Resilience in the Face of Adversity: A Suffolkian's Life Story

In her revealing autobiography, Dr. Tolbert describes how she overcame the obstacles that threatened to derail her aspirations for a sound education and professional career. From humble beginnings—surrounded by dirt roads and segregated schools, left orphaned and penniless at an early age—she chose a path of hard work and diligent study that lifted her out of poverty, despair, and ignorance.

In an era of tense race relations, and despite numerous stumbling blocks, Dr. Tolbert rose to promi...