Queen Mother: A Chief of Her People
Uncovering the life of a Civil Rights icon, Pan-Africanist and reparations pioneer
Eleanor J. Bader
When Ashley D. Farmer was a child, her mother showed her a series of photographs of 75 remarkable — largely unheralded — Black women writers, entertainers, athletes, activists and politicians. The photos were taken by photographer Brian Lanker in the late 1980s (and collected in his 1989 book I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America). Farmer describes them as a “quiet testament to Black women’s pride, character and even glamour.”
One of Lanker’s subjects was Audley Moore (better known as Queen Mother), one of the most influential Black nationalists of the 20th century (1898−1997). Farmer notes how Moore’s portrait radiated “regality,” and Farmer’s new book, Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore, is the first to fully dig into Moore’s life and legacy. It takes readers from the activist’s childhood in New Orleans through her political work, first as a follower of Marcus Garvey, then as a member of the Communist Party and finally as part of an array of Pan-African groups.
In These Times spoke with Farmer about her research — and the ongoing need to uplift diverse histories.
ELEANOR J. BADER: What inspired you to write Audley Moore’s biography?
ASHLEY D. FARMER: When I was writing my first book, Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era, I interviewed about 40 women. Almost everyone mentioned Queen Mother and her political impact. I realized that, while Moore affected many people, most of us knew very little about her. Also, whether you agree with her politics or not, she stayed the course and continually fought for her values. I see this as an important lesson for today’s resistance movements.
EJB: Tell me about your research into Queen Mother’s life.
ADF: Queen Mother did not have a lot of formal education and did not leave a written record of her work. In the past, many writers chose to steer clear of her because of her Communist associations, so there were few archival records. A lot of what I discovered was through word of mouth and, ironically, through her FBI file. Her file was the most complete account of her life I could find.
The feds followed her almost daily and recorded her actions: She talked to this person, she went to this meeting. They’d also collected a lot of photos, which gave me a broad overview. In some ways, the FBI was her archivist.
Her file gave me a timeline, so I was able to do other research to fill in the gaps. I spent a lot of time reaching out to people she’d known, or their families, and riffling through boxes in people’s attics. One connection, Emily Moore (no relation) — a former tennis instructor, teacher and civil rights activist from Roosevelt, N.Y. — had about 300 photos of Queen Mother and accompanied her on several trips. Some of those photos are included in the book.
EJB: What surprised you about Queen Mother’s life?
ADF: Her relationship with her son was complicated. It was interesting to me that Queen Mother had difficulties reconciling being a mother with devoting her life to the movement. I was struck by how reflective she was about this, how she felt about the balance — or lack thereof — between organizing and parenting.
This human side of her touched me.
I was also surprised to learn that, at times, she worked with moderate groups despite her radical leanings. She was part of the National Council of Negro Women, a respectable, middle-class organization. This taught me something. Her goal was to improve Black people’s lives, and if an organization did this, she would join forces with them to do some good, even if they did not align perfectly on every issue, she overlooked differences and focused on points of political agreement.
EJB: As you researched, did your feelings about Queen Mother change?
ADF: I came away admiring her not as an icon, but as a real person. After growing up relatively rich, she spent the rest of her life relatively poor to devote her life to activism. At the same time, she broke my heart when she befriended Idi Amin [the dictator of Uganda from 1971 to 1979]. I felt betrayed.
Nonetheless, like everyone, her life had ups and downs. I found it admirable that, even though she understood that the changes she’d spent her life working for would not be won during her lifetime, she still fought for them. She spent her life working for reparations, Black political power, social justice and peace.
EJB: What other lessons do you take from her example?
ADF: Queen Mother was OK with going to speak anywhere that would have her. Sometimes audiences revered her, and sometimes they were skeptical. When she was in the Communist Party, she learned to meet people where they were, doing the needed groundwork and paying attention to people’s concerns and questions. She understood that gaining converts required working at the grassroots.
EJB: What do you hope the book will inspire in readers and contemporary activists?
ADF: I see Queen Mother’s ongoing impact strategically and ideologically. For me, one message she inspires is to do what you can, where you can. Throughout her life, Queen Mother tried to mitigate the harm of white supremacy and assuage material deprivation, especially hunger and unsafe, unaffordable housing, wherever she could. But she always connected it to larger goals of Black nationalist liberation and reparations.
When she started organizing, most people had never heard the word “reparations.” Now, it is in everyone’s vernacular. She understood the slow build.
Finally, I think she’d be thrilled by the organization First Repair, formed in 2021, which focuses on advancing reparations through education and organizing. Some local First Repair groups work on bringing exhibitions to museums and creating monuments to Black luminaries. Other groups work with politicians at the local, state and federal levels. All are evidence of a million flowers blooming. Despite the current administration, people are continuing to work for positive change.
I think Queen Mother would be pleased that the movement for reparations is still relevant and remains a viable strategy for addressing racism’s legacy.
Eleanor J. Bader is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist who writes about domestic social movements and issues. She is a frequent contributor to Truthout, The Progressive, Ms., The Indypendent, and other progressive blogs and print publications.
