TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
A lthough George Moore was born in 1948, deep in the throes of segregation, he never realized as a child he was living in a segregated society. “We had one white neighbor who lived less than a mile away. I didn’t see him as white. My parents didn’t talk about Martin Luther King Jr. or Jim Crow. I was never taught racial hatred, and I grew up in a loving, Godly family. I did not hear negativity or anyone talking down to others in my home. As I reflect on my foundational years, I thank God I had parents who didn’t raise me to hate.” Moore’s parents taught him to treat others with love and respect, no matter how they acted or looked. They instructed him to exhibit hard work and honesty. Do not steal and do not lie, were phrases often repeated in his home. His parents took advantage of life experiences to teach life lessons and once scolded Moore for bringing home a rubber tractor from his friend Donnie’s house. When Moore told his mom and dad Donnie had given him his permission to take the tractor home and play with it, his parents made their position clear. It was Donnie’s parents, not Donnie, who had purchased the tractor. He was told to take nothing without asking his parents. This incident was one of the many ways the Moores instilled respect for adults in their son. “My mom was always going to support the adults—in school, church, or our neighborhood.” Moore feels his life can be easily divided into two eras—before integration and after integration. He went to a two- room school, and although he was in the first grade and his sister was in the third grade, they were taught in the same room. Moore remembers, “We had tremendous discipline in the Black schools. Students were well-behaved and respected the adults. My principal was always well- dressed and commanded respect. He even wore Stacy Adams shoes to school.” Moore recalls moments from his early education, including being in fourth grade and feeling like his teacher was lacking. He also remembers riding a school bus eight miles and passing an all-white school to get to his all-black school. “Our books were books that had been used for seven or eight
(above) A floor plan example of a Rosenwald school, similar to the Canaan School George Moore first attended in his childhood. (right) 2006, George and Carolyn Moore at the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Convention in Reno, Nevada.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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