Cecil B. Moore
| Cecil B. Moore | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 5th District | |
|
In office January 5, 1976 – February 13, 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Ethel D. Allen |
| Succeeded by | John Street |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 2, 1915 West Virginia |
| Died | February 15, 1979 (aged 63) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | Marine |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Cecil Bassett Moore (April 2, 1915 – February 13, 1979) was a Philadelphia lawyer, civil rights activist who led the fight to integrate Girard College, president of the local NAACP, and member of Philadelphia's City Council.
Born in West Virginia, Moore served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. In 1947, after his discharge at Fort Mifflin, Moore moved to Philadelphia and studied Law at Temple University. Moore attended school at night and financed his studies with a job as a liquor wholesaler. He cultivated ties with the bar owners to whom he sold his wares and they became an important basis for his political constituency later in his career. He earned a reputation as a no-nonsense lawyer who fought on behalf of his mostly poor, African-American clients concentrated in North Philadelphia. From 1963 to 1967, he served as President of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP. He also served on the Philadelphia City Council.
Moore is best remembered for leading a picket against Girard College which led to the desegregation of that school. He was also a champion of a wide range of causes central to the Civil Rights Movement, including integration of schools and trade unions, and increased political and economic representation for poor African-Americans. He has been credited with helping to restore order after the unsettling vandalism and violence of the racially charged Columbia Avenue riot of 1964. During his tenure, membership in the local NAACP chapter expanded from 7,000 in 1962 to more than 50,000 within a few years.
Moore's aggressive manner and confrontational tactics alienated many leaders, black and white, including many within the NAACP who preferred negotiation "behind closed doors" over direct action. Moore himself acknowledged how his military service shaped his grassroots activism:
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