Celebrating with Anne Moody’s brother

I'm here with the Rev. Fred Moody Jr., brother of Anne Moody. He's mentioned throughout "Coming of Age in Mississippi." Photo taken Monday, September 15, 2025, at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Centreville, Mississippi. Photo by Albert L. Jones (Click on image to enlarge.)

Anne Moody honored with Freedom Trail marker

by Mississippi Monitor | Sep 17, 2025 | Capital/River
By: Roscoe Barnes III, Visit Natchez

(Click on image to enlarge.)

A Mississippi Freedom Trail marker honoring Anne Moody now stands in front of the church she attended – and wrote about – in her memoir, “Coming of Age in Mississippi.’'

The marker, which was unveiled Monday, September 15, is located on the northside of Highway 24 at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, 8755 Highway 24 East, Centreville. It is the first and only Freedom Trail marker installed in Wilkinson County.

About 80 people turned out for the ceremony that paid tribute to Moody as a civil rights activist, warrior for social justice, and respected author, whose memoir has remained in print since it was first published in December 1968.

Rev. Reginald M. Buckley, the guest speaker, said Moody’s Freedom Trail marker will stand as “a testimony of the importance of memory itself.”

“This marker is more than mere words inscribed upon metal,” Buckley said. He noted the marker is “a reminder, a storyteller, a sanctified witness that will speak to generations long after we have left this place.”

Rev. Fred Moody Jr., brother of Anne Moody, reads the inscription on the Mississippi Freedom Trail marker erected in her honor. The marker was unveiled in a ceremony Monday, September 15, at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Centreville. Fred Moody is mentioned throughout Anne Moody's "Coming of Age in Mississippi." Photo by Roscoe Barnes III (Click on image to enlarge.)

The day’s program, which was held at Mount Pleasant, featured music by the Mount Pleasant Church Choir and inspiring messages from prominent leaders that included the Rev. LeReginald Jones, pastor of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church; Dr. Donzell Lee, president of Tougaloo College; Rep. Angela Cockerham, District 96; Rev. Fred Moody Jr., brother of Anne Moody; Dr. Daphne Chamberlain, chief program officer at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center; John Spann, program and outreach officer at the Mississippi Humanities Council; Rev. Larry Lee, pastor of Winans Chapel C.M.E. Church; and Senator Gary L. Brumfield, District 38.
 
Members of Anne Moody’s family attended the program, along with elected officials, pastors from across the state, and visitors from Natchez.
 
Buckley said it is important to remember Anne Moody as a bold and brilliant storyteller. He said she was a teller of an inconvenient story and uncomfortable truth.
 
Anne Moody, he said, told a “story that pulled back the blood-soaked veil and exposed the heart-wrenching reality of life for black people in the American South, specifically, Mississippi. She told a story that was difficult to hear in a culture that was not welcoming of her voice, not receptive to her perspective and in many instances, not even caring of her truth.”
 
All of the presenters spoke about the importance of Anne Moody’s contribution to the state’s history.
 
Jones recounted the history of Mount Pleasant and its role in Anne Moody’s life. The church, he said, has been a place that served as a school and community center for Black families. It was also a place that helped to develop “some theological thought, birth agents of change, great preachers, and great orators, agents of change and justice, like our celebrated native daughter, Ms. Anne Moody.”
 
According to Donzell Lee, Anne Moody was “a young lady of tremendous courage and tremendous foresight, who put herself in harm’s way at the forefront of civil rights in her day.”
 
Cockerham commented on the inspirational elements of Anne Moody’s life.
 
“Miss Moody’s acts of love, faith, and courage, remind us that the best lies deep within us,” she said. “Her life serves as an example to embrace God’s purpose for our lives no matter how difficult the journey gets, because God is always with us, and I have no doubt in my mind that God created and anointed Miss Moody for such a time.”
 
Fred Moody, Anne Moody’s brother, is mentioned throughout her book, along with their sister, Adline Moody, whom Fred Moody introduced at the ceremony. Both he and Adline Moody expressed gratitude for the day’s program. Fred Moody drew laughs when he told how he burned down the family’s house as a child. The story is captured in “Coming of Age in Mississippi.”
 
Chamberlain, a former history professor at Tougaloo College, told of how Anne Moody’s memoir affected her personally. She said Anne Moody’s work helped her to see the past and present “a little clearer.”
 
“Her activism made me stand a lot taller,” she said. “Her bravery made me this quiet little Black girl in Columbus, Mississippi, be a little bolder. Anne Moody’s legacy has influenced more than just me. It has touched readers locally and readers from all around the world.”
 
Spann, representing the Mississippi Humanities Council, acknowledged the assistance of U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson in securing federal funds for the Freedom Trail markers. He said because of Thompson’s help, among others, the markers are free to communities across the state. “We have more than doubled the size of the Freedom Trail, taking it from 30 to 64 in just two years,” he said.
 
Brumfield gave the closing remarks. He said Anne Moody presented a story that resonates with many people. “She gives me courage to think that she thought outside the box. It’s ok to be different as long as you are making a difference.”
 
The Freedom Trail markers are administered by the Mississippi Humanities Council, in partnership with Visit Mississippi. They commemorate the people and places in the state that played important roles in the American Civil Rights Movement.
 
See more at this link: https://www.themississippimonitor.com/anne-moody-honored-with-freedom-trail-marker/
 

Buckley to speak at ceremony honoring Anne Moody

He will be joined by Rep. Angela Cockerham and others

By Roscoe Barnes III

Rev. Reginald M. Buckley will be the special guest speaker at the unveiling ceremony for the Mississippi Freedom Trail marker honoring Anne Moody on Monday, September 15, in Centreville. Rep. Angela Cockerham is one of several prominent leaders who will speak at Monday's ceremony honoring Anne Moody.

CENTREVILLE, Miss. -- The Rev. Reginald M. Buckley, president of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi Inc., will be the guest speaker at the Mississippi Freedom Trail ceremony honoring Anne Moody.

The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, September 15 at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, 8755 Highway 24 East. The event is free and open to the public.
 
A native of Jackson, Buckley is a graduate of Tougaloo College, where he completed his undergraduate studies. He is also a recipient of the Andrew W. Mellon fellowship. He holds a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.
 
Buckley is the senior pastor of Cade Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. In addition to having been inducted into the Tougaloo College Hall of Fame, he is a recipient of the Tougaloo Meritorious Leadership award. Buckley and his wife, Dr. Lecretia A. Buckley, are the parents of two children, Jonathan and Anna.
 
Dr. Donzell Lee, president of Tougaloo College, said he looks forward to participating in the program, which will be a first for Wilkinson County. Lee will share remarks about Moody, who became a civil rights activist while attending Tougaloo College in the early 1960s.
 
Other speakers will include the Rev. LeReginald Jones, pastor of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church; Rep. Angela Cockerham, District 96; Rev. Fred Moody Jr., brother of Anne Moody; Dr. Daphne Chamberlain, chief program officer at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center; John Spann, program and outreach officer at the Mississippi Humanities Council; Rev. Larry Lee, pastor of Winans Chapel C.M.E. Church; and Senator Gary L. Brumfield, District 38.
 
Dr. Roscoe Barnes III will serve as master of ceremonies. Barnes is the cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez and the president of the Mississippi Historical Society. Music will be provided by the Mount Pleasant Church Choir.
 
Organizers say they are excited about the list of speakers, all of whom continue to make a difference in Mississippi’s history. They are also helping to preserve Moody’s legacy.
 
In 2018, Cockerham sponsored House Bill 1153 that resulted in Highway 24 -- between Woodville and Centreville -- being named the Anne Moody Memorial Highway. Cockerham’s bill was passed overwhelmingly by the House and Senate, without any “nay” votes recorded. Gov. Phil Bryant signed the bill into law on March 8, 2018.
 
In May 2025, Buckley reported how Moody would be honored by the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi Inc. He announced the Women’s Auxiliary building at Natchez College will be home to the Anne Moody Interpretive Center. The center will feature historic documents, artifacts, and memorabilia.

Buckley said, “Moody’s time spent at Natchez College was formative in her development as a writer and activist as she discovered her agency to confront and speak to issues. Establishing the Anne Moody Interpretive Center at the Baptist Heritage and Arts Center at Natchez College will help to keep Moody’s spirit of agency and activism alive for future generations to be inspired.”
 
Moody was a civil rights activist and the author of “Coming of Age in Mississippi.” She was born and raised in Centreville, a town that she features in her book. She also wrote about her time as a student at Natchez College.
 
In September 2017, the town of Centreville held a celebration that included a proclamation for Anne Moody Day and a resolution for renaming Fort Street, Anne Moody Street. The celebration was organized by the Anne Moody History Project, an organization that was founded at the MTC-operated Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville.
 
Moody died in 2015 at the age 74.
 
 

Important Reminder!

 Anne Moody event only a few days away!

Anne Moody, author of “Coming of Age in Mississippi,” will be honored with a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker at 10 a.m. Monday, September 15 at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, 8755 Highway 24 East. The event is free to the public.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Natchez Screening of Ken Burns’ ‘American Revolution’ set for September 25

David Schmidt, left, Sarah Botstein, and Ken Burns are the directors of "The American Revolution" documentary series. Credit: Stephanie Berger. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Mississippi Public Broadcasting, in partnership with Visit Natchez, is inviting the public to view a 40-minute screener of Ken Burns' "American Revolution.” The viewing will be followed by a discussion led by Jim Wiggins, retired instructor of History at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
 
The event will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 25, at the Visit Natchez at The Depot Visitor Center at 200 N. Broadway St. It is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
 
The six-part, 12-hour documentary film will premiere on Sunday, November 16 on PBS, and air for six consecutive nights through Friday, November 21.
 
The film explores the country’s founding struggle and its eight-year War for Independence.
 
“The American Revolution is one of the most important events in human history,” said Burns. “We went from being subjects to inventing a new concept, citizens, and set in motion democratic revolutions around the globe. As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding, I’m hopeful that people throughout the country will come together to discuss the importance of this history and to appreciate even more what our ancestors did to secure our liberty and freedoms.”
 
“The American Revolution” was directed and produced by Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, and written by collaborator Geoffrey C. Ward.
 
For more information on the viewing, send email to Roscoe Barnes III at Roscoe@visitnatchez.org
 

Unveiling of Anne Moody’s Freedom Trail marker set for September 15

By Roscoe Barnes III, Visit Natchez

Mississippi Monitor | Aug 22, 2025 | Capital/River

 

Anne Moody
(Click on image to enlarge.)

The late Anne Moody, author of “Coming of Age in Mississippi,” will soon be honored with a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker in her hometown of Centreville.

The marker will be unveiled in a ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, September 15 at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, 8755 Highway 24 East. The event is free to the public.

Frances Jefferson, Moody’s sister, said she and her family are elated about the marker.

“I’m very excited for the unveiling of the Freedom Trail marker on September 15, Anne’s 85th birthday,” she said. “I’m grateful to everyone involved in securing this honor for my sister.”

The Freedom Trail markers are administered by the Mississippi Humanities Council, in partnership with Visit Mississippi. The markers honor the courage and dedication of local leaders and activists whose actions helped shape the fight for freedom and justice. They commemorate the people and places in the state that played important roles in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Moody made sacrifices and risked her life in her fight for civil rights for African Americans. She suffered mob violence and endured multiple incarcerations in her efforts to bring about change. Known as a fearless activist, Moody participated in sit-ins, non-violent protests, voter registration drives, and bold efforts to dismantle segregation across the state.

Moody died at her home in Gloster on February 5, 2015. She was 74.

“Coming of Age in Mississippi,” her memoir, remains a seminal work, illuminating the harsh realities of growing up as a poor Black girl in the Jim Crow South. Her book was first published in December 1968 and remains in print to this day.

As for the location of the Freedom Trail marker, Jefferson said the Mount Pleasant church is the perfect place. She said Moody attended the church along with her family. Moody was also baptized in a pond near the church, and her gravesite, along with those of her mother, father, and other family members, are located in the cemetery in front of the church.

Moody also wrote about Mount Pleasant in her book, where she mentioned active members of the church. In addition to her pastor, the Rev. Robert J. Tyson Sr., whose portrait is currently displayed in the church, Moody wrote about Sister Jones, whose full name is Edna Lee Bland Jones. Sister Jones was the great-grandmother of the Rev. LeReginald Jones, the current pastor of the church.

LeReginald Jones is proud of the church’s history and the connection it has to Anne Moody. When asked about the Freedom Trail marker, he quoted President Barack Obama, who said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

“I think this quote epitomizes the life and legacy of Anne Moody,” said LeReginald Jones. “She didn’t wait for someone else. She stepped up and made a difference, and now some 50-plus years later, we remember her legacy.

“We celebrate her legacy, and we as a community are proud to be a part of our native daughter’s story. We’re also proud to have this marker placed permanently at the place that helped Anne to become the freedom fighter that we now admire. We perpetually thank her for her service, boldness, and determination to see a more just and humane society.”

In addition to LeReginald Jones, the unveiling ceremony will feature a number of prominent speakers, including the Rev. Fred Moody Jr., Anne Moody’s brother; Rep. Angela Cockerham; and Senator Gary Brumfield.

Other participants on the program include John Spann, program and outreach officer at Mississippi Humanities Council; the Rev. Larry Lee pastor of Winans Chapel C.M.E. Church; and Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez, who will serve as master of ceremonies.

The program will also feature music by the Mount Pleasant choir.

For more information on the unveiling ceremony, call Roscoe Barnes III at 601-492-3004 or John Spann at 601-432-6752.

See more here: https://www.themississippimonitor.com/unveiling-of-anne-moodys-freedom-trail-marker-set-for-september-15/

Bluff City Savings Bank (1906-1913), Natchez's first and only Black-owned bank

Eric Berry, left, and Roscoe Barnes III
(Click on image to enlarge.)

We were all excited to meet with Eric Berry last Friday at the Natchez Manor Bed-and-Breakfast, where Mayor Dan Gibson presented him with a historical marker for the Bluff City Savings Bank. Berry and his family are the owners of Natchez Manor. Berry said he was “pleasantly surprised” to learn that the rear addition to their business actually rests on the site that was used by the bank. Bluff City Savings (1906 to 1913) was Natchez’s only Black-owned bank. Berry is a former NFL football player. He played as a safety with the Kansas City Chiefs. Note: A QR code will be attached to the marker to provide detailed information the bank's history.

From left, Dora Hawkins, Jacqulyn Williams, Eric Berry, and Thelma Newsome
(Click on image to enlarge.)