By Judith Williams

Harry T. Moore and his wife, Harriette is known as the first martyrs of the modern civil rights movement. They were educators who taught in the public schools in and around Brevard County from 1925 to 1946. They lived in a small town called Mims, Florida. The Moore’s was murdered on Christmas Night in 1951, when a bomb planted by the Klu Klux Klan under their bedroom exploded. Killing Mr. Moore instantly and Mrs. Moore died nine days later. It was also, their 25th anniversary.

The Moore’s were activists. Mr. Moore organized the first Brevard County branch of the NAACP in 1934 and became its president. He went on to coordinate opening NAACP chapters throughout the state of Florida and later became President of the Florida Conference of NAACP branches. In 1944 he formed the Florida Progressive Voter’s League and became its Executive Director. Under his guidance he was instrumental in registering over 116,000 voters in a period of six years to the Florida Democratic Party throughout the state, which reflected a thirty-one percent increase in registered African American voters. His work covered voting rights, equal pay, addressing social issues like the lynching of Willie James Howard in 1944, and the Groveland Rape case in 1949 when four young African American men were accused of rape, one was 16 years old. At the onset one of the accused was killed by a posse, the other three were arrested. 16-year-old Charles Greenlee was sentenced to life. Sam Shepherd and Walter Irving was sentenced to death. Moore organized a campaign against what he determined to be wrongful convictions. The NAACP under Moore’s direction filed an appeal before the US. Supreme Court and a new trial were ordered. During the transporting of Shepherd and Irving to a pre-trial

hearing the sheriff shot them. Shepherd died at the scene and Irving survived to reveal the truth; they were shot in cold blood. Moore pushed for indictment of murder against the sheriff and requested the Governor to suspend the sheriff from office. Six weeks later the Moore’s was murdered.

The Jim Crow law was operating at its optimum potential, and violation of the civil right law was at its height in the 40’s and 50’s. The work and sacrifice of men and women like the Moore’s should never be forgotten. It is a part of the Africa American history. History that is filled with people who died in the fight for social justice. And just in case we have forgotten, we will keep telling the stories. Harry T. and Harriett V. Moore a bold and courageous couple.

Excerpt from ‘The Ballad of Harry Moore,” written by Langston Hughes 

Florida means land of flowers

It was on a Christmas night

In the state named for the flowers

Men came bearing dynamite

It could not be in Jesus’ name

Beneath the bedroom floor

On Christmas night the killers

Hid the bomb for Harry Moore

And this he says, our Harry Moore

As from the grave he cries:

No bomb can kill the dreams I hold

For freedom never dies!

Freedom never dies, I say!

Freedom never dies!