Siblings of Anne Moody: ‘Principal Willis was Mr. Anselm J. Finch’

Family Confirms Name of the Founder of Willis High in Coming of Age in Mississippi

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright © 2018

#AnneMoody

Anselm Joseph Finch

I have been saying for months that Anselm Joseph Finch is believed to be Principal Willis of Willis High in Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi. The first person to suggest that was Charles E. Johnson, retired superintendent of education for Wilkinson County. He said to me, “There was no Willis High in Centreville. The school was Finch High School.”

And he was right.

Johnson’s information was confirmed this week by Anne’s brother, Fred Moody Jr., and her sister, Adline Moody, both of Gloster, Miss. Both siblings told me that they attended Finch High School in Centreville. They acknowledged Anne changed the names of many people – and places -- in the book. However, she used the actual names of her brothers and sisters, Adline said.

When asked about the controversy surrounding Finch and claims that he was an “Uncle Tom,” Adline said, “There was a lot of that going on back then. That’s how it was.”

In addition to being an educator and administrator, Finch was an accomplished writer. He published poetry, articles, and a number of books, including Mississippi Negro Ramblings (Adams Press, 1969). His work appeared in magazines and newspapers.

I recently learned of a biography of Finch by Sharon Burnette Bell that was written as a thesis for her Master of Arts degree at Jackson State University. It's titled, Anselm Joseph Finch: Mississippian and Life Long Educator (Jackson State University, 1976). It is well worth reading. One of the interesting features in Bell's research is a comment about the possible strategy that Finch employed in his dealings with the white community. Bell shared the thoughts of Dr. Lee E. Williams, who was vice president for administration at JSU and “had professional contact with Dr. Finch." Bell wrote: 

Mr. Williams also thought that Finch brought a lot of publicity to the state of Mississippi through his writings. He didn’t always agree with the context of the writings because he believed that Finch was too free and prolific with his unjust praise of Whites who often worked against Blacks. But this he feels was due to the time in which they both lived. Mr. Williams thought Finch probably used praise as a strategy to get what he wanted form the White man. (Pages 35-36)

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Acknowledgments:

Grateful acknowledgments are made to Ms. Darlita Ballard, university archivist for Jackson State University H.T. Sampson Library, for her assistance in providing information on Sharon Burnette Bell’s thesis.

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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 Ph.D. 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

Anne Moody’s Final Resting Place

Family Buries Her Ashes Beside her Mother in Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

Family of Anne Moody buried her ashes during a special service on Saturday, July 7, 2018, at the Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Centreville, Miss. From left: Frances Jefferson, her sister; Rev. LeReginald Jones, assistant pastor of Mount Pleasant; Rev. Dr. Roscoe Barnes III;  and Adline Moody, Anne’s sister. 

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CENTREVILLE, Miss. -- Civil Rights Pioneer Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi, is now resting beside her mother, Elmira “Too Sweet” Williams Moody Jefferson, in the Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Centreville, Miss.

Her sister, Adline Moody, said it was time to bring her home.

Her family held a memorial service – the second one -- on Saturday, July 7, 2018, where they paid their respects and buried her ashes. Anne, who was born and raised in Centreville in southwest Mississippi, died on Feb. 5, 2015, at the age of 74. Her remains were cremated on Feb. 6, 2015. Arrangements were entrusted to Richardson Funeral Home of Clinton, La.

“This is only fitting,” Adline said of the July burial. “This is the perfect place for Anne … next to her mom. Her dad is right over there. She traveled the whole wide world and she ended up right back where she started. Right here at Mount Pleasant.”

The first memorial service was held on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, at 2753 Antioch Perkins Road in a rural section of Gloster, Miss. Her ashes had been kept by her son, Sasha Straus, and Adline.

Anne’s grave is adorned with flowers and a monument. The face of the marble structure bears the inscription:

Freedom fighter, Beloved Mother, Daughter and Sister.

Great Humanitarian. You fought the fight.

Rest in peace, Anne.

Love you.

Anne Moody

September 15, 1940 to February 5, 2015

Mount Pleasant donated the piece of land for the burial and Anne’s family provided the monument and the flowers.

Sasha Straus, son of Anne Moody, was one of several family members who participated in her burial ceremony at the Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Centreville, Miss., on Saturday, July 7, 2018.

‘Modern-day Esther’

The Rev. LeReginald Jones, assistant pastor for Mount Pleasant, officiated the graveside service. He described Anne as a great woman and a freedom fighter. Her burial, he said, brings everything full circle.

“It is an honor for us to have such a heroine to be planted right here, so that when the story is told, they can always come back home,” he said. “They can come back to Anne’s home, and we can tell that story.”

Jones said Anne was like Esther in the Bible, who rose to help her people “for such a time as this.” He said: “Some 50 years ago, I do believe under the providential orchestration of the hand of God, that he called Anne Moody for such a time as this. She was our modern-day Esther” who fought against discrimination and injustice.

Anne’s sister, Frances Jefferson, said the burial was important for Anne and the community.

“She needed to come home,” she said. “Anne left home in her teens and my mother grieved for her when she was away.”

Too Sweet often cried for Anne, fearing for her safety. “She didn’t know where she was,” said Frances. “I couldn’t stand to see my mother cry. She was very protective.”

But now Anne is home, back where her story began, Frances said.

In addition to Adline, Sasha and Frances, a number of other family members and friends attended the ceremony. Family members included Jerry Love, Dorothy Veals, JoAnne Coles, Felix Cole, James Cole, Doris Whitehead, and Elvira Taplin, all cousins of Anne; Sherry Jefferson, wife of Anne’s brother, Ralph Jefferson; and Rosie Powell, former wife of Anne’s brother, Fred Moody Jr.

Dr. Leigh Ann Wheeler, Anne Moody’s biographer, participated in Moody’s memorial service at the Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Centreville, Miss., on Saturday, July 7, 2018. She is joined here with her husband, Dr. Donald Nieman, and their son, Brady Wheeler-Nieman; and Moody’s son, Sasha Straus.

Anne’s biographer

Friends who attended the event included Dr. Leigh Ann Wheeler, her husband, Dr. Donald Nieman, both of Binghamton University, New York, and their son, Brady Wheeler-Nieman. Wheeler, who is writing Anne’s biography, shared a few words about Anne during the ceremony.

“I want to thank you all for helping me write Anne’s life story,” she said. “I love her. For 25 years, I have taught her book. I first read it when I taught it with my graduate advisor, Sara Evans, in the 1990s and I have taught it to my own students ever since. It’s life-changing for them, more so today than ever.”

Coming of Age was first published in 1968 and has remained in print since that time.

Wheeler said the book is the one book that she assigns that the students always thank her for. They love the book and they actually read it, she said: “It really helps them understand what it was like to grow up as a young black girl in Mississippi in the 40, the 50s, and the 60s -- something that they otherwise would not even begin to even care about, let alone GET!”

Although she never got to know Anne, Wheeler said she’s beginning to know her through Anne’s family and friends. Wheeler and her family donated purple roses for the ceremony. Purple was Anne’s favorite color.

JoAnne and Dorothy, both daughters of Alberta in Coming of Age, shared brief remarks during the ceremony. JoAnne spoke of how excited they used to be to see Anne when they were kids. She said Anne helped put her through college. Dorothy sang “When the Gates Swing Open.”

The Rev. Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, who chairs the Anne Moody History Project, said Anne was like King David in the Bible who “served his own generation by the will of God.” He said that she had great achievements, but she also faced many challenges, enduring a life of highs and lows.

“But in the end, like David, we can say that she served her purpose,” said Barnes. “She served her own generation by the will of God.”

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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

Farewell to Anne Moody: The Passing of a Civil Rights Icon

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright © 2018

#AnneMoody

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It was a somber Saturday on Feb. 14, 2015, when about 50 people paid their respects to civil rights pioneer Anne Moody. They gathered at the Homochitto Association Development Center (HADC) in Gloster, Miss. Family and friends remembered her as a famous author, mother, sister, and soldier of the civil rights movement.

Anne died on Feb. 5, 2015, at her home in Gloster, at the age of 74. She had been under the care of her sister, Adline Moody, who reported she had dementia for several years. Adline said she stopped eating two days before she died in her sleep.

During the memorial service, people from Anne’s past and present, consisting of blacks and whites, acknowledged her contributions as a writer and fighter for freedom and justice. They also recognized her place as an important figure in the nation's history.

“Anne was a freedom fighter,” said Adline. “She was unmovable in her fight for freedom. She put her life on the line for all mankind, black or white.”

Related article:

"Anne Moody’s Final Resting Place: Family Buries Her Ashes Beside her Mother in Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery." See here.

National Recognition

Anne had spent her final years living in reclusion. Few people knew where she was or what she was doing. Her work as a civil rights worker seemed all forgotten in some places. But when she died, it seemed the nation stopped for a moment to take notice, as her name appeared in newspapers across the country.

The New York Times (Feb. 17, 2015) noted her “searing memoir” in a story about her passing:

“Anne Moody, whose searing memoir, ‘Coming of Age in Mississippi,’ told what it was like to grow up black in the era of Jim Crow, died on Feb. 5 at her home in Gloster, Miss. She was 74.

“Her death was announced on the website of Representative Bennie G. Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi. Ms. Moody had had dementia in recent years.”

The Washington Post (Feb. 9, 2015) commented on the enduring legacy of her book:

“Nearly half a century after its publication, Ms. Moody’s 1968 autobiography remains a noted volume in the library of first-person accounts describing the inequality suffered by African Americans of her era. The book recounted her upbringing in grinding poverty and the experience of discrimination and violence that propelled her to join the civil rights movement in the 1960s.”

The Associated Press (Feb. 10, 2015) described her story as a “wrenching account” of life in southwest Mississippi:

“Anne Moody, whose memoir ‘Coming of Age in Mississippi’ gave a wrenching account of growing up poor in the segregated South and facing violence as a civil rights activist, has died.”

Once again Anne’s name was in the news. While it was pleasing to see the recognition, it was somewhat of a bitter pill to swallow. After all, a legend was now gone. And all the praise in the world could not bring her back. People who knew Anne, including those who read her book, will probably agree that when she died, the nation lost an icon and Mississippi lost a daughter and heroine of the civil rights movement.

Daughter of Mississippi

Anne was born on Sept. 15, 1940, in the small rural town of Centreville, Miss. Her parents were Fred Moody Sr. and Elmira “Too Sweet” Williams Moody. Anne was the oldest of 10 children. In addition to Adline, her siblings include Fred Moody Jr., Kenneth Jefferson, Ralph Jefferson, James Jefferson, Vallery Jefferson, Frances Jefferson, Virginia Gibson, and Leroy Jefferson Jr. Anne’s son, Sasha Straus, and some of her siblings live in Mississippi.

At the age of 17, Anne moved to Woodville, Miss. to live with her father, and his wife, Emma. While in Woodville, she attended Johnson High School and graduated in 1959. She went on to Natchez College and later to Tougaloo College where she became involved in the civil rights movement in the early 1960s.

Anne was a student at Tougaloo College when she appeared in the iconic photo of a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter on May 28, 1963, in Jackson, Miss. The Associated Press reported:

“A white mob attacked the integrated group of peaceful students, dousing them with ketchup, mustard and sugar and beating one of the men.

“A photograph from the sit-in shows Moody sitting stoically at the five-and-dime counter with food on her head. Moody's eyes are downcast as a man pours more food on one of her fellow students, Joan Trumpauer.”

Anne lived for a time in New York. In 1967, she married poet Austin Straus. Her book, Coming of Age in Mississippi, was published in 1968. It became a bestseller and was translated in many languages. Their son, Sasha, was born in 1971.

Anne spent 10 years living in Europe. She returned to Mississippi in her later years. She lectured at Tougaloo College and the University of Mississippi. She settled in Gloster, which is only a few miles from her hometown of Centreville.

Memorial Service

Anne’s remains were cremated on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. Arrangements were entrusted to Richardson Funeral Home of Clinton, La. Her memorial service was held at 2753 Antioch Perkins Road in a rural section of Gloster in southwest Mississippi.

The program opened with a musical prelude, a hymn of praise, and reading of Psalm 91. The Scripture reading was followed by a congregational hymn, prayer, a prayer chant and musical selection.

Several speakers addressed the audience, including Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chinn, Rev. Ed King, Ben Talbot of the NAACP, Centreville Mayor Larry Lee, and Dr. Wesley Prater of the Tougaloo College Board of Trustees.

Lee presented a resolution on behalf of the town of Centreville, where Moody was born and raised. He said the town recognized Moody “for her outstanding service to humanity, by and through her outstanding career in helping others.” He said “she loved working with young children and teenagers pointing out to them the value of a good education.”

‘We Shall Overcome’

King, former chaplain at Tougaloo College and leader in the civil rights movement, remembered Moody as “one of the heroines of the movement.” He shared a brief message from Psalm 56, which talks about the difficulties in life and “enemies lying in wait for you.” King encouraged the audience, saying, “God is on our side and we shall overcome.”

The Rev. Eva Brown, a distant relative of Moody, delivered the eulogy. She described Moody as a warrior for civil rights, a servant, and a “soldier in the army of the Lord.” She noted that Moody put her life on the line “many times as a soldier” and “she had so much to say, she had to write it down.” Like the prophets in the Bible, she “had some good days and some bad days, but she kept on fighting,” Brown said.

Sister Edna Weatherspoon provided a solo and Sister Shirley Brown read the Acknowledgments and Obituary. The program ended with a closing prayer and benediction.

“Anne fought a long good fight,” said Adline. “Now she’s gone home to be with Jesus Christ, along with her mother and father.”

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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

Anne Moody Featured in Mississippi Museum

Artifacts Housed at African American Museum in Woodville

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright © 2018

#AnneMoody

This photograph of Anne Moody was taken by Chrissy Wilson.

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Note: An earlier version of this article reported Anne Moody's typewriter was on display at the African American Museum. We have learned that the typewriter on display was NOT owned by Moody. For this reason, we have deleted mentions of the typewriter in this article. We have also removed the image.

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The African American Museum of Woodville, Miss., is one of the hidden gems of southwest Mississippi. It features artifacts related to several historic figures, including Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi.

Moody was a civil rights pioneer who was born in 1940 in the small rural town of Centreville, Miss. She lived in the town until the age of 17, at which time she moved to Woodville to live with her father, Fred Moody Sr. Woodville is 14 miles west of Centreville. Moody attended Johnson High School, a historically black school in Woodville that closed in 1959, the same year she graduated.

Moody’s ties to Woodville make the museum even more relevant. In addition to her book, Coming of Age, the museum displays a copy of her book, Mr. Death: Four Stories.

The museum includes a large photograph of Moody that was taken by Chrissy Wilson. The portrait shows a smiling Moody in her younger days, wearing a knit cap. Along with the portrait, the museum displays a short biography of Moody.

In addition to Moody, the museum features William Grant Still (1895 - 1978), who was known as a world famous composer and dean of African American classical composers. He is remembered as the first African American to conduct a major orchestra. He conducted the Los Angeles Symphony in 1936.

Other noted figures in the museum are blues guitarist Scott Dunbar (1909 - 1994) and saxophonist Lester “Pres” Young (1909 - 1959). Outside the museum is a Woodville Blues sign. It presents the following:

Musicians from Woodville demonstrate the breadth of the blues’s influence on American music. Composer William Grant Still incorporated the blues into his “Afro-American Symphony,” while the innovative saxophonist Lester “Pres” Young helped define the blues-infused jazz styles of the Count Basie orchestra and vocalist Billie Holiday. More traditional blues artists from the area include Scott Dunbar and his protégé Robert Cage.

The museum is owned and operated by the Woodville Civic Club (WCC). It is located behind the courthouse on the corner of Royal Oak Street and Bank Street in the heart of Woodville's historic district. The museum opened in 2004 after the WCC received a grant to restore its building, according to WCC Executive Director Ernesto Caldeira. “In 2004, thanks to a Mississippi Department of Archives and History Grant, the restoration was completed and the service dependency with bathrooms and storage facilities was built,” according to the WCC website.

In collecting items for display, the museum volunteers wanted to focus on the positive, Caldeira said. He explained: “We wanted to show the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans to the arts and to the literary world. We’re delighted that we have good representations in the people we’re featuring.”

As for Moody, Caldeira said he did not get to meet her. However, his associate, David Smith, spoke with her and invited her to the museum. But she was not able to come.

Moody died in 2015 at the age of 74. She had been suffering from dementia, according to her  sisters, Adline Moody and Frances Jefferson.

This two-story building, constructed around 1819, is the home of
the African American Museum. It was known as Branch Banking
House and is believed to be the oldest banking building in Mississippi.

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Centreville, Woodville in

Coming of Age in Mississippi

Moody writes about southwest Mississippi in many parts of her book. She gives colorful anecdotes and memorable descriptions of interesting people and places around her hometown. In an early chapter of her book, she writes about life in the town of Centreville:

“At the end of that summer Mama found it necessary for us to move into town in Centreville, where she worked. This time we moved into a two-room house that was twice the size of the other one.” – Chapter 2, Coming of Age in Mississippi

“I was going to Willis High, the only school Negro school in Centreville. It was named for Mr. C. H. Willis, its principal and founder, and had only been expanded into a high school the year before I started there. Before Mr. Willis came to town, the eighth grade had been the limit of schooling for Negro children in Centreville.” – Chapter 2, Coming of Age in Mississippi

After moving to Woodville, Moody had a room of her own. It was something she appreciated. She lived with her father and his wife, Emma. She writes:

“It was Thursday when I left Alberta’s to live with Daddy. That following Saturday before he went to work, he told me he had given Emma money for us to go into town and buy furniture for my room. He said he had given her enough for me to get whatever I wanted. I was all excited about buying furniture. It was the first time in my life that I would have a room to myself and I was seventeen years old. All that morning I was thinking about how I would fix my room up. I wanted to make it look just like the students’ rooms I had seen in magazines, with a single bed, a bookshelf filled with books, and a desk with a good lamp. I had planned to go to a secondhand store and get most of what I wanted, since I wanted to save most of the money for books. But when we got into town, I discovered Emma had other ideas. She went straight to the most expensive furniture store in Woodville.” – Chapter 16, Coming of Age in Mississippi

Moody spent most of her early years in Centreville, but she also left her mark on Woodville. As a student at Johnson High School, she played basketball under the leadership of Coach Dunbar. She writes:

“Johnson High had become one of the most challenged teams in the state and I was one of its most valuable players. In addition, I organized Johnson High’s first gymnastic and tumbling team, ran track, did substitute teaching, and spent all day Sunday in church. Before I realized it, I was practicing for graduation.” – Chapter 17, Coming of Age in Mississippi

This sign is posted outside the African American Museum.

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Learn MORE about Anne Moody! Visit here to see

the timeline of important events in her life history!

  

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References/Resources:

To arrange a tour of the African American Museum, send request to: info@historicwoodville.com.

Information on the African American Museum and Historic Woodville is available here: http://www.historicwoodville.org and here: http://www.woodvillems.org/about-us/history

For information on the bluesmen featured in the museum, visit:

http://msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/woodville-blues

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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

Farewell to Anne Moody: U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson’s statement on passing of civil rights icon

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright © 2017

#AnneMoody

 

U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson

When Anne Moody passed on Feb. 5, 2017, U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson was one of the first to publicly share the news. On Feb. 9, 2017, he posted the news on his website.

"I am deeply saddened by the death of Anne Moody,” he wrote. “Anne dedicated her life to ensuring equality for others. Her sacrifices will never be forgotten and her legacy will live on in the hearts of many.”

The congressman went on to offer condolences to her family “and all others who mourn her passing.” In addition to her son, Sascha, he listed the names of her sisters, Adline Moody, Virginia Gibson, Frances Jefferson and Vallery Jefferson; and her brothers, Ralph Jefferson, James Jefferson and Kenneth Jefferson. He mistakenly omitted the name, Fred Moody Jr., the oldest brother.

“I hope that they will take comfort in her impact throughout this country," the congressman said.

Soon after he broke the news, the story of Moody’s passing began appearing in newspapers throughout the United States. Her sister, Adline, informed the media that she had been struggling with dementia in her later years and that she was living in Gloster, Miss., at the time of her death.

Thompson, a Democrat, represents Mississippi’s Second Congressional District, which includes much of western Mississippi. He is serving his 13th term and is considered “the longest-serving African-American elected official in the State of Mississippi and the lone Democrat in the Mississippi Congressional Delegation,” according to his website.

That Thompson would be the one to take the lead in recognizing Moody is no surprise given his background. In addition to having grown up in Mississippi, he was also inspired by leaders in the civil rights movement. Like Moody, Thompson is a graduate of Tougaloo College. In fact, he graduated in 1968, the same year that her book, Coming of Age in Mississippi, was published by Dial Press.

While attending Tougaloo, he apparently shared some of the same interests as Moody. He also displayed some of the same passion as Moody by becoming an activist. His website notes:

“He began his grassroots political activism being a civil rights champion through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while a student at Tougaloo College – a private historically black college in Jackson, Mississippi. He organized voter registration drives for African-Americans throughout the Mississippi Delta on behalf of the organization before graduating….”

In a December 2014 statement honoring Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in the Congressional Record, Thompson cites Moody’s book to highlight the important role the church played during the civil rights movement. He notes:

Mount Zion continued to serve the African-American community religiously and socially. During the summer of 1964, Mount Zion was the location of a pivotal moment in our state’s civil rights struggle. In her autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi, Ann Moody notes that Mount Zion was the biggest Negro church in Canton and the center of the local marches.

While Moody may have lived in seclusion during her final years, according to some reports, it is good to know that her death did not go unnoticed by respected leaders, such as Thompson, and major news media outlets.

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Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson’s Statement

See http://archive.is/9lEcv or

https://votesmart.org/public-statement/953299/thompson-statement-on-passing-of-civil-rights-activist-anne-moody#.WgoWLP-nEdU

  

Biography of U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson
https://benniethompson.house.gov/about

Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District

https://ballotpedia.org/Mississippi%27s_2nd_Congressional_District

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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

Farewell to Anne Moody: Eulogy by the Rev. Eva Brown

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2017

#AnneMoody

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Rev. Eva Brown speaking at memorial service for 
Anne Moody in February 2015.

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As a child growing up, the Rev. Eva Brown had heard about the courageous exploits of Anne Moody in her fight for freedom and justice in the civil rights movement. She had heard about Moody’s book, Coming of Age in Mississippi, and about her traveling the world and appearing on national TV shows as a famous author.

So when the Moody family asked her to give the eulogy at Anne Moody’s memorial service in 2015, Brown was both surprised and honored. She reflected on the experience in a recent interview.

“Of all the people in the world, God saw fit for me to do this,” she said. “I don’t take it lightly. He could have chosen anybody else to do it, but he chose me. My main motto is: ‘Lord, you can use anything. Use me. Take my hand.’”

Moody died on February 5, 2015, at the age of 74, in Gloster, Miss. A memorial service was held for her on February 14, 2015, at the Homochitto Association Development Center in Gloster.

Moody grew up Centreville, Miss., a small rural town in Wilkinson County in southwest Mississippi. She and her son, Sasha Straus, were living in Gloster at the time of her death. Moody left her hometown at the age of 17 and moved to Woodville, Miss., where she attended Johnson High School. From there she went to college in Natchez. She later became a student at Tougaloo College where she began working as a civil rights activist in the early 1960s. Her book was published in 1968.

“I grew up hearing how she wrote the book and got in trouble for trying to do right,” Brown said. “I didn’t know her personally, but I knew her family.”

Brown lives in Woodville. She is the youth minister at Bleak House Baptist Church in Woodville. She said Moody used to rent from her late aunt Hattie Jones on Bay Ridge Road in Woodville.

Brown said that Moody’s sister, Adline Moody of Gloster, asked her to do the eulogy. “I was honored to have this opportunity,” Brown said.

When asked about sharing her message from the memorial service, Brown agreed to share an excerpt, which is about half of her presentation. It is featured below.

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A Look at Some of the Words Given at 

the Funeral of Sis. Anne Moody

By Rev. Eva Brown

Youth Minister, Bleak House Baptist Church

Woodville, Mississippi

Copyright (c) 2015

For today’s message, the Spirit of God led me to Isaiah Chapter 6 and verse 8:

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I send me.”

May the Lord add a blessing to the readers, hearers and doers of his holy word.

My subject is, “It’s a Blessing to Be a Soldier in the Army of the Lord.”

I prayed to the Lord and I said, “Lord, what should I tell your people?”

And I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Eva, let the work I’ve done speak for me. When I was resting in my grave, there was nothing that could be said. The work I had done spoke for me.”

Jesus said, “Eva, this servant now cannot speak for herself. But her record is on high. Trust me, Eva. Every child of God’s got a record on high.”

Jesus said, “Let it be known, Eva, she deserves everything that has been done this day to honor the life she has lived on that side.

“Eva, some call her a warrior for civil rights, but I call her servant, because she was one of my soldiers. Yes, she was a soldier in the army of the Lord! Oh Eva, it’s a blessing to be a soldier in the army of the Lord! Eva, she was called for active duty!”

Jesus said, “Eva, in order to be in my army, you must be willing to put your life on the line. She did this many times as a soldier. Trust me, Eva, you must speak when others are afraid. She not only spoke with the mouth, but she wrote with the pen.”

Jesus said, “Eva, tell my children these are not your words, but the words of the Lord.”

Jesus said, “Eva, she had so much to say, she had to write it down. Eva, there are many ways to fight in an army and it’s not always with bullets and guns.”

Jesus said, “Let it be known she fought faithfully until the end.”

Jesus said, “Eva, tell my children these are not your words. They are mine.

Jesus said, “Eva, I compare this soldier to Isaiah: They both used their mouths for their weapons. They both served me during a time when many didn’t want to listen to what they had to say. But they just couldn’t hold their peace. Like Isaiah, she was hated by many, but she was under my protection. I kept her safe until the day I called her home. Trust me, Eva. Like her, Isaiah wrote a book. Isaiah was one of the major prophets.”

Jesus said, “Eva, like any child of God, Isaiah had some good days and some bad days. Eva, the one you call Anne Moody, had some good days and some bad days, but she kept on fighting.”

Jesus said, “Eva, tell my children these are not your words, but the words of the Lord. Children of God, these are not my words, but the words of the Lord.

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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