What an adven­ture I have had con­vert­ing from a typ­i­cal South­ern Jew­ish Amer­i­can Princess into an hon­ored civ­il rights activist. After Dr. Mar­tin Luther King was assas­si­nat­ed in my town, I start­ed call­ing my maid ​“Mrs.” — while my hus­band and chil­dren did­n’t. The fam­i­ly’s promi­nence in busi­ness gave me the secu­ri­ty to change.

Born in 1940, I hit adult­hood in Mem­phis dur­ing its 1960s tur­moil. My val­ue sys­tem was turned upside down. I tried to strad­dle the life I was reared to live and the life that was revolt­ing against the for­mer me.

A sec­ond san­i­ta­tion work­ers’ strike was threat­ened for July 1969. July, as in flies! The bar­gain­ing was at an impasse. Enter the women! I lead a march on city hall and demand­ing resolution.
I got divorced, became an attor­ney, start­ed medi­a­tion in Mem­phis, and found­ed an award-win­ning human rela­tions orga­ni­za­tion, the Mem­phis Pan­el of Amer­i­can Women.

From Mem­phis to the State House to the White House, this book charts my jour­ney through sac­ri­fice, even death, but also crazy-fun sit­u­a­tions, and meet­ing incred­i­ble people.