Anne Moody

While growing up in segregated segregated Mississippi, Anne Moody underwent significant personal private struggles. Whether the struggles related to her poor family life or fear of just being black, Moody eventually overcame the obstacles. She strived for perfection in her work at school and at jobs. This engaged mentality taught Moody to never back down from a challenge, even if the end looks bleak. Violence in different forms circulated around Moody all her life, most of which included watching others perpetrate violence on blacks solely for their skin color. Events and situations which shaped Moody’s adolescent and young adult years included involvement at school, working to help herself and family, and the witnessing of violent acts towards blacks. Anna Moody’s school and extracurricular experiences

A deadly fire occurs and the FBI covers it up by saying the homeowners accidently set it on fire when in fact a mob poured gasoline on the house and lit it. This experience frightens Moody because she fears a target is placed on her back just because of her skin color. She not only fears for herself but also for her mom and siblings. The FBI coverup corrupts Moody’s faith in the justice system and she sees how it is skewed, in this time period, to favor whites over blacks. Samuel O’Quinn’s murder set Moody off and brought her to the brink of outrageous hatred when she said, “I wanted to take my savings, buy a machine gun, and walk down the main street of Centerville cutting down every white person I saw.” This quote illustrates how dissatisfied Moody felt with the way blacks were being treated in the segregated south. Not giving into hatred shows her resolve and commitment to helping end segregation. Even though Moody feared for her life at certain times, she overcame her emotions to go on a be