(MINEOLA and ROOSEVELT, N.Y.) – In honor of Black History Month, Nassau County Legislature Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé (D – Freeport) and Legislator Scott M. Davis (D – Rockville Centre) led the Democratic Minority Caucus in honoring Roosevelt educator, longtime Board of Education member, and civil rights activist Dr. Emily Moore on Monday, March 9. (The ceremony was originally planned for Feb. 23 but was delayed due to the blizzard).
During the presentation, Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Mulé lauded Dr. Moore’s contributions to the civil rights movement as a college student.
“In 1961, she headed to Morgan State University - an HBCU in Baltimore, Maryland - to pursue her degree in physical education,” she said. “Students at the college took an active role in leading the Civil Rights Movement in the city, and she was one of 11 students arrested and thrown into prison for refusing to leave a segregated theater. She and her fellow students stayed in jail for a week. Their efforts gained national attention, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came out to support them.”
After graduating from Morgan State in 1965, Dr. Moore joined the Peace Corps and taught health and physical education (including tennis) in Nigeria for two years. Upon returning to the States, she earned a master’s degree in education and counseling from Hofstra University in 1972. Thereafter, she embarked on her five-decade teaching career; her students included basketball legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving and actor/comedian Eddie Murphy.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Dr. Moore founded and serves as executive director of the Alliance Junior Development Program Inc., a company dedicated to tennis instruction, athletic training, youth development, counseling, leadership training, sports consulting, event planning and community organizing.
“With Alliance, Moore aimed to not only teach kids how to swing a racquet, but also how to rise to the occasion to face life’s challenges,” Legislator Davis said during the presentation. “Exercising discipline, developing leadership qualities and maintaining respect for others, she says, are just as important as learning the proper way to hit a forehand.”
For all her efforts, Dr. Moore has earned a plethora of accolades. Tennis legend Arthur Ashe honored her with his Junior Tennis Development Award in 1988, and Dr. Moore received the Outstanding Citizen Contribution to Improve Education from the Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Honors.
In 2015, she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from her alma mater, Morgan State University – and in 2021, she was inducted into the United States Tennis Association’s Eastern Hall of Fame. She also wrote a book of poetry called “Just Like it Is,” and was the subject of “My Journey: The Life and Times of Dr. Emily Moore,” a biography written by Ayanna Moore of Roosevelt.
“Last year, the Roosevelt school community honored Dr. Moore as a ‘Shero’ for her vast contributions to athletics, commitment to advancing civil rights, and dedication to youth enrichment,” Legislator Davis concluded. “It is our distinct honor and privilege to shine a light on her life’s work as our Black History Month honoree for 2026.”
PHOTO CREDITS – Photos by Peter M. Budraitis