By: Roscoe Barnes, III, Visit Natchez
The late Anne Moody, author of “Coming of Age in Mississippi,” will soon be honored with a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker in her hometown of Centreville.
The marker will be unveiled in a ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday, September 15 at Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, 8755 Highway 24 East. The event is free to the public.
Frances Jefferson, Moody’s sister, said she and her family are elated about the marker.
“I’m very excited for the unveiling of the Freedom Trail marker on September 15, Anne’s 85th birthday,” she said. “I’m grateful to everyone involved in securing this honor for my sister.”
The Freedom Trail markers are administered by the Mississippi Humanities Council, in partnership with Visit Mississippi. The markers honor the courage and dedication of local leaders and activists whose actions helped shape the fight for freedom and justice. They commemorate the people and places in the state that played important roles in the American Civil Rights Movement.
Moody made sacrifices and risked her life in her fight for civil rights for African Americans. She suffered mob violence and endured multiple incarcerations in her efforts to bring about change. Known as a fearless activist, Moody participated in sit-ins, non-violent protests, voter registration drives, and bold efforts to dismantle segregation across the state.
Moody died at her home in Gloster on February 5, 2015. She was 74.
“Coming of Age in Mississippi,” her memoir, remains a seminal work, illuminating the harsh realities of growing up as a poor Black girl in the Jim Crow South. Her book was first published in December 1968 and remains in print to this day.
As for the location of the Freedom Trail marker, Jefferson said the Mount Pleasant church is the perfect place. She said Moody attended the church along with her family. Moody was also baptized in a pond near the church, and her gravesite, along with those of her mother, father, and other family members, are located in the cemetery in front of the church.
Moody also wrote about Mount Pleasant in her book, where she mentioned active members of the church. In addition to her pastor, the Rev. Robert J. Tyson Sr., whose portrait is currently displayed in the church, Moody wrote about Sister Jones, whose full name is Edna Lee Bland Jones. Sister Jones was the great-grandmother of the Rev. LeReginald Jones, the current pastor of the church.
LeReginald Jones is proud of the church’s history and the connection it has to Anne Moody. When asked about the Freedom Trail marker, he quoted President Barack Obama, who said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
“I think this quote epitomizes the life and legacy of Anne Moody,” said LeReginald Jones. “She didn’t wait for someone else. She stepped up and made a difference, and now some 50-plus years later, we remember her legacy.
“We celebrate her legacy, and we as a community are proud to be a part of our native daughter’s story. We’re also proud to have this marker placed permanently at the place that helped Anne to become the freedom fighter that we now admire. We perpetually thank her for her service, boldness, and determination to see a more just and humane society.”
In addition to LeReginald Jones, the unveiling ceremony will feature a number of prominent speakers, including the Rev. Fred Moody Jr., Anne Moody’s brother; Rep. Angela Cockerham; and Senator Gary Brumfield.
Other participants on the program include John Spann, program and outreach officer at Mississippi Humanities Council; the Rev. Larry Lee pastor of Winans Chapel C.M.E. Church; and Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez, who will serve as master of ceremonies.
The program will also feature music by the Mount Pleasant choir.
For more information on the unveiling ceremony, call Roscoe Barnes III at 601-492-3004 or John Spann at 601-432-6752.