JANS – A Mississippi Freedom Trail marker unveiling ceremony was held in honor of the late civil rights activist Annie Bell Robinson Devine of Canton on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, in partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council, Canton Tourism, and City of Canton. Friends, family, and local officials gathered at the Canton High School Auditorium to celebrate the event.
Devine (1912-2000) was born in Mobile, Alabama, but lived most of her life in Canton. She attended Tougaloo College, married, had four children, and worked as an elementary school teacher and life insurance agent. A leader in Black enfranchisement, she was a Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1964 attempting to unseat the all-white Mississippi delegation.
The marker commemorating Devine’s lifelong commitment to voting rights work and equitable access to education and health care will be permanently installed on the grounds of the historic Madison County Courthouse…