A native of Tangipahoa, Louisiana, Pat's first experience with the public school system was during Jim Crow, where "seperate but equal" was the law of the land.

In a speech she gave at Southeastern Louisiana University, Ms. Morris recants her story about her first school book.  "It had 2 pages in it.  It said, ' Run Jip Run.  See Jip Run.'  The rest of the pages were torn out because we got school books from the white schools that were discarded."

Ms. Morris holds a degree in mass communications and journalism, and another in business administration, with a masters in business management.

Since the inception of this resurrected case, Ms. Morris has been unable to get a job in or out of her field.  The politics that surround the case are incredible.  The "old boy" network works very well down here in Louisiana.

But Ms. Morris is determined - and she's winning!  Her tenacity and ability to move people have been the catalyst for black and white to come together in such a way as to impress even 30 year veteran civil rights lawyers.