Ms. Marjorie Wyatt Moore

There are those who operate on the principle that the cause and the nobility of the cause is more important than the paycheck and the size of the paycheck. Such a one is Marjorie Wyatt Moore and even the most cursory examination of her life and the record of her work will uncover high principle shining through the routines listed on a resume.

With more than 25 years of professional experience as a writer-editor, public speaker, community activist, teacher, administrator, radio host and producer and Drama Therapist, Ms. Moore is a distinguished speaker on issues regarding human progress in the areas of spiritual and emotional development, civil rights, women’s and children’s issues, civics, government and business.

Ms. Moore is best known as the dynamic host of three morning talk shows, Talk Back, Talk Moore, and Sunrise, that aired from 1992-2001 on WBAI Pacifica Radio (99.5 FM) in New York City. The shows covered a range of topics that included spiritual growth, art, civil rights, environmental issues, literature, and politics. With a focus on practical spirituality and its uses in overcoming inner barriers to growth in politics and community affairs and an interactive call-in format, the shows generated a large, responsive audience of listeners around the world. Though no longer affiliated with WBAI, Ms. Moore remains passionate about the topics and guests that she was able to bring to her listeners through the three programs she hosted.

One of Ms. Moore’s earliest experiences was working at age 23, for Dore Schary, the prominent Hollywood producer, who became New York City’s Commissioner of Cultural Affairs. In that capacity, he was instrumental in obtaining a site and raising funds to build what was then the new Schomburg Library Center, that today houses the largest collection of black historical documents in the world. Marjorie credits a great deal of her political astuteness to having been Mr. Schary’s representative and partner in securing the Schomburg Library ‘s status in Harlem. During Marjorie’s tenure with Dore, he was head of the National Anti-Defamation League and shared many important social change ideals through speeches, letters and conversations that motivated Marjorie to continue to work toward social justice for all.

In the early 70's Ms. Moore was a writer for Essence, when the magazine was still in its infancy, a time when the corporate impulse to make a profit was secondary to the struggle of Black Women to have a voice. Ms. Moore rose through the ranks at the new magazine and before leaving had become its assistant managing editor and the creator and writer of the popular Essence magazine column, The Essence Woman, which continues today.

In 1978, Ms. Moore became Assistant Director of Women’s Affairs, for the National Urban League. In this role she helped administer what was, at that time, the nation’s largest federally funded employment and training program, which focused on increasing the number of women and minorities in trade unions and non traditional jobs. Ms. Moore received numerous awards for her motivational speaking in various cities about the opportunities for increased pay and upward mobility available to women who are willing to work in non traditional jobs.

In 1992 Ms. Moore founded and for 3 years directed the activities of the Harlem Lead Poisoning Prevention Project, at Hunter College, which was engaged in the important work of organizing and alerting community parents to the devastating, long term, and irreversible effects of lead poison on young children. During the mayoral tenure of David Dinkins, Ms. Moore chaired the Outreach Sub-Committee of the Mayor’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Committee, and wrote its first manual on outreach to communities. At the same time, she was director of the Community Environmental Health Center, based at Hunter College, in New York City, where she worked vigorously in the struggle to control pollution and reclaim the dignity of the environment. In these tireless efforts Ms. Moore worked locally as a member of Community Board 9 in Manhattan, and traveled extensively in the cause of lead poisoning prevention and environmental justice, to testify in Washington, D.C., before the appropriate congressional committees.

Ms. Moore worked in the offices of three New York City mayors – Lindsay, Koch, and Dinkins. In each instance, she served on an influential committee concerned with social and/or environmental justice. Moreover, during her tenure with the Koch Administration, Ms. Moore was assigned to cover the Landmarks Preservation Committee, at that time chaired by Gene Norman. She was also the writer/editor of the mayor’s community outreach newsletter, well known locally as, The Little Blue Newsletter. An in-depth profile of a city agency was featured each month and readers received valuable information about mayoral activities.

Ms. Moore has worked extensively in spiritual healing, speaking on motivational and spiritual topics and administering workshops and seminars in self development across the country, for more than 20 years. Formalizing these activities in 1992, she created and hosted Dimensions in Growth, (DIG), which continues to produce brochures, films, workshops and promote new techniques in self development.

Marjorie also credits her many years involved with 12 Step Programs as saving her life and broadening her capacity to live a spiritually focused life. Inspiration also comes from Marjorie’s extensive work in the prison system, attending weekly to work with men on meditation techniques and motivating them to view the experience from another more positive perspective, with homeless families who had been burned out and/or evicted and for the most part were women and children, lead poisoned children and pregnant teenagers. But most of her inspiration is derived from her own personal struggles and the lessons learned, along with the incredible opportunities she has had to share with others.

These experiences are especially poignant when contrasted with Ms. Moore’s work at Sotheby Parke Bernet Galleries in NYC; her work with Dore Schary, the Hollywood producer; the National Urban League; and her association with the late Bella Abzug, New York congresswoman, who invited Ms. Moore to join her delegation to the 1994 World Environmental Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Much of Ms. Moore’s success on air, in seminars, and workshops, has been ascribed to her “commanding, yet mellifluous voice,” which carries the topics of spirituality, self-examination, growth and service to listeners in a way that makes a profound and lasting impression.

Ms. Moore was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Brooklyn and East Elmhurst, Queens, New York. She has three children and currently resides in Harlem.

Ms. Moore can be reached at talktomarjorie@aol.com.