| List of Illustrations | p. vii | |
| Introduction: "If Iola Were a Man" | p. 3 | |
| Coming of Age in Mississippi | p. 15 | |
| Walking in Memphis | p. 40 | |
| The Lynching at the Curve | p. 82 | |
| Exile | p. 109 | |
| Capturing the Attention of the "Civilized World" | p. 151 | |
| "Although a Busy Woman, She Has Found the Time to Marry" | p. 191 | |
| Challenging Washington, D.C.-and Booker T | p. 232 | |
| Reforming Chicago | p. 274 | |
| Eternal Vigilance Is the Price of Liberty | p. 314 | |
| Notes | p. 329 | |
| Acknowledgments | p. 359 | |
| Index | p. 361 |