A new Mississippi Freedom Trail marker honoring civil rights icon Anne Moody was unveiled in her hometown on Monday in Centreville by Visit Mississippi and the Mississippi Humanities Council.
Moody, who died in 2015 at age 74, was a trailblazing activist and author whose work helped shape the civil rights movement. As a Tougaloo College student, she joined the historic 1963 sit-in at Woolworth’s in Jackson, where she and fellow activists were attacked by a mob. She later worked with the Congress of Racial Equality during Freedom Summer, advancing voter registration efforts across Mississippi.
Despite arrests, threats, and violence throughout her life, Moody continued organizing demonstrations, leading workshops and challenging segregation.
Her memoir, “Coming of Age in Mississippi,” published in 1968 and detailed her childhood in the segregated South and her fight for racial justice. The book became an international bestseller and is still taught in schools and universities nationwide.
“Anne Moody’s courage and determination helped shape the civil rights movement in Mississippi and beyond,” Visit Mississippi director Rochelle Hicks said. “This marker ensures that her legacy will be remembered and honored for generations to come.”
The Centreville marker stands as a lasting tribute to Moody’s sacrifices and her enduring impact on equality and justice.
