as witnessed and experienced by the author. It contains stories about the individual and collective struggle for equality in a small Mississippi town. The book features and honors those unsung heroes whose bravery and example contributed significantly to the movement. The book tells the story of a young boy whose life is influenced by the movement that contributed significantly to his development and coming of age from childhood to adulthood.
About the Author: About the author Dr. Anthony J. Harris The author was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1953. During his pre-teen and teen years he was an active participant in the local Civil Rights Movement. After graduating from high school in 1971, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish in 1974 and a master's degree in Counseling in 1976. In 1979, he moved to Commerce, Texas to pursue a doctorate in Counseling at East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University-Commerce). After completing his doctorate degree in 1982, he remained at Texas A&M University-Commerce for 17 years, serving in a variety of positions, including Director of the Counseling Center, Associate Professor, Assistant to the President, and Associate Vice President for Resource Development. As a leader in the City of Commerce, he served for 15 years as a member (six years as chair) of the Board of Trustees of the Commerce Independent School District. In 1988, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation selected him to participate in the 9th Class of the Kellogg National Fellowship Program, which allowed him to hone his leadership skills and to visit 17 countries, primarily in developing and Third World countries. Following the completion of the Fellowship in 1991, he established Project Keep Hope Alive, a successful after school mentoring program for at-risk African American boys in the Commerce Independent School District. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Executive Assistant to the President at the University of Southern Mississippi under the leadership of the late President Horace Fleming. After leaving the University of Southern Mississippi in 2002, he returned to Texas and served as Associate Professor of Education at Sam Houston State University, where he remained until 2008. Since 2008, he has served as Professor of Education at Mercer University. He is the author of the book, Gifts of Moments: Being Somebody to Somebody. He and his wife, Smithenia, have two adult children, Ashley and Michael. Dr. Harris can be contacted at aharris007@comcast.net.