James L. Lipscomb pays homage to the Negro community, now extinct, that existed in Coeymans, New York in the first half of the twentieth century. The residents were largely migrants from Virginia and Carolinas in search of a better life. Lipscomb introduces you to the people of the Negro community with engaging profiles that brings the community to life again.

Lipscomb traces his childhood history as he began working outside the home at age nine, became an accomplished house painter at twelve, and eventually moved beyond Coeymans to pursue an education at Howard University and later at Columbia University School of Law. While disclosing experiences that included adjusting to cultural change and academic challenges while attending law school and serving as a poll watcher in Mississippi where he was afraid to use the bathroom at night, Lipscomb also details the struggles of the times as America endured major societal changes.