Anne Moody scholars visit Mississippi prison

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

Two scholars doing research on Anne Moody recently paid a visit to Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, Woodville, Miss. Dr. Leigh Ann Wheeler, left, professor of History at Binghamton University of New York, and graduate student Shelby Driskill of the University of Richmond in Virginia met with Warden Jody Bradley and Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III (not pictured). They talked about the work of the Anne Moody History Project, which was created by WCCF staff as a community service project to promote the legacy of Anne Moody. Moody was a civil rights pioneer who wrote Coming of Age in Mississippi. Bradley and the guests also discussed the programs and services made available to the offenders housed at the facility. Bradley answered questions about corrections and explained how certain challenges are effectively handled. Bradley also highlighted some of WCCF’s achievements, including its growing number of GED graduates.

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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

“She deserves more…”

Short Clip of Speech at Anne Moody Day Celebration

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright © 2017

#AnneMoody

This video presents a brief excerpt from the speech I delivered at the Anne Moody Day Celebration on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, in Moody’s hometown of Centreville, Miss. The message was titled, “She was There: A Tribute to Anne Moody.”

Moody was a civil rights pioneer and the noted author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. She was born and raised in Centreville, which is located in Wilkinson County in southwest Mississippi. The town of Centreville honored her on Sept. 15, 2017 (her birthday) by naming the day in her honor. The town declared the day to be “Anne Moody Day.” The town also renamed Fort Street, “Anne Moody Street.” The request for the special day honoring her and the renaming of the street came from the Anne Moody History Project of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, Woodville, Miss.

My message at the event highlighted some of Moody’s contributions as a writer and civil rights worker. It noted the importance of educating the public, preserving her legacy and the need to keep her legacy alive for future generations. For a look at the entire speech, visit here.

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Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit here to see the timeline of important

events in her life history!

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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

Prepare Yourselves for a Brighter Future

Closing remarks for graduation ceremony for Moral Recognation Therapy (MRT) class on Friday, October 20, 2017, at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF)

By Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D.
Copyright (c) 2017

President Abraham Lincoln


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Good morning.

On behalf of Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey, I want to congratulate each and every one of you for this fine achievement. You should all be proud of yourselves for what you have accomplished.

When I see you working and striving for success, I’m reminded of a story I heard about a country boy in Kentucky. He grew up in poverty and had few options but many limitations to having a good life. Even so, he spent his time reading, writing, and learning. He didn’t have the opportunities that some people had, but he had determination. He didn’t have much money, but he had dreams.

And one day someone asked him why he spent so much time hitting the books, and he replied, “I will prepare myself and someday my chance will come.”

Do you know who that little boy grew up to be? He became a lawyer and later, President Abraham Lincoln.

He prepared himself and his opportunity came. In completing this course, you have prepared yourselves for a better life. And I can assure you, your chance will come. So as you move forward, I want to encourage you to keep studying, keep learning and keep growing. Take a few more courses. Earn another degree. Read another book. For in doing so, you are paving the way for success and great opportunities. Keep up the good work. 

God bless you!

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ROSCOE BARNES III 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.

Repost: Story of Anne Moody Day Celebration goes national

Thanks to the Associated Press, the story appears in The Washington Post and other major newspapers

#AnneMoody

Note: This news was first shared on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, at which time I shared a link to the story on The Washington Post website. Unfortunately, after sharing the link, I checked back a few days later and found the link to be dead -- with no sign of the story. For this reason, I'm posting the story here with the announcement of it appearing in the Post. Yes, it's the same Associated Press story that appeared in papers throughout the country, but I want readers to know that it did indeed appear in The Washington Post. -- Roscoe Barnes III, Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Dead link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/mississippi-hometown-honors-author-of-civil-rights-memoir/2017/09/16/5ee8739a-9ae0-11e7-af6a-6555caaeb8dc_story.html?utm_term=.47af7f4b836b

The Washington Post

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FILE – In this May 28, 1963 file photograph, a group of white people pour sugar, ketchup and mustard over the heads of Tougaloo College student demonstrators at a sit-in demonstration at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in downtown Jackson, Miss. Seated at the counter, from left, are Tougaloo College professor John Salter,and students Joan Trumpauer and Anne Moody. Anne Moody, a civil rights activist who wrote about challenging segregation in the South is being honored in her hometown, two years after her death. (Fred Blackwell/The Clarion-Ledger via AP) (Associated Press)

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Mississippi hometown honors author of 

civil rights memoir

By Emily Wagster Pettus | AP September 16

JACKSON, Miss. — A civil rights activist who wrote about challenging segregation in the South was honored in her hometown, two years after her death.

About 70 people gathered Friday in the southwestern Mississippi town of Centreville — population 1,680 — to unveil a sign for the newly renamed Anne Moody Street. Moody was born in Centreville on Sept. 15, 1940.

Her memoir, “Coming of Age in Mississippi,” was published in 1968 and is required reading in some schools. It recounts her early life in a poor family and her participation in civil rights activities that put her in danger, including efforts to register black voters.

Roscoe Barnes III, who is chaplain at a prison near Centreville, helped organize the Anne Moody Day commemoration, held on what would have been her 77th birthday. He said her son, Sasha Straus, attended, as did some of her siblings and cousins.

“Here’s a woman who literally put her life on the line in the fight for freedom and justice,” Barnes told The Associated Press. “We’re here because she was there. She survived threats, beatings, incarcerations.”

On May 28, 1963, Moody was part of an integrated group of students from historically black Tougaloo College who staged a peaceful sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson, Mississippi. They had worked with Mississippi NAACP leader Medgar Evers to prepare for the protest.

White high school students, egged on by some adults, dumped ketchup and mustard on the heads of Moody and the other protesters. She wrote that after she and two other black students started praying at the counter, one white man slapped her and another threw her against an adjoining counter. One of the praying students was pulled violently from his seat.

Evers was assassinated outside his Jackson home two weeks after the sit-in.

After Moody graduated from college in 1964, she moved to New York, where she wrote her book. She returned to Mississippi in the mid-1990s but never felt at ease in the state, said one of her sisters, Adline Moody.

Anne Moody had dementia before she died at home in Gloster, Mississippi, in 2015. She was 74.

Barnes does volunteer work for the Anne Moody History Project, which is based at the privately run prison where he works, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. He said some inmates and have been reading and discussing “Coming of Age in Mississippi” as part of a book group. He said he also gives away copies of the book to people who live in southwestern Mississippi.

“I spoke to a woman in her 40s who grew up in this area,” Barnes said. “She said, ‘Who is Anne Moody?’ That broke my heart.”

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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

Barnes featured in Moody story

Gettysburg Times runs story about Anne Moody Day event

#AnneMoody

Gettysburg Times (Gettysburg, Pa.) is one of many papers to share the news about the historic Anne Moody Day Celebration held on Sept. 15, 2017, in Centreville, Miss. I once lived in Gettysburg, where I attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary (now called United Lutheran Seminary). It was during this time, in the early 1990s, that I also worked as a correspondent for Gettysburg Times. I’m grateful to the Times editor for running this piece.

 – Roscoe Barnes III, Chairman, Anne Moody History Project.

Website: http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/life_entertainment/local/article_863e26b3-555f-54e5-ac5e-6ba92336a8bb.html

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Gettysburg Times, Tuesday, October 17, 2017, page A3

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For stories on the Anne Moody Day Celebration, 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 Day Celebration

A Program Held on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, in Centreville, Miss. 

#AnneMoody

This special program was held to honor the legacy of civil rights pioneer Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. Centreville Board of Aldermen in Mississippi honored Moody on Sept. 15, 2017, by issuing a proclamation for Anne Moody Day and by unveiling the Anne Moody Street sign. The event was organized by the Anne Moody History Project of MTC/Wilkinson County Correctional Facility and the Centreville town officials. About 70 people attended the event. See the full handout/program here.

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People attending the historic Anne Moody Day Celebration on
Sept. 15, 2017, wore purple, Anne Moody's favorite color. Ribbons were prepared by WCCF employees Ruby Dixon, Jeanette Pointe, and Santhie Womack.
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For stories about the Anne Moody Day Celebration,

visit the Anne Moody page here!

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“Today’s event is about a number of things. It’s about education, history, and about attracting people here to see what Wilkinson County has produced. But that isn’t all. Today’s event is also about honor. It’s about giving honor to whom honor is due. It’s about recognizing the important sacrifice and literary contributions of the extraordinary woman, Anne Moody, who grew up right here in Centreville.” 

– Roscoe Barnes III, from the speech, "She was There: A Tribute to Anne Moody"

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For more information: 

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

She was There: A Tribute to Anne Moody

Speech delivered at the Anne Moody Day Celebration on Sept. 15, 2017

By Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D.

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright© 2017

#AnneMoody

Today’s event is about a number of things. It’s about education, history, and about attracting people here to see what Wilkinson County has produced. But that isn’t all. Today’s event is also about honor. It’s about giving honor to whom honor is due. It’s about recognizing the important sacrifice and literary contributions of the extraordinary woman, Anne Moody, who grew up right here in Centreville.

As we participate in today’s ceremony, we can take pride in knowing we are part of history. Indeed, we are making history as we honor this champion of civil rights.

In an excellent opinion piece about Anne Moody, Kevin Cooper, the publisher of The Natchez Democrat, wrote: “While Moody is certainly worthy of honor, somehow it seems she deserves more than just a road sign.”

We agree. And I’m happy to announce that what you are witnessing today is just a start. It’s the beginning of something much bigger. This ceremony may be seen as a springboard for things to come.

She was there

Today, as we reflect on Anne Moody, we can honestly say that we are here because she was there. There is much that we take for granted today and important rights that we enjoy because of the sacrifices that she and others have made.

When we say “she was there,” we mean she was there in the thick of things. She was there when the going got rough and the journey got tough. She was there on the front lines. She was there in the heat of battle. Yes, she was there.

Think about it.

When Medgar Evers organized nonviolent protests in the heart of Jackson, Anne Moody was there. When students from Tougaloo College held a peaceful demonstration in the historic Woolworth sit-in, she was there.

She was also there in Canton, Mississippi, leading a voter registration drive as she fought for freedom and justice. She was there with the three civil rights workers of Philadelphia, Miss., one week before they went missing. She was also there for the March on Washington.

I am personally happy that she was there.

In a 1985 interview, Anne Moody said she wanted to become a doctor and was studying as a pre-med student at Tougaloo College.

“I was involved in the movement … and it gradually became very much a part of my consciousness that I was not cut out to be a doctor in Mississippi or anywhere else as long as I was a black person, and these black people didn’t have any basic rights in their country….

“So what’s becoming a doctor? It’s a prestigious thing to do. It would be fantastic if, here I am, the only black doctor in Centreville … or Woodville, and I just couldn’t do it. .. I became a full-time civil rights worker making $25.00 a week.”

This was one of many sacrifices that Anne Moody made in order to help others.

Think of her

With this in mind, I would ask that we think about her as we move forward. We should think of her when we see injustice, and when we stare down poverty.

We should think of her when we exercise the right to vote.

We should think of her when we see racism and confront bigotry and discrimination.

When we are thirsty and take a drink of water from a public water fountain, we should think of Anne Moody. When we walk into a restaurant and sit wherever we choose, we should think of her.

In closing, I want to encourage you to read this book, Coming of Age in Mississippi. This book can change your life and your world view. You cannot read it and not feel what she felt or see what she saw.

When the book was published in 1968, then-Senator Edward Kennedy, said it is “a history of our time, seen from the bottom up, through the eyes of someone who decided for herself that things had to be changed….A timely reminder that we cannot now relax.”

Thank you.

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For more information: 

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

Woodville newspaper publishes two stories leading up to Anne Moody Day Celebration

Clippings of the coverage

#AnneMoody

Note: The Woodville Republican (Woodville, Miss.) published two stories about Anne Moody leading up to the Anne Moody Celebration that was held on her birthday, Sept. 15, 2017. The event, the first of its kind, was held at 12 p.m. in her hometown of Centreville, Miss.

The first piece, “Ann Moody Day Celebration set in Centreville on Friday, Sept. 15,” ran in the paper on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. It extends an invitation to the public to come and participate in the ceremony. The second story, "Centreville to name street in honor of Anne Moody,” appeared on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. I was happy to see both stories on the front page.

We are grateful to Editor and Publisher Andy Lewis for his coverage of this historic event. It is always good when a hometown paper provides coverage of important people and events in the local area. – Roscoe Barnes III, Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

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The Woodville Republican (Thursday, August 31, 2017)

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"As a committee (Anne Moody History Project) we appreciate the value and historic significance of her legacy and what it means for this community as well as future generations." -- Roscoe Barnes III, Chaplain, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

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The Woodville Republican (Thursday, September 14, 2017)

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Editor's Note:

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

Introducing the Anne Moody History Project

#AnneMoody

Members of the Anne Moody History Project

From left, LaVern Taylor, committee member; Emma Taplin, secretary; 

Roscoe Barnes III, chairman; and Ruby Dixon, vice chairwoman.

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“Keeping Her Legacy Alive”

About Us

The Anne Moody History Project (AMHP) was established in March 2017 by the staff of MTC/Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) as a community service endeavor in public history for Wilkinson and Amite Counties. Its aim is to honor Ms. Moody by promoting and helping to preserve her legacy as a noted author, civil rights pioneer, and historical figure in Mississippi. The project has the full support of Warden Jody Bradley and Management & Training Corporation (MTC).

Ms. Moody, born Essie Mae Moody on Sept. 15, 1940, was a civil rights activist and the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi (Dial, 1968). She was reared in Centreville, Miss., and later moved to Woodville, Miss.  When she died on Feb. 5, 2015, she was living in Gloster, Miss.

Our Members

The Committee for the AMHP was formed in March 2017. Its members include the Rev. Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, Ms. Emma Taplin, Mrs. Lavern Taylor, and Mrs. Ruby Dixon.

Our Mission

The AMHP’s mission is to honor Ms. Moody’s memory and keep her legacy alive through programs and activities that educate the public about her achievements as a civil rights activist, her work as an author, and her life history as a native of Mississippi. The AMHP seeks to be a source of learning for students, churches (and other religious institutions), and the general public on the significance of Ms. Moody’s historic contributions. In this capacity, it is believed, the AMHP can help to foster a better understanding of race relations and diversity in the south and other parts of the United States.

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Editor's Note: 

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