Will D. Campbell's Memoir 'Brother to a Dragonfly' Remains Relevant for Civil Rights and Social Change Themes
Will D. Campbell's 1977 memoir, 'Brother to a Dragonfly,' is highlighted for its enduring relevance in contemporary discussions about civil rights and social change. The book chronicles Campbell's life, including his upbringing on a cotton farm in Amite County, Mississippi, after World War I and through the Great Depression. Beyond the personal narrative of his bond with his older brother Joe, the memoir delves into Campbell's experiences fighting Jim Crow laws, registering Mississippi voters alongside figures like John Lewis, and his activism with the NAACP to support the South's impoverished communities. His journey involved marches, civil disobedience, arrests, and threats, reflecting the challenges of his era. The memoir also touches upon his educational path, which included service in the U.S. Army during WWII, studies at Ole Miss, Wake Forest University, and Yale University, where he became an ordained Baptist minister. The narrative emphasizes how his brother Joe, and literature like Howard Fast's '...
