Structure

Lynda’s personal narrative of her experience in the Selma marches of the early 1960s is sandwiched between two spreads of lyrics; the lyrics to “Woke Up This Morning” open the story and the lyrics to “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” close it. These uplifting lyrics are from two of the freedom songs that the civil rights activists sang during the marches. The choice to open and close the narrative with lyrics emphasizes the importance of music to Lynda’s personal story and to the movement as a whole. The songs are sung throughout the main narrative and are an integral part of the story.

The main narrative takes place over nine short chapters. It begins by quickly recounting Lynda’s childhood and then focusses on the marches prompted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama, finishing with the historic Selma-Montgomery march of...