Orlando radio station WUCF chronicles the legacy of civil rights martyrs with 'Moore Project'

A UCF student journalism project has chronicled the life and legacy of Brevard County civil rights martyrs Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. The Moore Project was a collaboration between WUCF public television and the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at UCF.

The married couple were teachers and heavily involved in the civil rights movement in Mims, Florida, during the 1940s and into the early ’50s. Harry T. Moore even established the first NAACP chapter in Brevard County.

On Christmas night in 1951, they were murdered by white supremacists who planted a bomb in their home. They had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Student journalists in UCF professor Rick Brunson's class interviewed people impacted by the Moores and their work, past and present, including members of the Brevard County NAACP, the great-grandson of the Moores, investigators of the case, Black Lives Matter activists, among many others.

Though their memory and legacy have been commemorated through a replica of their home, street signs, and the Moore Cultural Complex — all located in Mims — their story isn't widely known. The Moore Project seeks to remedy that.

WUCF Executive Director Phil Hoffman spoke about raising historical awareness through storytelling projects.

"During this time of racial reckoning in our country, it is important to tell these stories of people who worked for justice to help educate and engage our audience in this meaningful conversation," Hoffman said.

The impetus for the project came after Brunson posted on social media about a recent visit to the Moore Cultural Complex. Hoffman later reached out to him and offered to collaborate on the student project.

Brunson hopes the project makes an impact on UCF students and the greater Central Florida community.

"We are so grateful to Phil and WUCF for suggesting and fully supporting this partnership," Brunson said in a press statement. "It was so gratifying for the students and such a privilege to honor the Moores' legacy and the impact their lives continue to have on Central Florida and beyond."


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