Thursday, October 1, 2026
Emily Moore’s life, by all accounts, is a testament to resilience, activism and dedication to education and athletics.
Moore, 83, is a member of the Roosevelt school district Board of Education. Born in Meadowbrook Hospital, now Nassau University Medical Center, in 1941, she grew up in Freeport, in a predominantly Black community, during an era of racial segregation. Her experiences as a child shaped her commitment to social justice, and throughout her life, she has fought for equality, whether through activism, teaching or sports.
“I grew up in a village in Freeport, in a Black community they had on Sunrise Highway,” Moore recalled. “We had a big yard and a big house — almost like a three-family house and a big yard.”
She attended Cleveland Avenue School, in Freeport, when it was exclusively Black. She detailed how, in 1963, the school was closed down, and its students were integrated into other schools.
“I didn’t have one Black teacher from elementary school to high school,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Moore was a determined student. “At an early age, I realized that, you know, life … you have to figure out how you’re going to win.”
She credited her mother and sister for instilling in her a strong work ethic and independence. “My mother told me to do my best,” Moore said. “Try my best. My sister: ‘Memorize the book. Don’t count on no teacher to teach you.’”
Moore’s early activism began with a sit-in demonstration in a Freeport dime store. “I demonstrated at the five-and-10-cent store, and I came home and told my parents,” she recounted. “My father said, ‘Don’t do that again.’”
Despite her father’s fears, Moore continued to speak out against racial injustice, eventually finding herself at the forefront of the civil rights movement while attending Morgan State University, in Baltimore. There she became an activist, taking part in anti-segregation demonstrations.
“I got arrested,” she said. “Was the first group that got arrested, 11 of us,” she said. “The whole school was at the court, cheering us on.”
The day after she got out of jail, in 1963, she met Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who came to Baltimore to support the students after their efforts garnered national attention.
Moore’s passion for sports paralleled her activism. At Freeport High School Moore competed in hockey, soccer and basketball and was voted Most Athletic Female.
“Through sports, you learned how to work together as a team,” she said.
Moore’s professional journey was equally impressive. She joined the Peace Corps after college, serving in Nigeria and seeing firsthand the impact of political upheaval. “I went through three military coups and a civil war,” she said.
When she returned to the U.S., she became a teacher in Roosevelt, and continued her activism.
“Dr. Emily Moore’s powerful messages, ‘Dare to struggle, dare to win,’ and ‘A people united will never be defeated,’ have long resonated with the Roosevelt community,” Board Education President Rose Gietschier wrote in an email. “We in Roosevelt see her as a beacon of hope and a call to action, reminding us how to find strength and succeed, even in uncertain times and challenging circumstances.”
In 1975, Moore founded the Alliance Junior Tennis Development Program in Roosevelt, and 50 years later she remains committed to the program. “I tell the students that they can do and be anything they want to be,” she said. “I use tennis as a vehicle for change and progress in the community.”
Her contributions to education and sports have earned her numerous accolades. Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators, for dedication, achievements, and leadership in education, honored her as a Lifetime Achiever, and in 2015 she received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Morgan State.
She has been recognized as a Woman of Distinction by Nassau County, and was given a Tennis Development Award by the Black Tennis & Sports Foundation. She also wrote a book of poetry called “Just Like it Is,” and was the subject of a recently published biography, “My Journey: The Life and Times of Dr. Emily Moore,” written by Ayanna Moore of Roosevelt.
Now in her 80s, Moore is focused on preserving history. “I’m trying to get my material that I have in the house in place … because I don’t want my stuff thrown in a dumpster,” she said, stating that she’d like to insure her materials made it to museums.
From civil rights demonstrations to the tennis court, Moore has spent her life breaking barriers, and bringing others along with her. Her unwavering commitment to justice, education and sports continue to inspire.
