Queen Mother Moore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Queen Mother Moore
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| Born |
Audley Moore
July 27, 1898 |
| Died | May 2, 1997 (aged 98) |
| Known for | Reparations movement American Civil Rights Movement |
Queen Mother Moore (born Audley Moore; July 27, 1898 – May 2, 1997) was an important African-American leader. She worked for civil rights and was a black nationalist, meaning she believed in the unity and strength of Black people. She was friends with many famous leaders like Marcus Garvey, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and Jesse Jackson. She also helped start the Republic of New Afrika, a group that worked for Black self-determination. Dr. Delois Blakely was her assistant for 20 years.
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The Life of Queen Mother Moore
Early Years
Audley Moore was born on July 27, 1898, in New Iberia, Louisiana. Her parents were Ella and St. Cyr Moore. Sadly, both her parents died before she finished fourth grade. Her mother, Ella Johnson, passed away in 1904 when Audley was only six years old.
Her grandmother, Nora Henry, was born into slavery. She was the daughter of an African woman and a doctor who enslaved her. Audley Moore's grandfather was lynched, which meant he was killed by a mob. This left her grandmother to raise five children, with Audley's mother being the youngest. Audley became a hairdresser when she was 15 years old. She later adopted a son named Thomas O. Warner.
Joining the Movement
After hearing a speech by Marcus Garvey, Audley Moore moved to Harlem, New York. She became a leader in the UNIA, an organization Garvey started in 1914. She took part in Garvey's first big international meeting in New York City. She also owned shares in the Black Star Line, a shipping company created by Garvey to connect Black people around the world.
Queen Mother Moore worked for many important causes for over 60 years. Her last public appearance was in October 1995 at the Million Man March, where she stood with Jesse Jackson.
Fighting for Justice
Moore started the Universal Association of Ethiopian Women. She also created the Committee for Reparations for Descendants of U.S. Slaves. This group worked to get compensation for the harm caused by slavery. She was also a founding member of the Republic of New Afrika. This group aimed to help Black people gain control over their own lives, land, and receive reparations.
In 1964, Moore founded the Eloise Moore College of African Studies in Parksville, New York. Sadly, the college was destroyed by fire in the late 1970s.
For many years, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, Moore was the most well-known person speaking up for reparations for African Americans. She worked from Harlem through her organization, the Universal Association of Ethiopian Women, promoting reparations from 1950 until she passed away.
A Global Voice
Even though she was raised Catholic, Moore left the church during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. She felt that Pope Pius XII did not act correctly in supporting the Italian army during that time. Later, she became a bishop in the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Judea. She also helped start the Commission to Eliminate Racism for the Council of Churches of Greater New York. To help create this commission, she held a 24-hour sit-in for three weeks.
She also helped start the African American Cultural Foundation, Inc. This group fought against using the word "Negro," which was seen as a term from the time of slavery.
In 1957, Moore presented a petition to the United Nations. She presented another one in 1959. In these petitions, she asked for self-determination for Black people, spoke out against genocide, and asked for land and reparations. This made her an international advocate for these causes. She explained that she asked for 200 billion dollars to pay for 400 years of slavery. The petition also asked for money for African Americans who wanted to return to Africa and for those who wanted to stay in America. Queen Mother Moore was the first person to sign the New African agreement.
In 1972, she made her first of many trips to Africa. While in Ghana, she was given the title "Queen Mother" by members of the Ashanti people. This special title became her informal name in the United States.
In 1990, her assistant, Delois Blakely, took her to meet Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison in South Africa. They met at the home of President Kenneth Kaunda in Lusaka, Zambia. In 1996, Blakely helped Moore honor Winnie Mandela at an event in Harlem.
Many important leaders honored and supported Queen Mother Moore. These included Ron Brown, the first African American Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, NYC Mayor David Dinkins, and U.S. Presidential Candidate Jesse Jackson. They saw her as a respected elder in the Harlem community.
The famous writer Sonia Sanchez, who spoke for the liberation of Black people, was like a god-daughter to Moore and was much loved by her.
Queen Mother Moore passed away peacefully in a Brooklyn nursing home at the age of 98.
