The Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex
2180 Freedom Ave
Mims, FL 32754
(321) 264-6595
Mims, FL 32754
(321) 264-6595
AT A
GLANCE The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex
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Date of Visit:
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Saturday, April 29,
2017
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Parking
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Plentiful, onsite
parking
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Amount of time needed
to peruse exhibits:
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45 minutes
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Amount of time needed
for gift shop
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25 – 30 minutes
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The “must have”
souvenir
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“Before His Time…” A biography of Harry T. Moore written by
Ben Green.
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Online shopping
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Yes
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Kid friendly shopping
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That’s a tough
question to answer here. There are some
small kid friendly items to buy, like pencils or pens, but not so much overall
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Kid friendly
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Again, this is a tough
one to answer. The replica of the
Moore House is definitely kid friendly, but younger ones may get quickly
bored reading the information in the museum.
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Dress code
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Casual is fine,
tacky is not
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Be sure to…..
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Feel the ball, as in
ball and chain, that slaves were forced to wear.
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Nearby/other
establishments to visit
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None
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Walkability, general
downtown area / amount of traffic
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The complex is located
at the end of a residential street. There
is nothing close by.
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Safety, in terms of
type and number of crimes committed in general area
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Generally safe, but
keep in mind that it’s up to you to protect your possessions. Stow valuables out of sight and lock your
car.
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We
know through the stories of our parents and grandparents that the 1930s through
mid-1940s were trying times for countless Americans. The Stock Market Crash, the Great Recession,
joblessness, food scarcity and the Dust Bowl were nightmares that didn’t fully
end until 1942, with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and the
United States’ entry into the conflict of World War II. Many scholars say that the war is what ended
the economic crises. I know this to be
true in the industrial centers of the country:
Detroit, Michigan earned the nickname “Arsenal of Democracy” for its military
contribution. Guns, tanks, and weapons
were needed in higher quantitates than ever before, but production couldn’t be
ramped up to meet this demand without an influx of workers. Since most of the healthy and young males
were off fighting for our freedom, foundries hired women and African-American
workers to fill the void. For these two groups,
this work allowed greater financial freedom than before the Great
Depression. It seemed perfectly natural to
these women and African-Americans that they would be allowed to continue their industrial
work when peace returned to the U.S. in the mid-1940s. Sadly, that was not the case.
In
the mid to late 1940s, the U.S. experienced a great influx of soldiers returning
from Europe and the Pacific region where major battles had been fought. It seemed entirely natural to them that there
would be jobs waiting for them upon their return. There were, but at a cost to the two groups
being displaced: African-Americans and
women. Their efforts were no longer
needed, and I’m sure it surprised both groups to return to being treated before
the war. Like
other historical events, the transition from everyone working toward the common
goal of war to a select group of the population working was bumpy. To
understand this, let’s look at a fairly recent example of this phenomenon: September 11, 2011. The entire nation came together against a
common foe; yet again the transition from everyone working together to everyone
separated by ideologies was a rough road.
We saw this in our attitudes toward the Muslims and Arabs that lived
among us. This feeling is comparable to
the post WWII wartime with toward African-Americans. One minute, we’re all functioning
as a single unit, and then cracks begin to appear in this temporary and promising
world. What made it worse this time is
that offensive and lingering opinions toward African-Americans acquired from
the nation’s past 80 years dumped onto and combined with the post-WWII mindset,
namely that there was no place in polite society for the non-Caucasian people. Some folks felt that this was a normal turn of
events. After all, how could an
African-American hope to hold onto a decent paying job when there were
Caucasians looking for work.
Museum & Gift Shop Photos: https://goo.gl/0Y8MNr
Society’s
objectionable and offensive judgement toward African-Americans seeped through
the many layers of non-poor Caucasian culture, and many accepted this ideology
as gospel. It’s possible to take a look at a good
example of this while visiting the Harry T., and Harriet V. Moore Cultural
Center. Both of the Moore’s were
African-American educators in Florida during the post-WWII eras. Harry T. thought about the things we’ve just
discussed, namely, working within society toward a common goal. If everyone is working together, why did other
educators in the area earn a higher salary then him? It didn’t make sense. Harry T. was an individual who wanted his
voice to be heard and the situation remedied.
It wasn’t. Harry T. became even
more vocal about other issues plaguing African-Americans: housing, the right to work, the right to a
good education. He went on to found Florida’s
chapter of the National Association of Colored People (NAACP), a national
movement created so all voices could be heard.
This whole equality concept bothered some folks, who wanted society to remain
exactly the same as pre-WWII. Any
student of anthropology or sociology knows that to remain static is almost impossible. Events happen to us, we respond, and we
change. I’ve even studied the same concepts
in my wildlife biology classes: things
change, things (plants, wildlife, and people) adapt. It can be a harsh reality, because species extinction
awaits those that don’t.
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| Timeline of Civil Rights Events |
The
late 1940s forced this desire for a static and non-changing society into the
open for everyone to see. Picture a
great influx of soldiers returning home after the war only to discover that
women and African-Americans held jobs, in some minds that Caucasian males
should have. Talk about being rubbed the
wrong way. In no way do I mean to imply
that soldiers thought this way or that they took anti-social action to “right”
this wrong. No, those anti-social feelings belonged to a very small percentage
of the United States. However, those few
malcontents had a way of letting everyone know what they were thinking through
their anti-society antics. As difficult
as it is for us to believe, African-American lynchings were an all too common occurrence,
and everyday life was unsettled and rough for them, at best.
These
two opposing sides of equality for all versus equality for some butted heads in
Florida in 1951. Harry T., the vocal opponent
about equal salary for educators and for the NAACP, caught the attention of a
couple of those narrow-minded folks who didn’t want to see changes in their
society. Harry T. and Harriette V. were
celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve. A decorated Christmas tree stood in their
living room with wrapped packages tucked underneath. I’m imagining the Harry gave Harriette a
goodnight kiss and then both went to bed.
During the night, a bomb was placed under the Moore house, directly
under the bedroom where the Moores slept.
Harry T. was killed shortly after the bomb exploded, and Harriette V.
passed several days later. Why? I still have challenges when I try to put my
mindset in the bombers’ state of mind.
Maybe it was because too many people were hearing and listening to Harry
T. and those same folks were feeling compelled to do something about it. The bombers may have felt the same about
Harry T’s outspoken and frank assessment of society. They, too, felt compelled to do something
about this, but they took the low road and bombed the Moore residence. I saw a plaque which showed a photograph of
Harry T’s headstone. Along with the born
and died dates, the inscription reads: “Killed
by 3 Racists.” It made me stop and stand
quietly for a few minutes when I visited there last week.
Museum & Gift Shop Photos: https://goo.gl/0Y8MNr
Just
outside of the replica of the Moore’s home is a beautiful, still and peaceful
reflecting pool. Its inscription reads:
“Until justice rolls down
like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
- Martin Luther King Jr
Take a few moments here in
this tranquil space to let those words sink in.
I had mixed emotions as I contemplated MLK’s words. On the one hand, I stood in respected repose
at the eloquent and compact statement that doesn’t need explaining. On the other hand, I was sad that MLK had to
say things like that in the 1960s. This
told me that we, as a whole and complex society, hadn’t changed / evolved in
the twenty years since the Moore’s house was bombed.
Back inside of the museum is
a timeline of civil rights history in America.
I’ll warn you upfront, most of it doesn’t make for good reading. The Moore Cultural Complex has an entire room
filled with events and facts from past time.
My suggestion here is to change the format of this information. Everything was printed on placards and they
were hung side-by-side throughout the entire room. I love to read, but this wore me out, and I
can’t imagine anyone in their teens or younger having the patience to do
this. I thought they should sum up their
written verbiage with a photo, chart, map, graph, or something easier on the
eye. Then, use bullet points that
summarize the gist of what the lesson learned should be.
Museum & Gift Shop Photos: https://goo.gl/0Y8MNr
The
Complex’s gift shop is small, but so are the museum and the replica of the
Moore’s home. I noticed that arriving at
the gift shop extended my contemplative mood.
The first thing that caught my attention was the book on display: “Before
His Time: The Untold Story of Harry
T.Moore, America’s First Civil Rights Martyr” by Ben
Green (Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Before-His-Time-Untold-Americas/dp/0684854538/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493926253&sr=8-1&keywords=before+his+time)
The story of the Moores that
I recapped above is a true story. What I
failed to mention was that Harry T., as the title of Green’s book suggests, was
indeed the first in a continuing societal battle that lost his life standing up for what he
believed in. I know that Amazon sells
this book, and it’s probably not as expensive as the one in the gift shop. Buy the one in the gift shop. Cool people support their museums; that’s
just how we are. The Complex is a free
museum, and gets by on gift shop proceeds and private donations. It’s up to you to decide which you’ll
be. While you’re at it, pick up two of
their branded t-shirts; one as a gift and one for you. That’s also how cool people roll. We know better then to mess with the lawsof
theUniverse. If you only buy something foryourself, I can’t
be held accountable if karma toys with you later on because I did warn you.
Put your purchases in the
car and come on back. The Harry T. Cultural
Complex is managed by Brevard County’s Park and Recreation department. I don’t know this to be a fact, but I think
that’s why there’s a lovely footpath around the property. Cultural complexes aren’t as common as you
might think, and the one you’re visiting is the only one in the county. How does the Parks and Recreation brand this
area as one of theirs? By adding a nice
shady place to stroll. There are
numerous empty signs along the path, waiting in anticipation for information
that can be displayed. Again, I have a
recommendation. There’s a good chance
that you may feel preoccupied and engrossed by what you’ve learned at the
Complex. To lighten the mood and to get
visitors leaving on an upbeat note, post creative works by African-Americans
since the Moore bombing in 1951. For
example, a photo of the poet, Maya Angelou, would be accompanied by one of her
writings. Same with writer Zora Neale
Hurston. The Highwaymen, those artists
with works hanging at the A.E. Backus Museum, are another good candidate with
their colorful paintings of natural Florida.
I would also like to see Guy Buford, the first African –American in
space. I think visitors will still carry
their new knowledge with them, and seeing positive accomplishments.
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| This gravel / dirt area in front of the restaurant is where that guy should have known better than to not overload his trailer. |
It’s
time for lunch! Luckily, Louis’s BBQ Shack is less than five minutes away. They don’t have a website
that I could find, so here’s their address:
2191 N Us Highway 1,
Titusville, FL 32796
Titusville, FL 32796
(321) 264-1446
How did we
know it’d be a good restaurant? By its
sign out front, depicting a pig wearing a hat using a piece of straw as a
toothpick. I mentioned that it’s
possible to judge a BBQ place without even walking through the door. I’m re-posting this hierarchy, first
mentioned in my review of the American Police Hall of Fame and museum (http://www.meetmeinthegiftshop.com/p/blog-page_30.html):
- · If it’s just a pig (or shrimp, in the case of Dixie Crossroads), it’s an “ok” restaurant.
- · It’s a better restaurant if the pig/shrimp wears a hat.
- · Next in the hierarchy, a pig planning a banjo is an even better restaurant. The more human characteristics the animal has, the better the restaurant.
- · A pig eating ribs is a darned good place to eat.
We
figured that the pig had just finished eating ribs and was chomping on an after
meal toothpick. That makes this a darned
good place to eat, and we ordered the pulled pork sandwich. It’s about 3” high stuffed with tender pulled
pork on garlic bread and comes with a choice of sides. I had the sweet potato casserole, and it
tasted like a forkful of Thanksgiving.
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| Pulled Pork on garlic bread is soooooo good. The Sweet Potato Pie is the gooey stuff in the foreground on the right |
I
admit I’m guilty of accidentally listening to conversations at other
tables. We heard a loud hissing noise while
we were waiting for our order and looked outside to see that a tire had blown
on the trailer that a huge pickup truck was hauling. In Detroit, people would probably have
whispered, maybe pointed, and then return to their meals. This is the South. They don’t do that here. We started hearing conversation around us
wondering quite loudly where that noise came from. Lunch guests still sat at their own tables,
but conversed across the restaurant like they were friends from way back. It got better when the pickup truck tried
moving his trailer-bed out of the way. “It’s
no wonder he got a flat. Look at what he’s
hauling,” “Why did he try to load so much onto that trailer. He should have known something like that was
bound to happen,” and “ I hope he makes it out ok, but he’s got to take some of
that stuff of his trailer.” This was
from three gentlemen sitting at three separate tables. They returned their attention to their own
table when they saw that the truck was going to be ok. Yes, I listened, but I kind of had to. One last tip:
order the lemonade. They serve it
in a huge Styrofoam cup so you can take it with you, which is what you want to
do. Head home or back to the hotel, put
your feet up, mix an adult beverage using your lemonade, and muse about what
you’ve seen today. It, too, will leave
you with mixed emotions.
Museum & Gift Shop Photos: https://goo.gl/0Y8MNr
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May 4, 2017
Dear Gentle Blog Followers,
I have two more blogs to post before I take a summer sabbatical. One reason for this is that I can get cranky if I'm out too long in the hot Florida summers. Take my word for it: it's not pretty. The other reason is that I want to overhaul the visual aspect of my blog, and don't want to feel rushed to do this. I'll start posting again in mid-September.
In the meantime, I hope you re-visit some of my earlier blogs. Keep in touch and feel free to send your thoughts and comments to me: bfirman.mcmanus@gmail.com.
I wish I had the words to thank all of you for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate you.
B
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May 4, 2017
Dear Gentle Blog Followers,
I have two more blogs to post before I take a summer sabbatical. One reason for this is that I can get cranky if I'm out too long in the hot Florida summers. Take my word for it: it's not pretty. The other reason is that I want to overhaul the visual aspect of my blog, and don't want to feel rushed to do this. I'll start posting again in mid-September.
In the meantime, I hope you re-visit some of my earlier blogs. Keep in touch and feel free to send your thoughts and comments to me: bfirman.mcmanus@gmail.com.
I wish I had the words to thank all of you for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate you.
B
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