The Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park has been developed to commemorate the lives of two pioneering American black civil rights workers. Harry and Harriette were leading human rights activists in Brevard County, in Florida, and in the nation. They organized the first Brevard County Branch of the NAACP in 1934, and he led the Florida organization and the fight for equality and justice until their deaths. As executive secretary of the Progressive Voters League, he helped break down registration barriers and was responsible for the registration of tens of thousands of black Americans throughout Florida.
They were murdered in their home in Mims when a bomb was exploded under their bedroom on Christmas evening, 1951, their 25th wedding anniversary. It was the first killing of a prominent civil rights leader, and was a spark that ignited the American civil rights movement.
Harry T. Moore is remembered by his students for his dignity, his determination, his compassion, his discipline, and the great value he placed on education. He is remembered by those with whom he worked, as a gentleman of learning, ethics, courage and persistence; who had a deep appreciation for the values that make America great.
The cultural center features a timeline of strategic events of the pre-civil rights era. Serving to stimulate appreciation of African-American culture and heritage, programs will include visual, literary and performing arts, as well as on-site and outreach exhibitions. The center will soon be offering lectures, drama, dance, reading, and creative writing, and is a meeting place for community organizations. The 100-seat conference center has surround sound with a backlit screen. The library offers visitor access to reference materials relating to people of African descent. Landscaped with indigenous trees and foliage, and well shaded by large oaks, the park is ideal for concerts, weddings, games and other outdoor activities.
Memorial Park HOURS
The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; and closed Saturday and Sunday, except for group appointments.
Cocoa Post Office Re-named after the Moores
Harry Moore taught in Cocoa before moving to North Brevard to teach. "This building is named in honor of Harry T and Harriette Moore by an Act of Congress: Public Law 112-243, January 10, 2013."
Moore Artifacts Heading to the Smithsonian
Several personal efects will join information about the Moore's pioneering Civil Rights work in Brevard and Florida in the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture which will be opening in 2015 in Washington, D.C.
Would you like to see a United States definitive postage stamp made in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Harry T. Moore?
The Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex has started a petition to the U.S. Postal Service Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee requesting the issuance of a commemorative stamp in recognition of civil rights leaders Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore.
Fla. Civil Rights Hall of Fame inductees announced
TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Two married civil-rights activists — killed Christmas 1951 when a bomb exploded beneath their house as they slept — have been inducted into Florida's Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday named Harry T. and Harriette Moore of Brevard County to the hall.
Harry Moore organized the Florida State Conference NAACP and had fought for voting rights and against unequal teacher pay. The Moores' deaths have never been officially solved but have been attributed to Ku Klux Klan members.
The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex, Inc.
A 501(c)3 organization providing community support for the Moore Memorial Park and Cultural Complex.
P.O. Box 817, 2180 Freedom Avenue, Mims, FL 32754 WEB SITE
The Moore Cultural Complex Board meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month, beginning at 6:30pm in at the Moore Memorial Park Complex Center.
The facility is managed by Brevard County Parks and Recreation, North Area.
Call (321) 264-6595 for more information on the park, cultural center, activities, and rentals.
Shadows of the Past, Reflections for the Future — A Vimeo Video "Shadows" shares the story of activists Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, their fight for civil rights for African-Americans in the 1940's, and how the Moore legacy lives on, nearly sixty years after they were murdered.
The County started working with the Brevard County Branch of the NAACP in 1989 to acquire the property which was purchased in 1994. In 1992 the Harry T. Moore Homesite Development Committee of the Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department was established in cooperation with the Brevard County branch of the NAACP to initiate development of the property. The site now serves as a memorial to the Moores, an education and interpretive center, and as a center for social and cultural activities in the community. In April, 1998, the State of Florida provided $700,000 to fund the Harry T. Moore Memorial Park in Mims.
The site is located at the south end of Freedom Avenue, off Parker Street in Mims. Future plans include a reconstruction of the Moore's six room house, with memorabilia from the Moores lives; picnic areas; and an outdoor pavillion. It is expected that it will become an historical tourist destination.
The Grand Opening for the Moore Memorial Park and the Cultural Complex was April 2004.
Seeking information and artifacts.
The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park is seeking information from people who knew the Moores. Of particular interest is the design, layout, and furnishings of their home and items of the Moores that will help tell the story of the Moores and their lives. Our beautiful museum can now house and display artifacts safely. Written personal recollections are welcomed.
Anyone with information, knowledge or ownership of any such items is encouraged to contact Juanita Barton, Cultural Center Coordinator, Phone 321-264-6595 — htmcc@brevardparks.com.
