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
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