Glen Conley II realizes dream of becoming a scholar
#MTCChangesLives
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| Glen Conley II prepares to present paper on Anne Moody |
WOODVILLE, Miss. -- Wilkinson County Correctional
Facility (WCCF) recently made history when one of its residents presented an
academic paper from the facility using the Nooks platform.
Offender Glen Conley II presented a paper on Anne Moody
at the 53rd annual conference held by the Western Association of Women Historians (WAWH)
on Friday, April 23. The event took place as a virtual meeting because of the COVID-19
pandemic. Using a laptop under the guidance of WCCF staff, Conley shared his
research with scholars from several universities.
“This was a proud moment for all of us,” said Warden
Scott Middlebrooks. “Conley is passionate about his research on Anne Moody and
his passion came through during his presentation. This is an important
milestone for WCCF and for the state of Mississippi.”
Conley’s paper was titled, “Coming of Age to See Things
Differently: How Whites Influenced Anne Moody’s Decision to Fight Social
Injustice.”
Conley, who hails from Hammond, LA., has been a resident
at WCCF since 2016. He is an administrative orderly and Inmate Religious
Assistant (IRA), who has completed the seminary program at Parchman. He earned
a bachelor’s degree and an associate’s degree through the New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary. Conley is currently pursuing a master’s degree in theological
studies through NationsUniversity.
Staff members who attended the virtual event said Conley
did a great job. “His presentation drew me in and held my attention,” said
Investigator Lieutenant Michelle Higginbotham. “He is a great speaker and
clearly an expert on Anne Moody.”
Security Threat Group (STG) Investigator Rachel
Hickombottom said Conley was descriptive and persuasive in his presentation. “He
did an excellent job, especially when he described who influenced [Moody],” she
said. “She chose the direction that she did because of the things she saw
around her. She wanted to mimic the people that she saw who were doing well.
She didn’t want to stay in poverty – she wanted to rise and do better.”
Leigh Ann Wheeler, a professor of history at Binghamton
University, was instrumental in arranging for Conley to speak at the
conference. She described his contribution as an “historic treat for
attendees.”
“Conley surprised many by arguing that various white
people in Moody's life were the main inspiration behind her academic success
and decision to fight against social injustice,” Wheeler said. “When challenged
by the chair—the pioneering women's historian, Professor Sara Evans—for
possibly giving southern whites too much credit, Conley related his research on
Moody to today's racial problems, insisting that one way out of those problems
is to focus on the good in people of all races and to resist rather than
encourage race-based hatred.”
Wheeler is writing Moody’s biography. She was one of
several scholars who also presented a paper on Moody at the WAWH conference.
Moody was a civil-rights pioneer who wrote the classic,
Coming of Age in Mississippi. She grew up in Centreville. Moody died in 2015 at
her home in Gloster. She was 74.
WCCF, which houses over 900 men, is managed by Management & Training Corporation
(MTC) of Utah. The facility is the birthplace of the Anne Moody History
Project, a community service endeavor in public history for Wilkinson and Amite
Counties. Its aim is to honor Moody by promoting and helping to preserve her
legacy as a noted author, civil rights pioneer, and historical figure in
Mississippi.
#PrivatePrisons #Corrections #MTCChangesLives
---------------------------------
ROSCOE BARNES
III, Ph.D., is a writer, chaplain, historian, and former newspaper
reporter. He is the author of more than a dozen books and Gospel tracts. For
more information about his work and history, see his Personal
Profile here or visit his
website: http://www.roscoebarnes.net. Connect with him on Twitter (@roscoebarnes3) or by
email: roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com.
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