Darnell L. Moore
Darnell L. Moore makes being an academic, writer, activist, and university lecturer look cool. That's not easy, considering he juggles his duties as a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality at NYU and as a part-time lecturer in the Women and Gender Studies department at Rutgers University with serving as the director of educational initiatives at Hetrick-Martin Institute, one of the nation's largest LGBTQ youth-serving organizations. There, the 35-year-old is responsible for the development of the Sakia Gunn High School for Civic Engagement in Newark, N.J., where he works at the forefront of LGBTQ issues. Here, a look at a few other things that pique Moore's interest (Hint: He gets some of those cool points from his kicks).
Preaching from a different pulpit: I view my work as an educator, activist, and writer as a response to the call of the Spirit and my ancestors. As early as 10 years old, I dreamed of becoming a preacher. In many ways, I still get to “preach.” I just have a different message--and pulpit--than I imagined. I am a black gay man from working-class Camden, N.J. I have no choice but to engage in work that attempts to build up our communities. I have experienced a lot of different forms of oppression and prejudice and there’s too much happening in our world, wreaking havoc in others’ lives, to sit still…so I act. At the end of the day, I desire to see those who are marginalized, rise up, and those who do the oppressing, to stand down.
Most proud of: The day my mother told me that she had started her GED classes and that I had been her motivation for doing so is my proudest moment. She had me at 16 and my sisters after that. She worked hard to care for us and, as a result, didn’t take the time (or probably didn’t have it) to care deeply for herself. Now, at 51, she is focusing on her. And, I love it!
REFLECTIONS: Hometown: Camden, N.J. * First Job: Urban Youth Missionary for UrbanPromise, Inc. in Camden. * Advice he would have given to himself 10 years ago: Love yourself deeply before trying to love others. * What keeps him up at night: Wine and laughter….and good debates. * Words to live by: Chase your passion and everything else will follow.
DIVERSIONS: Currently reading: Gay Latino Studies: A Critical Reader by Michael Hames-García and Ernesto Javier Martínez * Last fun purchase: A pair of off-white Alejandro Ingelmo from Bloomingdale's in Soho. I got them because he is a dope ass Cuban-American designer and I wanted to look fresh while speaking on a panel at the BMW Guggenheim Lab in NYC.
PLAYING FAVORITES: Hotel: Le Meridian Philadelphia is one of the dopest hotels I’ve stayed in. When you first enter, you are greeted by a bar. * Getaway: Philly (I know, I know, kinda corny). But, I have so much fun every time I return. My family is directly across the bridge and many of my friends are in the area. I love Cape Town, South Africa, too. * Entree: Fried chicken from The Pink Tea Cup in The Village. * Cocktail: Coconut rum and pineapple juice.
