"Working Man"

Dr. Small's father, William Monroe Small, (August 13, 1903-April 18, 1992) — the Working Man. Because of Mississippi racism, William Small only received a sixth grade education. He sampled cotton throughout the Mississippi delta and was a personal friend of Fannie Lou Hamer, a member of the extended Small family.

After being cursed out in Hernando Mississippi for forgetting to say "sir" to whites at a gas station, William traveled north to the promised land: Detroit, Michigan. He supported his family there by working for Dodge Truck, and he would often work through his vacation time to pay for his family's train tickets to visit Mississippi.