Letter of Thanks to Our Local Community

Showing Gratitude for the Support of the Anne Moody Day Celebration

#AnneMoody

On Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, the community of Centreville and the citizens of Amite and Wilkinson Counties had the privilege of making history by participating in the first-ever Anne Moody Day Celebration. The event was held to honor civil rights pioneer Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi, who grew up in Centreville. It was organized by the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP) of MTC/Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) and the Centreville Board of Aldermen.

About 70 people watched as town officials presented a proclamation for Anne Moody Day and unveiled the Anne Moody Street sign. It was truly a memorable occasion.

On behalf of Warden Jody Bradley, I want to thank everyone who came out to support this historic event, which would not have been possible without the support of the Centreville Board of Aldermen. We are especially grateful to the board for the support of Aldermen John “Coach” Moore and David Walker, Alderwoman Felicia Williams, former Mayor Larry Lee, Deputy Clerk Nicole VanNorman, and street maintenance employees Lorenzo Parker and Chaebas Anderson.

We are also thankful to the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors for their support and to Supervisor Venton “Bubba” McNabb and Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver for their presence at the event. Mr. McNabb and Mr. Tolliver have been pillars of encouragement from day one of this community service project which started in March this year with the staff of WCCF.

We were honored to have the participation of Moody’s son, Sasha Straus; her siblings, Fred Moody Jr., Adline Moody and Ralph Jefferson; and other family members. We were very much pleased to see representatives of the Mississippi Library Commission, who are planning a short film on the literary contributions of Anne Moody.

Mr. David Dreyer, a volunteer curator and researcher, came as a representative of the African American Museum in Natchez. He brought with him a portrait of Anne Moody taken during her time as a student at Natchez Junior College. He displayed the portrait during the ceremony. The Rev. LeReginald Jones, a local pastor, assisted us with the opening prayer during the ceremony.

A special debt of gratitude is owed to Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey and the staff of WCCF who played a major role in organizing the event, which was held on Moody’s birthday. The staff and others in attendance wore purple, Moody’s favorite color, or a purple ribbon.

In presenting this letter of gratitude, we want to also acknowledge AMHP members Emma Taplin, Ruby Dixon and LaVern Taylor, who worked diligently for several months to make this ceremony a reality. Several WCCF staff also participated in the ceremony, including Mr. Keith O’Banion, Ms. Jasmine Morris, and Ms. Felicia Williams. Mr. Branton Lewis assisted with photography.

And last, but not least, we offer special thanks to Mr. Andy Lewis and The Woodville Republican for their excellent coverage of the Anne Moody ceremony. Mr. Lewis’ coverage of this event was nothing short of exceptional and we take pride in calling his paper “our hometown paper.”

As a staff member of WCCF and chairman of the AMHP, I can say with utmost sincerity that we are grateful to everyone who was involved in any way with this special event to honor Anne Moody. It is our wish that her story will inspire us, and many others, to do our best at making the world a better place to live. May her legacy live on for future generations.

Sincerely,

Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D.

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
MTC/Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For stories on the Anne Moody Day Celebration, visit the Anne Moody page here!

  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Letter of Thanks appeared as an advertisement on page 3 of
the Oct. 12, 2017 issues of The Woodville Republican (Woodville, Miss.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Use this timeline to follow her life history.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information: 

See the Anne Moody page here.

Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi