As we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded that the Civil Rights Movement was not only a national story but it shaped the lives of Central students, who would go on to become leaders in our city and beyond.
George Mosee Jr, Esq. (232), attended Central during the civil rights era and went on to serve as a prosecutor for almost 30 years before becoming Executive Director of the Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network.
Today George serves as a board member for the AACHS and as the chiar of the Hall of Fame committee.
What was it like to be a young person in Philadelphia during the civil rights era, and how did that time impact you personally?
What was it like to be a young person in Philadelphia during the civil rights era, and how did that time impact you personally?
I have vivid memories of historical events being televised live almost on a daily basis. The evening news highlighted the actions of the era’s prominent governmental figures like John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover and George Wallace. Juxtaposed with those figures were the civilian civil rights leaders and organizations. It’s not hyperbole to say that the men and women who stood up to racism during the 50s and 60s risked their lives for the cause. Lynchings, bombings, shootings and beatings were the all too frequent response to the bravery I saw from so many. However, even before his murder in 1968, the courage demonstrated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had the greatest impact on me. He intentionally put himself in harm’s way while committing to never respond to violence with violence. Watching him and his followers get blasted with water from a fireman’s hose, mauled by dogs, spat upon, kicked, punched and dragged are images I will never forget. I will also never forget that none of them physically fought back.
How have civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired your approach to leadership, public service, or advocacy? Dr. King’s courage and the fidelity with which he executed his mission, especially regarding the strategic use of non-violence, and his work to unite disenfranchised communities have greatly influenced the choices I have made in leadership and public life. As a prosecutor for over 28 years and in my current role with the Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network (PAAN), the focus has been on promoting public safety. Prevention is the best way to secure public safety. My work in the District Attorney’s Office emphasized community involvement. We worked to mobilize communities, creating partnerships between residents, law enforcement, social/religious institutions, and businesses. We also addressed those who were or potentially could be part of the problem and provided, among other instruction, deescalation training. The goal was to decrease the need to ever prosecute anyone. Likewise, the work at PAAN concentrates on mobilizing the neighborhoods hardest hit by violence. Some may be ready to give up on these areas, but PAAN knows that in even the most violent parts of the city most of the residents want peace. We also recognize that most potential offenders ultimately welcome an alternative to their violent lifestyle. We offer and support non-violent solutions while advocating for substantive change. I believe these strategies mirror what Dr. King recognized to be requisites for healthy communities.
What was your experience as a Central student, and in what ways did Central shape your commitment to building safer and more just communities? Philadelphia was very segregated from 1969 – 1973, my high school years, but Central was and continues to be a melting pot. The student body was made up of all kinds of people, but I learned early on that our differences were of no consequence compared to what we had in common. The Central experience wouldn’t allow the hate promulgated by so many in the United States to prevail. We were very much like the gathering of people Dr. King referenced in his I have a Dream speech:
When we allow freedom to ring—when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, We are free at last.”
Central left me with an optimism that has stayed with me about our potential to co-exist in peace and prosperity. That’s what we’re working for.
