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A student-produced multimedia journalism project spotlighting the story of Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, a Black couple from Brevard County who were instrumental in the modern civil rights movement in 1951, recently launched digitally on WUCF’s website. WUCF TV, Central Florida’s PBS station, in collaboration with the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida produced The Road to Freedom Avenue – The Legacy of Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, a project featuring audio, visual and written content from UCF journalism students.
The Moores were educators and activists in Mims, Fla., with Harry Moore establishing the first NAACP chapter in the county. Their anti-racist efforts challenged the status quo that discriminated against them, and on Christmas night 1951, their house was bombed by white supremacists while they slept, causing their deaths. A replica of their home was built on their street, Freedom Avenue; several markers, a cultural complex museum, and many local residents still carry their message today.
The story of their murders, which some might not know, is something WUCF executive director Dr. Phil Hoffman said could be improved through storytelling projects like this one.
"WUCF would not be fulfilling its role as Central Florida's Storytellers without partnering with community producers to tell even the most difficult stories," Hoffman said. “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."
Rick Brunson, UCF Senior Instructor of Journalism, said the project started with a Facebook post. Moved to action after reading about the horrific racism and domestic terrorism under the color of law that gripped Central Florida in the 1940s and ‘50s, Brunson visited the Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex in Mims to learn more and pay his respects. When he shared his experience on social media, Hoffman reached out and suggested this student project.
"We are so grateful to Phil and WUCF for suggesting and fully supporting this partnership," Brunson said. "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."
To learn more about The Moore Project, please visit wucf.org/themooreproject/.
