‘Helen gave us hell’: An activist’s 50-year fight for Black students in Detroit

It’s the fall of 1967. Detroit has just survived a summer of civil unrest . Forty-three people are dead, hundreds more are injured and more than 7,000 people are under arrest.

Helen Moore’s neighborhood is caught in the crossfire. The longtime Detroiter moves her family to the predominantly white Barton-McFarland neighborhood and sends her children to Barton Elementary School, known for its strong academic reputation.

However, as more Black students enroll in the school, Moore notices a decline in the quality of education her four children, among others, are receiving.

In 1969, Moore founded the Black Parents for Quality Education , a coalition of Black and white parents, dedicated to attending school board meetings and advocate for high-quality education for all Detroit students.

“Our children are not dumb,” Moore said recently. “They just don’t have the instruments and the people around them to bring out all their brilliance. Our kids are brilliant.”

Now 88, Moore can recall being thrown out of more school board meetings than she can count. She was labeled “the crazy lady,” but maintains that her approach made her effective.

“Having fits and everything was part of the game,” Moore said with a fond chuckle. “They never thought about a Black woman being intelligent, coming from a grandfather who was enslaved from Newport, Tennessee. They put us all in the same category. So I had to get down to their level.”

In April, Mayor Mike Duggan announced during his State of the City address that the newly renovated Dexter-Elmhurst Recreation Facility would be renamed the Helen Moore Community Center to honor Moore’s legacy.

“It was the funniest thing in the world,” Moore said. “Right out the mayor’s mouth, ‘She was right.’ And I couldn’t believe it. But he actually said it in front of the whole city, with everybody looking at him. Mayor Duggan? Hallelujah. I know I go to church for something.”

We sat down with three people who’ve watched Moore’s work for decades — former educator turned public relations guru Mario Morrow Sr., historian and journalist Ken Coleman, and Detroit schools parent and advocate Aliya Moore.

These interviews were edited for clarity and length.

What was your relationship with Helen Moore?

Morrow: The period was around 2002-2003. Ms. Moore always spoke during the public comment period. She was subject-driven and specific with the points she wanted to convey. … When I was the assistant superintendent and spokesperson for former superintendent Dr. Ken Burnley , I would always have in my briefing memos to him bullets about what Helen Moore was focused on so as least he would be prepared to respond halfway intelligently.

Coleman: I was a DPS spokesperson in the early 2000s when she was very critical of DPS’ state-appointed leadership. We had significant budget woes. Serious budget woes . In fact, one year we had to close more than 30 schools because of budget challenges and declining enrollment. Helen gave us hell — a lot.

Aliya Moore (no relation): I met Helen Moore at my first school board meeting in 2013. The Emergency Manager Roy Roberts was closing Oakman Orthopedic Elementary School . She heard us all speak and told me she was going to help us get the word out about saving the school. During helping us, she said, ‘People will help for their own personal reasons or agendas. People will come and go, but I’m with y’all for the long haul.’ She was so right — she fought the good fight with us until the end. She is the real deal.

What is one word you’d use to describe Helen Moore?

Morrow: Shameless. Most protesters would protest with signs, but she protested with professional and shameless guilt that you could not argue with. In her most powerful days of activism, she was a strategic mastermind of community involvement and bare-bones successful results. She got her way, one way or another. And it always benefitted our children.

Coleman: Accountability. It’s about accountability and public trust when it comes to government at all levels. Constituents must be engaged and informed. I know that’s what Helen believes — and she’s been doing for more than 50 years.

Aliya Moore: Unwavering. Helen Moore’s passion, dedication and fight for Detroit children is definitely unwavering.

Give us a fond memory you have with Moore.

Morrow: It’s difficult to recall a specific board meeting. I have witnessed, firsthand, board members and central office administrators see Ms. Moore come into a board meeting and almost s— their pants. She had facts and data that put shame on our educational leadership. She not only focused on academics, but the budget, transportation, food service, special education, parent rights and full transparency. … Ms. Moore had a mission, and it was a good one. I just wished there were more parents and activists who were like her.

Coleman: Too many to name. But I remember in 2002, she and others traveled to Cincinnati to push back against the state government takeover of DPS in a case that was being argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Aliya Moore: We were at a community meeting for the renaming of Northwestern (High School). People were crying and pleading their case to not change the school name. Helen Moore got to the mic and said, ‘Stop all that begging and crying. This is our school, our children and our money.’ The panel of decision makers were about to end the meeting and Helen Moore said, ‘We’re not finished. Listen to us,’ and yelled out, ‘Block the doors!’ I sat there and watched older adults and middle-aged community members block both entrances to the room. The police were called, but the meeting continued and the rest of the community spoke their piece.

What lessons should people take from Moore’s approach to activism?

Morrow: Continue to be vocal and focused. It’s all about the children. Do your research and stick to the facts. Don’t make it personal nor disrespectful to the board or administrators. And don’t give up. … Helen Moore is a true civil rights leader. Many — and I mean many — claim to be civil rights leaders, but she is the real deal. She is and always has been a pillar of advocacy for the children, parents and teachers of Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD).

Coleman: That one person, a focused person, a consistent person, can make a difference. … Helen almost single-handedly made Detroit Board of Education meetings more than a business-as-usual sort of public meeting. She questioned contracts. Who is slated to get the contract? Where do they live? Are they related to board members or DPSCD staff? Is this a sweetheart deal? How does that policy or contract ‘help our babies.’

Aliya Moore: That you are never too old to make a difference. Helen Moore has been advocating for education for more than 50 years. Along the way, many have passed away or just retired in the fight, but Helen Moore’s dedication is motivating. … Helen Moore plays no games when it comes to the children’s education in Detroit. She is factual, dedicated and consistent. It is an honor and privilege to know her.

‘Helen gave us hell’: An activist’s 50-year fight for Black students in Detroit · Outlier Media