Harry Moore, a principal at an all-Black Mims elementary school, and his wife Harriette, a teacher, were let go in the summer of 1946 after warnings from school board members for Harry to cease his political activities on behalf of oppressed Blacks across Florida.
The motion, which passed at Tuesday’s school board meeting by unanimous vote, represents the first time in 75 years the board has formally acknowledged the reasons behind its failure to renew the Moores’ contracts.
The resolution followed months of talks and lobbying by the Brevard Federation of Teachers and the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex.
Justice at last: Brevard School Board acknowledges unjust firing of civil rights leaders clickorlando.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from clickorlando.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
School board may acknowledge unjust firing of two Brevard civil rights martyrs Bailey Gallion, Florida Today
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Decades after their murders, two Black Mims educators and civil rights activists are on the cusp of having a historic injustice undone Tuesday when the school board considers restoring their status as Brevard County teachers.
A resolution up for discussion at Tuesday’s Brevard County School Board meeting would name Harry Moore and his wife Harriette teachers emeritus and declare that they were unjustly fired in 1946. It also provides for an elementary and secondary school curriculum in their name and an annual trip for 8th grade students to the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex, pending funding and the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.