Friday, December 29, 2017

Drawing of Anne Moody as Teenager

Creative work done in Mississippi prison

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2017

#AnneMoody 


LaVerne Taylor, member of the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP) at Wilkinson 
County Correctional Facility (WCCF), displays a charcoal portrait of Anne Moody, 
author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. The work was done by Derrick Young, 
who is incarcerated at the facility, which is located in Woodville, Miss.

***

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“It’s an honor to be a part of her legacy and 
to be able to shine a light on the history of 
a civil rights activist.” – Derrick Young, Artist 

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***

Derrick Young drew this portrait using an old photograph of Anne 
Moody. The date of the photograph is not known, but Moody was 
probably around 17 or 18, according to her sister, Frances Jefferson.
This is the second portrait Young has done of Moody. See first one 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

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Anne Moody's Hometown Church

A Place of Worship, History and Water Baptism

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

#AnneMoody


Civil Rights pioneer Anne Moody attended this church while growing 
up in Centreville, Miss.
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Earlier this week, just one day after Christmas, I took a drive to see Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Mississippi. It is a place I had to see. After all, it is the church that Anne Moody attended and the one where she was baptized. It’s also the one featured in her book, Coming of Age in Mississippi (1968). Several people from the church are mentioned in the book, including the Reverend Tyson, Reverend Cason, and Sister Jones. The church has a significant place in the narrative of Moody's life story. Below are a few excerpts from her book.


“Shortly after we moved in I turned five years old and Mama started me at Mount Pleasant School. Now I had to walk four miles each day up and down that long rock road. Mount Pleasant was a big white stone church, the biggest Baptist church in the area.

The school was a little one-room rotten wood building located right next to it. There were about fifteen of us who went there. We sat on big wooden benches just like the ones in the church, pulled up close to the heater. But we were cold all day. That little rotten building had big cracks in it, and the heater was just too small.” -- Chapter 1, Coming of Age in Mississippi

“Even though Mama stopped going to Mount Pleasant when we moved from the country, she continued to pay her membership dues.”

“At Mount Pleasant the men sang through their noses, and here [Centreville Baptist] the deacons were doing the same thing, singing through their noses and hollering and going on. At Mount Pleasant I had even seen men cry in church like women, when they finished praying. At least these men weren’t crying, I thought, but they were hollering just the same. And just like at Mount Pleasant, I couldn’t understand one word of any song. All the old ladies did, though. They were humming right along with them.” Chapter 5, Coming of Age in Mississippi

Both of Moody’s parents, Elmira “Too Sweet” Jefferson and Fred Moody Sr., are buried in the cemetery located across a gravel road in front of the church. Her mother died on July 27, 1976, and her father died on May 14, 1980.

The original church building has been torn down and replaced with the current brick structure. It sits on a small hill off of Highway 24 in Wilkinson County. It’s only a few miles east of Woodville. At one time, the old school house that Moody attended as a child was located near the church, but it too has been demolished.

This marker at the front of Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church lists 
several names that are featured in Coming of Age in Mississippi (1968).
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Attached to the outside front structure of the building is a concrete history marker that gives a short overview of the church’s history. Readers of Moody’s book will instantly recognize several names on the marker that are mentioned in the book.

Reverend Cason

“Reverend Cason, the minister of the church, taught us in school. He was a tall yellow man with horn-rimmed glasses that sat on the edge of his big nose. He had the largest feet I had ever seen. He was so big, he towered over us in the little classroom like a giant. In church he preached loud and in school he talked loud.” – Chapter 1, Coming of Age in Mississippi

Reverend Tyson

“The new minister, Reverend Tyson, was short, dark, and soft-spoken, just the opposite of Reverend Cason. He gave a brief sermon and then talked about revival which would be starting in a week. The look Mama gave me when he mentioned ‘revival’ made me suspicious of why she came back to church the month before baptism.” Chapter 5, Coming of Age in Mississippi

The current pastor of the church is the Reverend L.C. Weatherspoon Sr. His assistant pastor is the Rev. LeReginald Jones, the great-grandson of Edna Jones, who is known as “Sister Jones” in the book. Sister Jones is mentioned in the section that covers Moody’s baptism.

Sister Jones

“Usually during revival season older sisters of the church recruited candidates for baptism and Sister Jones always outdid the others. During revival she went from house to house, hopping on her stick, trying to get members with un-baptized teen-agers to have them join the church. A lot of parents got their children to join by telling them that Sister Jones would put the ‘bad mouth’ on them if they didn’t. Now there was Mama nodding her head to everything Sister Jones was saying.” – Chapter 5, Coming of Age in Mississippi


Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church is located off of Highway 24 in 
Centreville, Miss. It is nine miles east of Woodville in southwest Mississippi.
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Learn 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 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

Miss. State Senator Tammy Witherspoon honors Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi

Proclamation accepted by Wilkinson County Correctional Facility

By Roscoe Barnes III
Chairman, Anne Moody History Project
Copyright (c) 2017

#AnneMoody
#AnneMoodyDay


Miss. State Senator Tammy Witherspoon, right, recently presented 
a plaque honoring Anne Moody to Wilkinson County Correctional 
Facility (WCCF). Acting Warden Norris Hogans and Deputy Warden 
of Programs Tonya Toomey accepted the plaque on behalf of WCCF 
and the citizens of Centreville.
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Woodville, Miss. -- Mississippi State Senator Tammy Witherspoon, D-McComb, recently visited Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), Woodville, to present an official proclamation honoring civil rights icon Anne Moody.

“Anne Moody played such an important part in our history,” said Witherspoon. “It’s important that we recognize her for her work in civil rights. We need to make sure she is not forgotten.”

The proclamation recognizes Moody’s work as a “distinguished author, citizen, and historic figure of Centreville.” It also recognizes September 15th, Moody’s birthday, as “Anne Moody Day.” Moody was the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi. She was born in 1940 in Centreville, in Wilkinson County. She died in 2015 at the age of 74.

The proclamation reads, in part: “The Lieutenant Governor of the State of Mississippi and Senator Tammy Witherspoon on behalf of the Mississippi Senate, join the citizens of Centreville in remembering the legacy of civil rights activist and author Anne Moody.”

Witherspoon thanked WCCF for its work on Moody’s history. “I want to commend you all for the work you’re doing to honor Anne Moody and for telling her story,” she said. “I’m grateful to be a part of what you all are doing and to know that she is from Centreville.”

Witherspoon represents District 38, which covers Adams, Amite, Pike, Walthall, and Wilkinson counties.

She made the presentation at the prison because of its role in honoring Moody. In March this year, WCCF staff formed a community service project called, the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP). Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, who chairs the project, said it was created to promote and help preserve the legacy of the civil rights pioneer. In addition to himself, AMHP members include WCCF staff Ruby Dixon, LaVern Taylor, and Emma Taplin.


This proclamation honors civil rights pioneer Anne Moody, author of 
Coming of Age in Mississippi (1968). It was presented to Wilkinson 
County Correctional Facility and the Anne Moody History Project by 
Miss. State Senator Tammy Witherspoon.

Acting Warden Norris Hogans said he felt honored to be part of the presentation for Moody: “We are very pleased to participate in this special event to recognize her contributions. Her work in the civil rights movement is an important piece of our history.”

Warden Jody Bradley praised the work of the WCCF staff. “They have done a great job in helping people in our state -- and other states -- to know more about Ms. Moody,” he said. “We also appreciate the support and contributions of Senator Witherspoon and other elected officials.”

Bradley said the community service project is a way for WCCF to give back to the community. With his support, AMHP has spearheaded several events aimed at bringing attention to Moody’s contributions. Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey noted WCCF offenders have been reading Moody’s book and contributing artwork to honor her memory.

Earlier this year, the Centreville Board of Aldermen approved a request by AMHP/WCCF to declare September 15th “Anne Moody Day,” and to rename Fort Street, “Anne Moody Street.” In June, the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors approved a request by the prison to name a portion of Highway 24, “Anne Moody Highway.”

WCCF, located in southwest Mississippi, is privately run by Management & Training Corporation of Utah.

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

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

Friday, December 22, 2017

Recognizing Anne Moody

Giving Credit to Whom it is Due

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

#AnneMoody


Anne Moody's book, Coming of Age in Mississippi, will
soon turn 50. It was first published on December 3, 1968
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This month, as we celebrate the Christmas holiday season, my mind is on the legacy and life history of civil rights pioneer Anne Moody. Forty-nine years ago this month, her autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi, was published by Dial. And thankfully, it is still in print and still being read in schools throughout the United States.

Her achievement as a literary giant prompts me to reflect on her level of prestige and her place in our history. At the same time, I find myself thinking about her struggles. I think about what it was like for her growing up as a poor black child in southwest Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. I’m also thinking of the sacrifices she made in the interest of freedom and justice, and all the other things that she did to make life better for others.

Moody was, by all accounts, an unexpected star. According to Ed King, former chaplain at Tougaloo College, she was “one of the heroines of the civil rights movement.” Moody was a gentle warrior and a strong black woman who risked her own life in the fight against bigotry, segregation and discrimination. She overcame poverty, hate, and negative stereotypes that smothered rural Mississippi and held black people down. She was jailed and sometimes beaten. She participated in some of the historic peaceful protests of the 1960s. She also worked with major leaders of the movement. Through it all, she never forgot her roots. And fortunately for us, she lived to tell her story.

This Christmas, I am personally thankful to her for the gift of Coming of Age in Mississippi. I am also grateful to Jackie Robinson for encouraging her to write the book. She died in 2015 at the age of 74, but her book lives on.

Over the past few weeks, news reports in Mississippi have touched on the state’s civil rights history. Some of this interest was generated, no doubt, by news of the official opening of the Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, which occurred on Saturday, December 9, 2017. While it was certainly important to discuss the contributions of Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and other civil rights workers/leaders, it would have been good, I think, to give more attention to Moody.

Moody’s book was originally published in 1968. According to her sister, Frances Jefferson, and Random House, the hardback edition rolled off the press on December 3, 1968. Next year will be the book’s 50th anniversary.

Coming of Age was a big deal when it came out, and it’s still a big deal now, nearly fifty years later,” wrote civil rights author M.J. O’Brien. “It is read in literature and history classes in high schools, colleges and universities throughout the country, indeed, around the world. It is one of those rare sorts of books that has never gone out of print. It is a modern-day classic.” 

O’Brien is the author of We Shall Not Be Moved: The Jackson Woolworth's Sit-In and the Movement It Inspired  (University Press of Mississippi, 2013). Earlier this month, he visited a Mississippi prison where Moody was being recognized by a state senator. He commented: “It’s high time that she gets that kind of recognition.”

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Visit here to see how we’re 
working to keep her legacy alive!

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Despite the extraordinary success of Moody’s book, including her work as a civil rights pioneer, her name is noticeably absent in many discussions about history in general and civil rights in particular. That is unfortunate.

As a number of people have observed, Moody has not been given the attention she deserves. In an opinion piece published in The Natchez Democrat, Publisher Kevin Cooper noted, “For many Americans, her name may be unfamiliar, but for Mississippians her name should be familiar, but sadly it’s not as well known as it should be.”

A similar view is shared by Darrell S. White, director of the Natchez Museum of African American History & Culture, who believes that more should be done to recognize Moody. In a September 2017 email, he wrote, “The motto of the museum is ‘WE exist to tell our story,’ --  the story of Ann Moody deserves far more exposure than what has been previously offered.”

That sentiment was also echoed by Tracy Carr, director of the Mississippi Library Commission. In an interview earlier this year, Carr stated she was surprised at the lack of attention that had been given to Moody’s work. She commented: “I was a little shocked that she hadn’t gotten the recognition she deserved.”

With the aforementioned views in mind, I want say that one of my Christmas wishes this year, and for the foreseeable future, is for Anne Moody to get the recognition she deserves. May she receive all of the credit she is due.

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Visit here to see the timeline of important
events in Anne Moody’s 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

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Wilkinson prison welcomes visit by civil rights author, filmmaker

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

#AnneMoody

Acting Warden Norris Hogans, center, of Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, displays a portrait of civil rights pioneer Anne Moody. The portrait was drawn by Derrick Young, who is incarcerated at the facility. From left to right are filmmaker Taryn Blake, Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey, Acting Warden Norris Hogans, Miss. State Senator Tammy Witherspoon, and civil rights author M.J. O’Brien.
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Noted civil rights author M.J. O’Brien and filmmaker Taryn Blake recently paid a visit to Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF) to meet with its staff and witness a presentation honoring Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi.

O’Brien is the author of We Shall Not Be Moved: The Jackson Woolworth's Sit-In and the Movement It Inspired  (University Press of Mississippi, 2013); Blake is a writer and producer whose films include Amiss, A Day in 1951, and Haebangchon: Chapter 1. She and O’Brien are doing research on Moody’s life history.

After touring Centreville, Moody’s hometown, O’Brien and Blake travelled to Woodville, where they made a stop at the prison. During their visit, they met with Acting Warden Norris Hogans and Deputy Warden of Programs Tonya Toomey, who accepted a proclamation honoring Moody from Miss. State Senator Tammy Witherspoon, D-McComb.

O’Brien and Blake also met with members of the Anne Moody History Project (AMHP), which included Chaplain Roscoe Barnes III, Emma Taplin, LaVern Taylor and Ruby Dixon. AMHP is a community service project that was created by WCCF staff for the purpose of promoting and helping to preserve the historic legacy of Moody.

AMHP members assisted O’Brien and Blake with a history tour of Centreville and Woodville. Polly Rosenblatt, manager of the Woodville/Wilkinson County Main Street Association, gave the visitors a tour of the African American Museum, which has Moody’s photo and books on display.

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Visit here to see the timeline of important
events in Anne Moody’s 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 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

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Media coverage of Anne Moody Highway Resolution

Presentation covered in local, regional newspapers

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

#AnneMoody
#AnneMoodyHighway

Our news about the Anne Moody Highway presentation was well-received by the news media. So far, it has appeared in The Woodville Republican (Woodville, Miss.), the Enterprise-Journal (McComb, Miss.) and The Bluff City Post (Natchez, Miss.). These are local and regional newspapers. While two of the papers featured the story on page 3, one actually ran it on the front page in the Sunday edition. You can see the pages below. As always, we appreciate the coverage.
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The Woodville Republican

This photo of Warden Jody Bradley and Wilkinson County Chancery 
Clerk Thomas Tolliver appeared on page 3 of The Woodville Republican 
(Woodville, Miss.) on Thursday, November 23, 2017.

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Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?
Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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Enterprise-Journal

Warden Bradley and Chancery Clerk Tolliver made the front page of the 
Enterprise-Journal (McComb, Miss.) on Sunday, November 26, 2017.

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Visit here to see the timeline of important 
events in Anne Moody’s life history!

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The Bluff City Post

This one appeared on page 3 (November 24 – December 8, 2017 issue) 
of The Bluff City Post (Natchez, Miss.).
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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

VIDEO: Flags from Mississippi Gallery Talk - USCT invited guests Roscoe Barnes III and Dr. Albert Dorsey

  To view the video, please follow this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSTjD0PeDes   This is a video of a fascinating and insightful...