Before Selma: The Harry T. Moore Story by Florence Alexander

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


How the heck did author Alexander get a PhD if this is an example of how she approaches anything? What a disaster. Following three excellent books of Florida history, I stumbled into this mess in the stack. Unlike Alexander, who wants to present popular ideas than substantiated facts, I will back up my problems with this slight volume.

First and foremost is the vast inaccurate history presented. She starts with assuming the subject, Harry Moore, came from Africa and states that as fact. In that not all dark skinned people came from any one part or at all from Africa the assumption is further aggravated a few pages later as she uses the word “assumed” herself involving where his grandparents came!!! Augghhh!!!

But, wait! It gets worse!! Much, much worse!!! Throughout the entire volume Fort Mose is spelled as Fort Moses. Fort Moses!????!!! How the hell did that happen??? Quite clear she never went there, though there is a claim she did.

She entirely botches the history of dark skinned people and the Spanish conquistadors by, apparently, only referencing volumes involving Gary Mormino, the Florida revisionist “historian”. A tiny, tiny amount of real research would have had her discover the documents that refute the silliness she helps get repeated.

She writes of the Democrats working to undermine dark skinned people and then doesn’t note the irony of Moore then working to boost the very party that did that and was fueling the Klu Klux Klan. Of course, that has always been part of the speculation that Moore was working with the Democrat party as he undermined the NAACP and the party he helped create. Leading to the possibility that any of those could have also been responsible for the bombing. None of this is presented or questioned.

Her best effort is writing of Sheriff Willis McCall. Pretty clear she read ‘Devil in the Grove’ before this and repeated much of what she read there. She should have read of the other subjects I noted, including much, much more about Moore.

This goes on and on and on. And the book is only 84 pages long!!!! A third are a scattering of documents that were just stuck in with out explanation. And the rest is self promotion.

Beyond that, the writing is nearly juvenile. If I was in the position, I would question Alexander’s PhD. She could redeem herself by producing a serious book about this serious subject. Otherwise, there are now volumes covering this history and go to those, not this.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book. 1 out of 10 stars.



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