1931-1965
Oneal Moore
by: Emealia Cop
“Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions any more than our opinions in physics or geometry...”
― Thomas Jefferson, The Statute Of Virginia For Religious Freedom
1931-1965, Oneal Moore lived as a thirty four year old army veteran. He was killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan or the KKK in Varnado, Louisiana. As well as thousands of other black people, he did not deserve to die, but he was very important to many people.
Moore was one of the first black deputy sheriff for Washington Parish Sheriffs Office. He was married and had four daughters. He was shot with a sniper on his way home from work with his partner Creed Rogers. While they were driving another car passed and shot them on the drivers side. Moore was instantly killed, but Rogers was only injured with a bullet wound to the shoulder. The gunmen were members of the KKK and they were arrested. When they went to court the suspects were not charged due to lack of evidence. The prime suspect died in 2003.
What is the Klu Klux Klan?They are a group of white people who have hate against Catholics, Jews, and most of all, Blacks. In 1840 they became a vehicle for white southern resistance and they waged an underground campaign of intimidation and violence against blacks. The members soon went on a rage of Burning the crosses, and staging rallies. During the 1960's they started bombing black schools and churches causing many deaths of black people. The KKK was a violence gang who did terrible things and caused depression and deaths of others just like they did to Oneal Moore.
Moore was very important to not only his family but his community and beliefs. He died doing what he felt was right and that is being a sheriff and protecting others. He worked as defense against the KKK and died doing his duty. He may not have seemed important but many of the blacks did as they were told and lived horrible lives. Moore lived everyday protecting others and fighting for what he believed in. Many people died because of the KKK and he was one of those black people who did not deserve to die but simply died because of his race.
The Civil rights movement was cruel and depressing, but like Moore many people from black churches and from just off the street tried to protect other blacks from the cruel whites like the members of the KKK.
“The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear”
― Aung San Suu Kyi
sources:
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/civil-rights
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oneal_Moore
http://www.odmp.org/officer/9566-deputy-sheriff-oneal-moore
Civil Rights Map:
Where Oneal Moore was killed: Varnado, Louisiana :
Reenact: