Mississippi Governor Signs Bill Honoring Civil Rights Pioneer Anne Moody

New law will name portion of Highway 24 in her honor

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

Anne Moody History Project members display copy 
of House Bill 1153. Pictured from left: Ruby Dixon, 
Emma Taplin, and LaVern Taylor.

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JACKSON, Miss. – Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi has signed into law a bill that honors the memory of civil rights pioneer Anne Moody.

The new law, which takes effect on July 1, 2018, will allow a portion of Highway 24 to be named “The Anne Moody Memorial Highway” in Wilkinson County in southwest Mississippi.

Bryant signed House Bill 1153 on March 8, 2018. It was sponsored by Rep. Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia, and co-sponsored by Rep. Debra Gibbs, D-Jackson, and Rep. Greg Holloway Sr., D- Hazlehurst.

Cockerham said she was “so proud” they could get this done. Speaking of Moody, she said: "At a very early age, Anne Moody took upon herself a movement that would change the State of Mississippi and America. She was motivated by her own internal spirit, fueled by God.”

Warden Jody Bradley of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, Woodville, said the recognition makes him proud to say he’s from Mississippi. It was his facility that spearheaded the project to have the highway named in Moody’s honor.

“It’s a tribute to how Mississippians can come together, across party lines at the local, county and state level to honor a unique individual who did the right thing at a difficult time,” Bradley said. “The support this project has garnered from all who have been made aware is an example of what America is all about.”

“When we travel the Anne Moody Memorial Highway, let us remember the past and think about how we will now shape our tomorrow." – Rep. Angela Cockerham

Moody wrote Coming of Age in Mississippi, a classic autobiography that was first published in 1968. She was born and raised in Centreville, Miss. She died in 2015 at the age of 74. She had been living in Gloster, Miss., which is only a few miles from Centreville. Moody became a civil rights activist while attending Tougaloo College in the early 1960s. She participated in a number of famous demonstrations, including the Woolworth’s Sit-in in Jackson.

Rep. Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia

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“It is a blessing for the State of Mississippi to be able to recognize one who has had such a profound impact upon our nation,” Cockerham said of Moody. “When we travel the Anne Moody Memorial Highway, let us remember the past and think about how we will now shape our tomorrow."

The section of Highway 24 that will bear Moody’s name will begin at its intersection with U.S. Highway 61 in Woodville, and extend east to the Amite County line in Centreville. It is a distance of 13 miles, only a few miles from the Louisiana state line.

The Anne Moody Memorial Highway signs will be erected and maintained along the highway by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT).

The idea for the bill to honor Moody began with the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP), a community service project created in March 2017 by the staff of WCCF. AMHP’s mission is to promote and help preserve the legacy of Moody, according to member Lavern Taylor. “We felt that something should be done to honor her memory,” she said.

In June 2017, AMHP members asked the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors for a resolution authorizing the highway to be named in Moody’s honor. The board approved the request with unanimous support and submitted the resolution to Cockerham.

“This is a major milestone,” said AMHP member Ruby Dixon. “It’s hard to believe, but it finally happened. We’re so happy that Anne Moody is receiving this honor.”

AMHP member Emma Taplin shared Dixon’s sentiments. She noted: “It’s a great feeling being part of this project and keeping Anne Moody’s legacy alive by having a street named for her, a day to celebrate her birthday, and a highway named in her honor.”

WCCF is operated by Management & Training Corporation (MTC) of Utah.

House Bill 1153, which authorizes The Anne Moody Memorial 
Highway designation.

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Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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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