Super Short Summary

Spies of Mississippi by Rick Bowers is a non-fiction book for young adults that explores the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, a government agency formed in 1956 to maintain segregation by spying on and undermining civil rights activists. Through vignettes, Bowers tells the stories of numerous activists and highlights the state's efforts to thwart the civil rights movement using interviews, primary sources, and recovered documents. The book includes graphic descriptions of violence and intimidation against civil rights activists.