EDITORIAL: Primus Moore left a legacy
Dec. 28—McAlester lost another iconic figure who wanted the best for his community.
Primus Moore — the 39-year educator at McAlester Public Schools who helped start an effort to renovate his alma mater, L'Ouverture School — recently died at 75 after ongoing health issues.
Moore made a lasting impression on people after serving as a teacher, principal, school security guard and much more at MPS, but people will remember him as a caring person, education advocate, and vigilant community servant.
"All he ever wanted is for us to be the best that we can be," said Rosalyn Jones, the MPS Afro Student Union co-sponsor who said Moore was a longtime friend and mentor.
Moore also served on the community on the zoning and planning commission for several years, attended myriad community events, was involved with the American Legion, and much more.
McAlester Mayor John Browne told us he hopes to soon sign a declaration for Primus Moore Day in the city to honor his contributions.
"You hate to lose someone of his magnitude," Browne said. "Losing somebody like that who has made such a big impact on so many lives in so many areas is a hard thing — and besides that, he was just genuinely a good guy."
We agree.
Moore graduated in 1965 as the class president of L'Ouverture School, the public school Black students attended from 1908 to 1968 — when 115 L'Ouverture High School students integrated with McAlester High School.
He helped fellow L'Ouverture alumni Herbert Keith lead an ongoing effort to restore the former school building at 1401 E. Cherokee Ave. now called the L'Ouverture Historical Center.
Moore graduated from Langston, Oklahoma's only historically black college or university, in 1969 and started what became a decades-long career in education in Gary, Indiana — where he met Civil Rights Era leaders including Jessie Jackson, Andrew Young, John Conyers, Muhammad Ali, Coretta Scott King and more.
He started working at McAlester Public Schools the Monday after Thanksgiving in 1982 and was involved with the district until his retirement in December 2021 .
Moore served as assistant principal at Parker and Jefferson, director of Professional Development, teacher of adult education courses, music instructor at Parker and Jefferson, a classroom science and math instructor, and more.
He made an impact on students' lives with James Brown, the McAlester vice mayor and Ward 4 Councilor who he died on Feb. 2, 2021 while being treated for complications from COVID-19.
Brown organized the Afro Student Union in the 1970s before he and Moore remained heavily involved throughout the years — leading to the club starting the Brown-Moore Legacy Scholarship in March 2020.
Jones, the MPS Afro Student Union co-sponsor with Yvonne Allford, said the club wanted to honor Moore and Brown through the scholarship and anyone can donate by sending a check to McAlester Public Schools with "The Brown-Moore Legacy Scholarship" in the memo.
Moore left a legacy in our community and we believe it is one that will continue in perpetuity — from the renovation project at L'Ouverture School, to the scholarship named partly in his honor, to the kindness he shared with so many.
—McAlester News-Capital Editorial Board
