Bob Moses

Bob Moses

Robert Parris Moses (January 23, 1935 – July 25, 2021) was an influential American educator and civil rights activist. He is best known for his work as a leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the Civil Rights Movement and for founding the Algebra Project, an organization aimed at improving mathematics education for minority students.

Early Life and Education

Robert Parris Moses was born in Harlem, New York City, to Gregory H. Moses, a janitor, and Louise Parris Moses, a homemaker. He attended Stuyvesant High School, where he excelled academically, and later earned a scholarship to Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Moses graduated from Hamilton in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. He then pursued graduate studies in philosophy at Harvard University.

Civil Rights Activism

Moses became involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s. He joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and later became a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In this role, he was instrumental in organizing voter registration drives in the southern United States, particularly in Mississippi.

Mississippi Freedom Summer

In 1964, Moses was a key figure in the Mississippi Freedom Summer, a campaign to register African American voters in Mississippi. This initiative was part of a broader effort to challenge racial segregation and disenfranchisement in the South. Moses worked alongside other civil rights leaders, including Fannie Lou Hamer and John Lewis.

Freedom Schools

During the Freedom Summer, Moses helped establish "Freedom Schools," which were designed to educate African American children and adults about their rights and to provide a more comprehensive education than was available in the segregated public schools.

The Algebra Project

In the 1980s, Moses founded the Algebra Project, a national mathematics literacy program aimed at helping low-income students and students of color achieve mathematical skills necessary for full citizenship in today's technological society. The project emphasizes experiential learning and aims to make algebra accessible to all students.

Legacy and Honors

Bob Moses's work in civil rights and education has had a lasting impact. He received numerous awards and honors for his contributions, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 1982. His efforts in the Civil Rights Movement and his innovative approach to education continue to inspire activists and educators.

Personal Life

Moses was married to Janet Jemmott, and they had four children. He spent his later years focusing on educational reform and lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Death

Robert Parris Moses passed away on July 25, 2021, at the age of 86. His death was widely mourned, and he was remembered as a pivotal figure in the struggle for civil rights and educational equity.

See Also

• Civil Rights Movement
• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
• Freedom Summer
• Algebra Project

References

• Roberts, Sam (July 25, 2021). "Bob Moses, Crusader for Civil Rights and Math Education, Dies at 86". The New York Times.

External Links

• The Algebra Project