Wilkinson’s Bessie January teaches case managers at East Mississippi

She leads 3-day class on Long-term Segregation

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chaplain, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

#MTCchangesLives

Bessie January

WOODVILLE, Miss. – Case Manager Bessie January of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), Woodville, recently taught a three-day class on Long-term Segregation at East Mississippi Correctional Facility (EMCF), Meridian.

“We focused on how long-term segregation is run,” January said. “We looked at the policies and guidelines of MTC and the Mississippi Department of Corrections’ (MDOC). We talked about the dos and don’ts when working with these offenders and how to work with security.”

January is a long-term case manager at WCCF, where she has worked for four years. She is a student at Jackson State University and resident of Fayette, MS.

January said she was excited about the teaching opportunity.

“It was an honor as well as a privilege, that someone thinks enough of me to ask me to train people who have been in corrections longer than me,” she said. “The staff of EMCF showed great hospitality. They were attentive. They said the training was great and that they learned a lot.”

WCCF and EMCF are operated by Management & Training Corporation (MTC) for the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).  

#PrivatePrison #PrivatePrisons

Wilkinson prison welcomes visit by Mississippi museum officials

Facility donates artifact, papers on Anne Moody history

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chaplain, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

#AnneMoody

#MTCchangesLives

Kathleen Barnett (foreground), collections manager for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), examines a collection of newspapers presented by the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP) of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF). She is joined by Laura Anne Heller, acquisitions and collections coordinator; Nan Prince, director of collections for the museum division; and Candace Thomas, collections manager. Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, left, is speaking about the collection.

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WOODVILLE, Miss. -- Representatives of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) recently visited Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) to learn more about the facility’s Anne Moody History Project (AMHP) and to collect multiple items on the history of Anne Moody.

Moody was a civil rights pioneer and the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi.

Nan Prince, director of collections for the museum division at MDAH, said she was impressed by the enthusiasm shown by WCCF staff. "I love seeing the passion displayed by everyone working on the Anne Moody History Project, and we are excited to be able to add an Anne Moody street sign to our artifact collection,” she said. “The fact that this type of community engagement is coming out of a correctional facility is fascinating!"

In addition to Prince, MDAH guests included Laura Anne Heller, acquisitions and collections coordinator for the archives and records services division. They were joined by Candace Thomas and Kathleen Barnett, collection managers for the museum division.

Mississippi museum officials discuss Anne Moody history and artifacts. From left are: Laura Anne Heller and Nan Prince of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH); Ruby Dixon, Emma Taplin, and LaVern Taylor of the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP). 

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“Our visit to meet Roscoe Barnes and the Anne Moody History Project team at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility was an experience like none other I've ever had,” said Heller. “All were very welcoming and everyone is passionate about honoring Anne Moody's accomplishments, especially in the communities where she spent her formative youth.”

Heller said she was “impressed by the programs with the inmates, including reading Coming of Age in Mississippi, expression and interpretation through artwork, and the desire to share about her life with local museums, public libraries, and school systems.” 

AMHP is a community service endeavor created by WCCF staff in 2017. Its mission is to promote and help preserve Moody’s legacy. Its members include Roscoe Barnes III, who holds a doctorate in church history, Ruby Dixon, LaVern Taylor, and Emma Taplin. The members discussed their on-going work with the MDAH guests. They presented artifacts, portraits and documents in a display that was arranged by Aaron Greenlee, who is incarcerated at WCCF.

Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey said she felt privileged to participate in the meeting and to be a part of history: “I felt honored to meet all of them and I’m looking forward to others having the opportunity to view these artifacts at their museum.”

Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey (center) is pictured here with representatives of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). From left are Candace Thomas and Kathleen Barnett, both collections manager; Nan Prince, director of collections for the museum division, and Laura Anne Heller, acquisitions and collections coordinator for the archives and records services division.

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The prison donated several items to MDAH, which included an Anne Moody Street sign, a proclamation for Anne Moody Day and a resolution for Anne Moody Street, both in Centreville, Miss., and a resolution for renaming a portion of Highway 24, the Anne Moody Memorial Highway. The donation included a resolution honoring Moody that was presented last year by Sen. Tammy Witherspoon, as well as newspapers that provided coverage on Moody-related news and events.

“It was a pleasure to receive as a donation 15 newspapers which document the publicity of the signed Resolution for Anne Moody Day and the Proclamation renaming Fort Street as Anne Moody Street,” said Heller. “Additionally, these official documents are part of this donation to the Archives and Records Services Division of Mississippi Department of Archives and History. These newspapers and documents will be available for researchers in the archival reading room to study.” 

The museum officials plan to return to the facility to review artwork on Moody that is being done by the men incarcerated at WCCF.

Aaron Greenlee, who has a background in interior 

decoration, organizes Anne Moody display for Mississippi 

museum officials.

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AMHP members said they were ecstatic about the MDAH visit.

“I think the overall program was a success, “said Dixon. “It was interesting from the time I walked in. Everybody was interacting with love and what I think Anne Moody would stand for. It was one of the best ones we’ve had.”

“I truly enjoyed the visit,” added Taplin. “It is an honor to know that the work the AMHP has done will be recognized and preserved in the Civil Rights Museum for anyone interested in doing future projects.”

For Taylor, it was an emotional experience. “I have an emotional truth (what the heart says) about the facts of what we stand for in the new movement of Ms. Anne Moody,” she explained. “It is so real how we have motivated people and ourselves.  I used to wonder why people should believe in us. After the meeting with our visitors (our friends) with MDAH, I have found the secret to the success of the AMHP Team, and it is sharing.”

Branton Lewis, education supervisor for WCCF, said he was moved by the event. He noted: “From the unveiling of the Anne Moody Street sign to the meeting with the Museum visitors, I am overwhelmed by it all.  We all are part of history in some form of fashion, however, this has me at another level.”

WCCF is operated by Management & Training Corporation (MTC) for the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).  

Representatives of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) met recently with members of the Anne Moody History Project at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) in Woodville, Miss. Pictured from left are Lavern Taylor and Emma Taplin, both AMHP members; Candace Thomas, Kathleen Barnett, Nan Prince and Laura Anne Heller, all of MDAH; and Ruby Dixon and Roscoe Barnes III, AMHP members.

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Note: For information on MDAH, visit http://www.mdah.ms.gov.

#PrivatePrison #PrivatePrisons

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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, 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

The Woodville Republican: State Honors Anne Moody

Gov. Bryant Signs Bill Honoring Civil Rights Pioneer Anne Moody

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

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Thanks to Andy Lewis, editor and publisher of The Woodville Republican, the news about the Anne Moody Memorial Highway received front-page coverage. Mr. Lewis ran the story above the fold. We appreciate the coverage.

The Woodville Republican is a weekly and is based in Woodville, the town where Anne Moody graduated from Johnson High School in 1959. It's also the place where her father, Fred Moody Sr., lived. She was living with him when she completed high school.

Mr. Lewis has published a number of stories about Moody, who was a civil rights pioneer and the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi.

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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!

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

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

Clarion Ledger: Miss. highway to honor Anne Moody

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

The Jackson Clarion Ledger was one of several papers to publish news about Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signing a bill for The Anne Moody Memorial Highway. The story appeared in print on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, on page 7A. As you can imagine, we were thrilled to see the publication. A longer version of the story appeared online. It can be seen here. This on-going media coverage is a powerful way to share the life history of Moody and to keep her legacy alive.

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

Would you like to know MORE about Anne Moody? Visit here to

see the timeline of important events in her life history!

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

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

Another Look at Anselm J. Finch, aka Mr. Willis, in Coming of Age in Mississippi

The Controversial Principal Wrote a Letter about 'Preparation' in 1964 School Yearbook

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

Anselm J. Finch, principle of Finch High School, is believed to be Principal Willis of Willis High School in Coming of Age in Mississippi. He also served as principle of Wilkinson County Training School.

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Anselm J. Finch, former principal of Finch High School in Centreville, Miss., is believed to be Mr. Willis, principal of Willis High School in Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi. While Moody shared a few pleasant words about his wife, Eunice N. Finch, she appeared to have disdain for him and his relationship with whites. On more than one occasion, she described him as an “Uncle Tom”-- a pejorative for him that was used by a number of blacks in southwest Mississippi.

But, as some people believed, he wasn’t all bad. Moody mentions Mr. Willis in several places. There was one occasion where he was caught off guard because of a stunt performed by her and other girls at the high school. Moody wrote about it with a tinge of humor.

My second ace took the audience by storm. When seven girls, including me, walked out on the stage dressed in extra short black crepe-paper skirts over black bikini panties that started below our belly buttons, and black paper bras, the whole auditorium rocked as we swayed into what I called "An Exotic African Cafe' Style Dance." Principal Willis almost had a heart attack before he could get up front to stop us. He came running up the center aisle waving his arms with saliva dripping from his mouth. He was opening and closing his mouth as he approached the stage. I don't think anyone heard him, because the air was filled with the boys' wolf whistles and the old ladies' cries of disapproval. The principal scrambled straight up on the platform and headed for us as though he was going to push us backstage. Looking at the audience, I said, "That's all, folks," and wiggled off as everyone roared. -- Chapter 15, Coming of Age in Mississippi

When Anselm served as principal of Wilkinson County Training Schools, Woodville, Miss., he wrote an inspiring letter to the Class of 1964. The letter, which focused on “Preparation,” was published in a 1964 school yearbook which was made available to me by Charles E. Johnson, former superintendent of education for Wilkinson County.

Anselm, a noted scholar and poet, was quite erudite in his writing. He wrote:

The mere word “PREPARATION” gives vivid reason for our strong conviction that you have caught the spirit and philosophy of your Alma Mater.

We at WCTS hold and maintain that subject matter is but an infinitesimal part of one’s education.

Anselm noted, “English that makes friends and helps to bring joy to others is a fine type of language to know.” Although courses like Geometry tend to instruct students about angles, “it does little in life if we do not understand the importance of accepting the proper corners in life by shunning evil and walking around angles surrounded by vice, hatred and jealousy,” Anselm wrote.

The principal believed in education for the whole person that includes training for the “hand, head and heart.” That, he explained, is something that “cannot be minimized in the fast approaching hour of technology, automation, electronics and the like.”

He argued that many problems could have been avoided had preparation been given the attention it deserved: “Many ills humanity now face might have been in the cemetery of the past, never to be resurrected, had more thought and effort been placed along the various avenues of Preparation.”

Anselm waxed eloquent as he brought his letter to a close. He wrote:

Preparation directs the current of security, it opens the gate to resourceful action, it puts into one’s breast the revered attribute of independence.

May your struggles in the future be supported and embraced with the arms of Preparation. You then can stand on a solid foundation, unshaken by the winds of adversity, and unperturbed by the turbulent waves emanating from the sea of inefficiency.

Your chance will never come until you have been thoroughly baptized with the waters of Preparation.

This letter appeared in 1964 school yearbook.

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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!

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

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

Wilkinson prison holds GED graduation

Eight men earn their diplomas

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chaplain, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

#MTCchangeslives

These eight offenders received their GED at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville. From left: Valedictorian Abel Armenta, Blake Burt, Tramell Warren, Jonathan Dukes, Allen Armstrong, Jay Magee, and Salutatorian Devante May. Graduate Eddie Ragsdale, not pictured, did not attend the ceremony. Seated from left: Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey, Education Supervisor Branton Lewis, and Statewide Reentry Coordinator Matthew Riley, guest speaker.

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WOODVILLE, Miss. – Eight men incarcerated at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) recently earned their GEDs. They graduated in a special ceremony in the presence of their family, WCCF staff, and other offenders.

Graduates included Valedictorian Abel Armenta, Salutatorian Devante May, Eddie Ragsdale, Allen Armstrong, Jay Magee, Blake Burt, Tramell Warren, and Jonathan Dukes. Ragsdale, who is now released, did not attend the ceremony.

“Their achievement is significant,” said Education Supervisor Branton Lewis. “Their scores were some of the highest in the GED program.”

“It’s a great achievement,” said May. “I’ve been wanting this for a long time.”

Armenta said it was a “great feeling” receiving his diploma. “I am speechless,” he added. “It’s really awesome. I want to go to college and study business.”

WCCF, which is run by Management & Training Corporation (MTC) of Utah, had four GED graduates in 2016 and a total of 22 in 2017. The facility is expecting more graduates in the near future, according to Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey.

Matthew Riley, statewide re-entry coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, gave the commencement address. He told the graduates that they now have an important accomplishment in their lives.

“You worked hard for it,” he said. “Your instructors saw something in you that pushed you a little further. That’s why you’re here today with your caps and gowns on.”

Riley challenged the graduates to “continue their pursuits of achieving academic and career goals.” He also reminded them of their support system, and how they have family and friends that are invested in their future. He said they will experience disappointments and setbacks, but they have to persevere.

Riley presented what he called his “3-D Method of Success.” To succeed in life, he said, one must have dedication, determination, and discipline.

Warden Jody Bradley joined others in offering words of encouragement to the graduates. “You have something to be proud of,” he said. “You earned this. Nobody gave it to you.”

#PrivatePrison #PrivatePrisons

"Turn around, Queen, look at yourself."

A Look at Eunice N. Finch as Mrs. Willis in Coming of Age in Mississippi

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2018

#AnneMoody

Mrs. Eunice N. Finch is believed to be Mrs. Willis
in Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi

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I continue to be amazed by the accuracy and attention to detail in Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi. I recently saw an old school yearbook that provides information that appears to corroborate a number of claims and descriptions in Moody’s book.

My friend, Charles E. Johnson, retired superintendent of education for Wilkinson County in southwest Mississippi, showed me his 1964 school yearbook that has photos of Anselm J. and Eunice N. Finch. The couple is featured as Principal Willis and Mrs. Willis in Coming of Age.

Along with the photos, the yearbook includes a letter by Anselm and a dedication page to Eunice.

The book notes that prior to working at Wilkinson County Training School (WCTS), where her husband served as principal, Eunice worked for 14 years at Finch High School in Centreville, Miss. According to the yearbook, "She assisted her illustrious husband in establishing the first high school in the county for Negroes."

In Coming of Age, Moody refers to the school as "Willis High." The 14-year timeframe for Eunice seems to line up with the time period for the school that was given by Moody. In Chapter 2 of her book, Moody writes that she was six and in the second grade when she became a student at the school. That would have been around 1946. She notes:

I was going to Willis High, the only 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.

Based on Moody's recollection, it appears that the high school in Centreville existed from 1945 to 1959. The new high school, Wilkinson County Training School, opened in 1959, the year that Moody graduated from Johnson High School in Woodville, Miss.

Moody’s brother, Fred Moody Jr., has said the old Finch High School was torn down many years ago. It was located at the current site of Finch Elementary School at 1125 S Cosby St, Centreville, just off of Highway 24.

Johnson’s 1964 yearbook also supports Moody’s description of Eunice. The yearbook’s Dedication page recognizes Eunice for “her five years of unselfish service, interest in students and her eagerness to help them…” It goes further to note her accomplishments: “Since her arrival at WCTS, the first year of its history, she has led the drive for our flag pole, the beautiful stage curtain, furnished the various lounges and placed appropriate and useful furniture in our clinic.”

That description of Eunice is similar to the one given by Moody. In Chapter 8 of Coming of Age, Eunice helps prepare Moody and the other students for a Homecoming Day celebration. The year was 1954 and Moody was in the eighth grade when she was voted Homecoming Queen. Moody writes: “Every girl in my class knew that our queen would certainly be the winner because Mrs. Willis’ class always raised the most money. Mrs. Willis knew more about raising money than any other teacher on campus.”

After Moody became the Homecoming Queen for the eighth grade, Eunice, aka Mrs. Willis, worked to make her queen for the entire school. “Mrs. Willis and the whole class now worked to make me queen of the whole school,” Moody writes.

She notes that she initially thought Eunice was successful because she was the principal’s wife and “had used the school money from the snack bar and other places to make sure her class queen won.” But Moody later concluded that the teacher “won because she was better organized than the other teachers.”

One touching moment in Moody’s story is when Eunice brings her the Homecoming Queen crown. Moody was getting her hair and makeup done. She recalls:

Just as they were finishing, Mrs. Willis ran in with a crown in her hands. “Oh my! Is that my queen? How beautiful! Here, put this on her! If the rest of you are finished, go on out on the float,” she said to the other girls, who were sitting around looking at me being made up. They got up reluctantly and went out. The only ones left in the room were Mrs. Willis, the two girls doing my hair, and me.

When they had carefully pinned the crown to my hair, Mrs. Willis said, smiling, “Turn around, Queen, look at yourself.”

Moody became nervous. She was afraid to look in the mirror. But she assumed she must be pretty because of the way Eunice was looking at her. “When I turned I had to touch my face to see if it was me,” she recalls.

Indeed, she was pretty. And Eunice was there encouraging her every step of the way.

Interestingly enough, Eunice was also present when Moody began using the name “Annie,” which was changed from “Essie” because of a mistake with her birth certificate. When Moody went to school and presented Eunice with her birth certificate, the teacher announced, “Class! Class! Queen Essie is now officially Queen Annie.”

NOTE: Photo of Anselm J. Finch, aka Mr. Willis, will be shared in a separate blog post.

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

Would you like to know MORE about Anne Moody? Visit here to

see the timeline of important events in her life history!

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

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