Warden Jody Bradley accepts county resolution for ‘Anne Moody Highway’

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright © 2017

#AnneMoody
#AnneMoodyHighway

Warden Jody Bradley, left, and Wilkinson
County Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver

Woodville, Miss. -- Wilkinson County Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver recently presented Warden Jody Bradley of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) with a formal resolution honoring civil rights pioneer Anne Moody (1940-2015).

The resolution officially recognizes the achievements of Moody and authorizes a portion of Highway 24 to be named, “Anne Moody Highway.” The resolution was approved in June this year with unanimous support by the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors. It was requested by the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP), a community service project of WCCF.

Moody was a civil rights pioneer and the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. She was born and reared in Wilkinson County, spending her early years in Centreville, and later, Woodville, before going off to college. She died in 2015 at the age of 74.

The county resolution will now go to Mississippi State Rep. Angela Cockerham who plans to introduce legislation authorizing the name change on the state level.

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

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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

Resolution for 'Anne Moody Highway'

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

For more information: 

See the Anne Moody page here.

Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes IIIvia 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 to be featured in short film by the Miss. Library Commission

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright © 2017

#AnneMoody

#MSLitMap

Library Services Director Tracy Carr, left, and Ally Mellon of the Mississippi Library Commission, attending the Anne Moody Day Celebration on Sept. 15, 2017, in Centreville, Miss.

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

The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) is working on a short film about the life history of civil rights pioneer Anne Moody (1940-2015). Moody, who grew up in Wilkinson County in southwest Mississippi, wrote the best-selling autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi. Although first published in 1968, the book remains in print to this day.

Library Services Director Tracy Carr said she and her staff are excited about the project, which will basically highlight Moody’s writing career. It will be available to the public through MLC’s YouTube channel in early 2018.

“The film will be a three to four minute documentary that looks at who she is and why she should be read,” Carr said, adding Moody is the first Mississippi author to be filmed by the commission. A film is also being planned for author Lewis Nordan.

“We selected Anne Moody for the film because despite being a powerful voice in Mississippi literature, she’s often overlooked,” Carr explained. “We hope to change that with the film.”

Filming is being done by Susan Liles. Shooting started in September during the Anne Moody Day Celebration in Centreville, Miss., Moody’s hometown. It was during the celebration that the town of Centreville issued a proclamation for Anne Moody Day and unveiled the "Anne Moody Street" sign.

Carr attended the ceremony along with Liles and staff member Ally Mellon. They met with Moody’s son, Sasha Straus, as well as her siblings, Adline Moody, Fred Moody Jr., and Ralph Jefferson. The film will include interviews with the family members, according to Carr.

Earlier this year, MLC featured Moody on the new Mississippi Literary Map. Carr noted at the time: “Moody’s powerful, unwavering voice of her life and experiences provides readers—especially Mississippians—with a descriptive portrait of a specific slice of history.”

Woodville Public Library Director Loretta Lewis said she was pleased to learn of the film project.

"I am gratified that Anne Moody is being remembered and recognized for her literary contributions,” she said. “She is an inspiration and role model for potential authors in our community."

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

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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

References/Resources:

Mississippi Library Commission

http://mlc.lib.ms.us

Mississippi Literary Map

http://msreads.lib.ms.us/mslitmap

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

For more information: 

See the Anne Moody page here.

Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes IIIvia 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.

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

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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

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

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

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

Wilkinson man draws portrait of civil rights icon Anne Moody

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2017

#AnneMoody

Derrick Young presents portrait of Anne Moody to Emma Taplin, quality 

assurance manager of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) and 

member of the facility’s Anne Moody History Project (AMHP).

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

Wilkinson man draws portrait of famous civil rights author

Woodville, Miss. -- Derrick Young recently completed a portrait of civil rights pioneer Anne Moody for the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP) at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF).

Young, who is incarcerated at WCCF, drew the portrait on canvas using pencil and charcoal. It will be donated to a local African American museum as part of an on-going community service project by WCCF. He is pictured with Quality Assurance Manager Emma Taplin who serves on the AMHP committee.

Moody, who died in 2015, was the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. She was born and reared in Wilkinson County in southwest Mississippi, just above the Louisiana line. She went to school in Centreville and Woodville. She was living in Gloster at the time of her death.

Taplin and other staff said they were amazed by Young’s art work and the striking resemblance to the actual photograph of Moody. “He did a great job,” Taplin said.

“His work actually looks better than the photo,” said one staff.

“Everything about it was nice and beautifully done,” said Warehouse Manager Ruby Dixon, who also serves on the AMHP committee. “It was unbelievable. He said he could do it and then he did it.”

Taplin said the AMHP committee is considering a possible exhibit of art work related to Anne Moody history. She said efforts are being made to have the work on display in the community and in several museums.

Derrick Young is proud of the work he’s done for the Anne 

Moody History Project. He plans to do other projects as assigned.

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

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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

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

Wilkinson County closer to seeing ‘Anne Moody Highway’

Board issues order to approve name change

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright (c) 2017

#AnneMoody

This document was recently issued by the Wilkinson County 

Board of Supervisors in southwest Mississippi. It honors a 

request to name a portion of Highway 24, “Anne Moody Highway.”

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

The Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors, Woodville, Miss., recently issued an “Order to Approve a Resolution for Anne Moody.” The order was presented by Deputy Clerk Mattie Powell to the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP) on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. It is signed by Board President Kenyon Jackson and Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver.

The order places us a step closer to making history by having a portion of Highway 24, in southwest Mississippi, named in Moody’s honor.

In June this year, the board of supervisors unanimously approved a request by AMHP of MTC/Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) to rename Highway 24, “Anne Moody Highway,” from its intersection with Highway 61 in Woodville east to the Amite County line in Centreville.

The next step in this process will include the submission of the order -- and the approved resolution -- to Mississippi State Rep. Angela Cockerham, D-Magnolia. She will then introduce legislation, possibly in January 2018, for the “Anne Moody Highway.”

Moody was born in 1940 in Wilkinson County. She grew up in Centreville and later moved to Woodville, where she attended Johnson High School. After graduating, she became a student at Natchez Junior College before later attending Tougaloo College, where she graduated in the early 1960s. Moody died in February 2015 at the age of 74. She had been living with her sister, Adline Moody, in Gloster, Miss.

Moody was a civil rights activist and the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. She participated in numerous nonviolent demonstrations, some of which were historic. She was often threatened and persecuted in her fight for freedom and justice. The AMHP, a community service project at WCCF, is dedicated to promoting and helping to preserve Moody’s legacy as a noted author, civil rights pioneer and historic figure in Mississippi.

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

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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

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: A word from the town of Centreville, Miss.

Mayor Larry Lee's presentation at 2015 memorial service

By Roscoe Barnes III

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright (c) 2017

#AnneMoody

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

Mayor Larry Lee

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

Anne Moody, the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi, died on February 5, 2015, at the age of 74. When news of her passing was reported, her local community joined people throughout the United States in mourning her death. Family, friends, church leaders, and people with ties to the civil rights movement, came out to pay their respects. They gathered for a Memorial Celebration on Saturday, February 14, 2015, at the Homochitto Association Development Center in Gloster, Miss. It was during this time that Mayor Larry Lee of Centreville, Miss., presented an official resolution in honor of Moody.

Centreville, a small town in southwest Mississippi, was Moody’s hometown. It is located in Wilkinson County. When Moody died, she was living in Gloster, which is located only a few miles from Centreville, in Amite County.

Lee, the first African American to become mayor of Centreville, has said that Moody and other civil rights workers paved the way for his achievement as an elected official. Lee served as mayor of Centreville from 2009 to 2017.

Lee once described Moody as a strong woman who was dedicated to the cause of helping others. He said she made many sacrifices in order to make a difference. “She fought for a good cause and she put her life on the line in the struggle for freedom and civil rights,” he said.

Below is the resolution he presented at Moody’s memorial service.

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

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Anne Moody was born in the Centreville, Mississippi area on September 15, 1940; and,

WHEREAS, she was educated in the public schools and left to attend Natchez Junior College and Tougaloo College, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1964; and,

WHEREAS, she was involved in the promotion of civil rights during the 1960’s being associated with the Congress of Racial Equality and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and,

WHEREAS, she was an award winning author who wrote Coming of Age in Mississippi, which was published in 1968; and,

WHEREAS, she loved working with young children and teenagers pointing out to them the value of a good education; and,

NOW, THEREFORE, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen do hereby commend, recognize and honor Anne Moody for her outstanding service to humanity, by and through her outstanding career in helping others.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the minutes of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town of Centreville.

RESOLVED, this the 10th day of February, 2015, upon unanimous vote of all Aldermen present. 

                                                                                                   Town of Centreville, Mississippi

By: Larry J. Lee, Mayor

Attest:

Michelle Singleton, Clerk

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

Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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

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