Harper Lee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, died Friday, Feb. 19 at the age of 89. Her debut novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, gave a critical eye to the caste system of the Great Depression Era south from the virtuous perspective of a young Scout Finch who narrates this coming-of-age journey through race, class, gender roles and justice in Maycomb, Alabama. The novel became a literary classic that would forever cement her rank as a distinguished figure in American literature.
Having grown up in Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, her legacy resonates heavily with me. More than an author and literary giant, I credit her as a revolutionary and a champion for equality.
The 1960 publication of To Kill A Mockingbird coincided with the Civil Rights Movement aimed at ending racial segregation and discrimination against African-Americans. In the charged climate of the day, the idea of basic constitutional rights was vehemently opposed, particularly by white southerners deeply indoctrinated in the concept of white supremacy and black inferiority. The dismantling of this construct would require confrontation on all fronts.
Although the political and social fight for justice was waged by those on the front lines of the movement, Harper Lee, a white native of Monroeville, Alabama, penned a novel that would speak to the hearts and minds of her contemporaries in a way that no march, protest, or legislation ever could. Her insider status as a daughter of the South was relatable and endearing in a way that tugged at the conscious of a nation and tipped the scales in favor of liberty and justice for all.
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