Finding a New Path

For many Americans, this month's mystery hero represents the ultimate modern trailblazer. She is recognized by just her first name.

- Dennis Denenberg

Her childhood was difficult. She was born to an unwed teenage mother in rural Mississippi. She faced hunger and extreme poverty. She lived for a time with her grandmother, who valued the importance of reading, and she learned to read by age three.

She memorized Bible verses and recited them in church. Later in life, our hero credited her grandmother with giving her a sense of self-worth.