The protests occurred while Mississippi was preparing to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the state's secession from the Union and the commencement of the Civil War. The library sit-in preempted the state's Confederate extravaganza which brought more than thirty thousand mostly white observers into the streets of Jackson while the students sat in jail, further inflaming passions on both sides.

In The Tougaloo Nine, M. J. O'Brien delves into Tougaloo College's culture of resistance, Mississippi's determination to preserve segregation, and the early stirrings of the student movement in Jackson. Through numerous interviews and years of detailed research, O'Brien tells the stories of these courageous African American students. He also explores the personalities leading the charge on both sides, including Mississippi NAACP leader Medgar Evers, Tougaloo professors and administrators Ernst Borinski, Reverend John Mangram, and Adam Beittel; as well as Governor Ross Barnett, Citizens' Council leader William Simmons, and Jackson Mayor Allen Thompson. Altogether, The Tougaloo Nine presents the stunning picture of those who risked their lives and future livelihoods to fight for full social and political equality.