Mukta Pillai
Contributing Writer
On Thursday, Feb. 22, the History Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta, hosted historian and professor Tanisha C. Ford as a speaker to discuss her new book and introduce an influential — yet largely unknown — figure of the Civil Rights Movement. Ford’s new book, “Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement” introduces readers to the story of Mollie Moon, whose fundraisers helped support the movement.
Ford stumbled upon the name Mollie Moon while researching in the archives for one of her previous books, “Liberated Threads.” The name Mollie Moon kept popping up and fascinated her, inspiring the extensive research of many years that culminated in “Our Secret Society.” Ford began the lecture by introducing this research and the character that was Mollie Moon.
Mollie Moon grew up from humble roots, moving from Cleveland to New Orleans to Harlem in 1930, where she became involved with a group of influential thinkers of the time, introducing Moon to socialist political ideologies. As Moon became more involved with social work, economic inequality grew across the South, displaying a need for funds in the Civil Rights Movement. She founded the National Urban League Guild, which raised funds for the racial equality ventures of the National Urban League. Moon was president of the Guild until her death. She held pageants, balls and events of all kinds to raise money for the movement while also growing in fame due to the lavish and glamorous nature of these events.
During her lecture, Ford raised the question “What is the cost of racial justice?” allowing students to engage in the talk. Theoretically, justice should be free, a given. But in reality, especially in a capitalist society, even racial justice has a cost, and it is a huge cost. Ford emphasized how many of the charitable organizations that funded the Civil Rights Movement had agendas that limited the activists’ reach. As Ford said, “capitalism and philanthropy are intertwined with freedom dreaming.”
Moon and her husband stayed prominent as a “power couple” throughout the Civil Rights Movement despite allegations of infidelity. Ford concluded her lecture with many questions from the students, excited and intrigued by this unknown history.
Phi Alpha Theta’s president, Miriam Harley ’24, recounted her view on the lecture turnout. “I was very pleased with the lecture and the turnout,” she said. “I thought [Ford’s] presentation was engaging and informative and certainly made me want to read her new book. I personally think events like this are very important for students to attend, to expand their worldview and interest in different subjects.”
The audience was very engaged by Ford’s lecture throughout, asking about her research process and advice for seniors and juniors who are getting ready to take the step for their own I.S. projects. Research like Ford’s proves its importance just through the ability to highlight voices that would otherwise be forgotten.
Professor Adams, assistant professor of history, shared what brought students to the lecture. “Sometimes history can be imagined by students as boring memorization: not glamorous, not scandalous or interesting,” Adams said. “But I think part of the talk highlights the ways in which the kind of richness of human experience, including the kind of tantalizing parts, are also part of history. And those are intertwined.
“Nonetheless,” Adams concluded, “[Moon] helped influence and fund some of the most important movements of the 20th century, and [it is important] to be able to see a history where those two parts of human experience are brought together so seamlessly… I think it also makes students excited for like, ‘what are the possibilities of history?’”