Anne Moody's activism style in "Coming of Age in Mississippi" reflects both that of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Henry David Thoreau.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Henry David Thoreau both advocated for the use of civil disobedience in response to governmental or social wrongs. While they articulate different versions of this response, both hoped for change and reform in what they felt were unjust laws and practices. Anne Moody in her book entitled "Coming of Age in Mississippi" reflects both styles of civil disobedience; however, it is more closely related to that of Martin Luther King, …

…Anne was very influenced by King. Her book is broken into four stages of development: her childhood, her high school years, her college and the civil rights movement. These four stages greatly resemble King's four point program: gathering facts, self-purification, negotiation, and mass direct action. His well-known speech "I Have a Dream" is reflected in Anne's dream, as she is faced with disheartening situations and discrimination and wonders if it will ever become a reality.