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Mosley, Sam
Sam Mosley, from microfilm of Resource Material for Mississippi History, Kemper County film, Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Sam Mosley was born at Daleville in Lauderdale County just across the Kemper County line, in 1862. His mother was a slave and belonged to Mr. Robert Mosley. His childhood days were spent among the white children of the Mosley family. He was taught to work and was also taught to read, write and spell with the white children around the fireside. His mother had great respect for intelligent people and constantly referred to the visitors to the Mosley family as being "smart white folks, and a graduate". This filled Sam with a desire to become "a graduate" and he took advantage of every opportunity to improve himself. He listened to the conversations of the white people with whom he came in contact as a boy and he was always eager to serve the young men of the family by attending to their horses, etc. to get them to talk to him about their trips and other pleasures. As he grew older, he continued to study, and at the age of 19, he entered school and was classed as being "in the 6th reader". Sam lived near Cooper's Institute, at Daleville and the President, J. L. Cooper, and the teachers, and the boys of the school helped him with his problems. In return for this help he would carry them sacks of rich, pine kindlingwood with which to start their fires. Sam attended Alcorn College and several terms of summer school at Lincoln and Tougaloo negro schools. He has been teaching many years and is still considered one of Kemper's best negro teachers.
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