Today’s History Lesson

Who were Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore?

Harry T. and his wife Harriette V. were the first true civil rights activists of the modern civil rights era in the State of Florida. Harry T. Moore organized the first Brevard County branch of the NAACP in 1934 and became its president. He would later travel throughout the state organizing branches and 1941 organized and became President of the Florida State Conference of NAACP branches. In 1945 he formed the Florida Progressive Voter's League and became its Executive Director. This organization was instrumental in helping register over 100,000 black voters in the State of Florida.

“On Christmas Day in 1951, Harry T. and Harriette Moore had just finished celebrating their silver anniversary, 25 years of blissful living as blissful as a black couple could be in the racially tense atmosphere of white hatred in Central Florida. The state Of Florida was more known for lynching than Mississippi, South Carolina Or Alabama. There lives together were shattered when a bomb blew up their home in Mims, Fla. The explosion killed the couple,” explains investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell in an article in the Clarion Ledger. Both had been teachers and civil rights activists.

Harry Moore died on the way to the hospital; Harriette Moore died nine days later, leaving behind two daughters, Evangeline and Annie Rosalea. Evangeline Moore dedicated her life to seeking justice for the death of her parents. Sixty-eight years ago on Christmas Day this horrible incident seared black communities across this nation.

It is imperative that we must keep the covered up black history alive in the minds of our youths. You won’t read about either Harry T. or Harriet Moore in the US History textbooks because Harry Moore was warrior who was irrelevant in white society in 1951. He was doing the work that many white folks saw as damaging to the cause of a white culture that ignored southern black folks. Harry was spreading the news of about the US Constitution that was written to protect rights and those rights applied to every citizen no matter his/her skin color. Recently I moved and live near the area that Harry T Moore traveled as an organizer for the NAACP. I still sense that Harry T Moore wouldn’t be totally satisfied with the progress of this nation related to race and racism. It is a known fact that the Moore’s were the first martyrs of the civil rights movement that shaped the 1950s’ and 1960s’. Their ultimate sacrifice should never be forgotten, today is the day to remember the names Harry T. and Harriet Moore on my blog of notable warriors of black history.

Keep men [and women] from being free?. . .
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!
— from “Ballad of Harry T. Moore” by Langston Hughes

The Mighty Whispers were and Watts, California singing group that was born during atmosphere of a changing nation, a changing black community, a city of Oakland that was going to the center of attention during the Black Power and Black Arts Movement. If ever a group had come out at the right time and place in 1963, it was the Mighty Whispers. Invited in 1966 by Sly Stone to perform in the Bay Area. The Whispers became a fixture on the concert scene in Oakland. The members of the original Whispers were Wallace and Walter Scott, Marcus Hutson, Gordy Harmon, and Nicholas Caldwell. In 1972 Mickey Carson assisted in the production of what I feel was one of the iconic love songs ever written and performed. We simply don’t hear music like this song performed or produced like this song today.

The name of the song The Whispers released in 1972 was “I Only Meant Just To Wet My Feet”. This song simply captured the sense one has when coming into a relationship inquisitive but being pulled in by the force of the emotional bond between two souls.

I remember ONE significant line from one of Mickey Carson produced songs written for and performed by the WHISPERS in 1972. The lyrics were so powerful, so dynamic, so enduring, and have an everlasting sense of the power of love. We need to have music like this produced and sung in our black communities today. You see we are grappling with a sense of lost brotherly and sisterly love. Why don’t we understand the power of love? The lyric that captured my attention in 1972 as an 18-year-old young black and today as a 65-year-old black man is still so powerful.

“I said, I said I only meant just to wet my feet
But you pulled me in where all the waters of love run deep
Oh, this good feeling must have been sent from above
Cause you've got me walking on wall to wall love
Oh, you got me walking”

Who could ever forget that song.Thank you Mickey Carson and The Whispers for creating this iconic song. The Whispers are still performing 56 years after becoming a music group in Watts. However, the music and songs they wrote and performed are no longer on the Billboard Charts. The music that iconic during the period of the Black Power and Black Arts Movement has been replaced. Yet I can only think of songs like I Only Meant Just To Wet My Feet. It how songs like that inspired a youthful black nation that true change was possible. If you have a moment listen to that song today.

This morning on my main blog page I reached 1,000,000 page views. This is quite an accomplishment because my online blog has been a mission that I started to keep my mind fresh while I was experiencing numerous physical ailments. It was important that I do something to avoid anxiety and depression. Although, I have experienced numerous bouts of anxiety and depression over the past 4 years. I have been able to avoid an emotional breakdown. This blog has been my creation to help the cause of spreading black historical knowledge, personal thoughts on current events, creating prose and poetry, creating imaginative images that provoked intelligent conversation and finally uplifting the cause of universal literacy. Yes, I am pleased with the progression and growth of my blog. However, it many ways it isn't my blog it belongs to my black community across the nation. I assume that the great majority of my supporters are African Americans. It is "you" who follow my blog consistently. It is you who motivate my need to commit to a daily entry of uplifting knowledge and thought.

On this December 22, 2019 as we approach a new decade, I envision more enormous potential and growth for our blog. Of course, I expend energy and mental thought in developing our blog. So I am in need of support on a monthly basis to support this endeavor. I know that what create and share on this site is worthwhile. I simply ask that if you have the ability to support my efforts I hope that you would. I am currently working towards raising $2500.00 for my work. I hope that I can identify 50 monthly subscribers who would donate $50.00 per month. That way I could supplement my social security disability check and ease financial strain on my budget. This also would allow me to begin the Florida Edition of The Blackman Read Aloud Hour Project which is the program that I have developed for Facebook Live to encourage not only universal black literacy but also universal black historical knowledge. So, again thanks for allowing us to reach this incredible goal and understand this the best is yet to come. I have accumulated more than 660 historical videos that can be accessed on the VIMEO site to enhance our blog, I have accumulated more than 100 videos on YOUTUBE that can be accessed as well to enhance our blog. Those video libraries will continue to be enhanced. I would like to have a digital footprint that will last long after I leave this world. Our black history must be protected.

Thanks
#joesmokeblackthoughts

People on Social Media wondering why Trump is still President?
#joesmoke