Peter Weddick Moore (June 24, 1859 - April 15, 1934) was a
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
Sampson County
Sampson County is the largest county, by land area, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,036. Its county seat is Clinton.
History
Sampson County was established in April 1784 following the American ...
public schools and
Shaw University
Shaw University is a private Baptist historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in ...
, Moore later became an assistant principal at the Normal School at Plymouth, until he built and became principal of what is now known as the Elizabeth City State University. Moore fought strongly against the segregation of education and society as well as for equality among whites and blacks. Throughout his life, Moore contributed greatly to the achievements of the North Carolina Teachers' Association and held every role within the organization.
slave
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
parents, he had a tumultuous childhood. His father is believed to have been killed by the
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
, so his mother was forced to raise him and his four siblings alone. Moore's mother believed that her children should all be educated and saw to it that Moore went to school during his upbringing. He was said to have gone to a neighborhood school created by the
Freedmen's Bureau
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was an agency of early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. It was established on March 3, 1865, and operated briefly as a ...
. He went on to study at the Philosophian Academy in a neighboring county, where he was able to develop his academic interests. After graduation, Moore became certified to teach in a one-room school, allowing him to further pursue his passion for academia.
Adulthood
Education
Moore was recognized by his peers as a man of dignity, who was well-informed of current events. He received an A.B. degree in 1887 from
Shaw University
Shaw University is a private Baptist historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in ...
. Shaw also awarded him both M.A. and LL.D. degrees in recognition of his many contributions to education in the state. Moore's career began when he started teaching in the Holly Grove district at age 20. He saved the money earned from teaching and raising
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
to supplement his education at Shaw University.
Career
Post-graduation, Peter Moore began teaching again for a year before he was given the position of assistant principal at the State Normal School in Plymouth, North Carolina. In 1891, four years after beginning in Plymouth, Moore was asked to be the new leader of the State Colored Normal School at Elizabeth City. After the school opened, it split into three separate schools: Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, and Winston Salem State Normal Schools. Moore served as the principal until 1928 when he retired, just six years before his death.
Legacy
Despite his declining health, Moore continued to teach classroom management in his retirement. In 1928 he was granted the title of President Emeritus by Elizabeth State University. This position included a home and salary for the remainder of his life. Moore is credited as the reason that relations between whites and African Americans were so positive in Elizabeth City.