rong>is the captivating account of Dr. Bessie Waites Blake's amazing journey from sharecropping to Harvard. This insightful autobiography reveals a passion for teaching and learning that is anchored in the spiritual gifts of a loving mother; in the compassion of teachers; in nurturing Black public schools and colleges that buffered against the negative effects of Jim Crow systems; in holistic settings that value life experience learning; in educational leaderships positions that stretch talents; and in the impact of humble church tutors, mentors and icons like Sister Dorothy Ann Kelly, Gordon Parks, Rosa Parks and Cicely Tyson who teach powerful lessons about integrity and persistence in struggles for social justice.