Persnickety's definition, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, is placing too much emphasis on trivial or minor details. This is exactly what Miss Bambara did. He took writing to a whole new level. She was a true leader and social activist. I intend to inform the reader about Toni Cade Bambara's life, culture, and her exploration of an African American experience. …if it is an MLA research paper, the first person is not allowed. So is this thesis correct? Toni Cade Bambara, otherwise known as Miltonia Mirkin Cade, was born on March 25, 1939. When she was five years old, she told her mother that she wanted to be called "Toni," and by the time she finished college, all of her professors called her Toni Cade . She legally changed her name to Toni Cade Bambara in 1970 (Stone, Jennifer). She was born shortly after the Harlem Renaissance, a huge cultural movement that took place in the New York neighborhood of Harlem. This movement was primarily African American (“Toni Cade Bambara Biography”). This influenced Toni greatly as a child and is why she wrote later in her life (Stone, Jennifer). Her parents also influenced her. Her father took her to the Apollo Theater and her mother took her to Speakers Corner, which was a political event ("Toni Cade Bambara Biography"). When she went to the theater with her father, it inspired her artistically. When she went to the political event with her mother she was inspired to take on and learn more about politics. She attended the City College of New York and earned a Master of Arts in American literature in 1965. She became editor of the African American literary short story, The Black Woman. Her first story... in the middle of paper... for herself and others, using the peaceful but powerful tool of literature. She was unique in her writing and in her life. She did not conform to the society she was born into, but she was fascinated by the details of said society. He was insightful in life and writing. In conclusion, Toni lived a message that taught that not only can a person face their problems in public; you can also address them in other ways, such as, in Toni's case, by writing. Works Cited “Biography of Toni Cade Bambara”. GradeSaver. nd Web. March 3, 2014. www.gradesaver.com/author/toni-bambara/ “Persnickety.” New Oxford American Dictionary. 2011. Web. Stone, Jennifer. "Bambara, biography of Toni Cade." pabook.libraries, 2004. Web. 3 March 2014. pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Bambara_Toni_Cade.html