New Mississippi Freedom Trail Marker Honors Civil Rights Icon Anne Moody

CENTREVILLE, Miss. — On Monday, Visit Mississippi and the Mississippi Humanities Council unveiled a new Mississippi Freedom Trail marker in Centreville to honor the late Anne Moody, a courageous civil rights activist and author whose legacy continues to inspire generations of Mississippians.

Moody rose from humble beginnings in the Jim Crow South to become a powerful voice in the civil rights movement. As a student at Tougaloo College, she participated in the historic 1963 sit-in at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson, where she and fellow activists endured violent attacks from a mob. She also worked with the Congress of Racial Equality in Canton during Freedom Summer in 1964 and played a vital role in voter registration efforts across Mississippi.

Her acclaimed memoir, Coming of Age in Mississippi, published in 1968, chronicled her experiences growing up Black in the segregated South and her involvement in the fight for racial justice. The book became an international bestseller and remains required reading in schools and universities across the country.

Throughout her activism, Moody faced repeated arrests, threats from supremacist groups and physical violence. Yet she remained steadfast in her commitment to justice, leading workshops, organizing demonstrations and challenging segregation in public spaces and churches.

“Anne Moody’s courage and determination helped shape the civil rights movement in Mississippi and beyond,” said Visit Mississippi Director Rochelle Hicks. “This marker ensures that her legacy will be remembered and honored for generations to come.”

Moody died in 2015 at age 74. The new marker stands as a tribute to her enduring impact and the sacrifices she made in pursuit of equality.

To learn more about the Mississippi Freedom Trail, visit www.visitmississippi.org.