Henry Lavell “Red” Moore Sr. is a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, as is much of his family. He and his youngest granddaughter, Alexia McDonald, share a Nov. 7 birthday.
Red also enjoys planting a small garden each year and “he knows how to throw down in the kitchen,” according to McDonald.
But most of all, he’s respected by his neighbors on what was previously known as Mixon Street. As of last week, that road is now known as Red Moore Street. Moore is the oldest and last living original resident of the street located off the Hwy. 42 Bypass.
The Rev. Bruce Betts, pastor at Logos Missionary Baptist Church and a resident of the street, said friends and neighbors wanted to honor Moore, who suffers from early on-stage dementia, while he could still see, enjoy and absorb the honor.
“What happens a lot of times is people who have passed are honored,” said Betts. “My philosophy is we give people flowers while they live. We wanted him to see this, be a part of this, so we could see the reaction on his face and it was a very good reaction and we’re satisfied.”
It was Moore’s mailman who slipped up and told him about the surprise, which included a brief unveiling ceremony attended by Mayor Toby Barker, Rep. Percy Watson, District 2 Forrest County Supervisor Charles Marshall and other city employees, family, friends and neighbors.
Moore was tickled to pull the black drape off one of three street signs that were covered up. As he pulled the drape off, family members came up to hug his neck and congratulate him, amid applause from the crowd.
“I’m excited,” said Moore, a man of few words. “It’s a big surprise – a big one. They don’t know me, but they know Red Moore. I feel good and I’m an old man – 75 and headed toward 76.”
A former employee of Hercules, Moore has worked and lived in the area off the Hwy. 42 Bypass known as The Brickyard and The Flats. It was also the last area of Hattiesburg to get cable television, according to Betts.
Barker said he was excited for the unveiling to take place on the last day of Black History Month.
“It’s very fitting we do this on the last day of Black History Month,” he said. “We said when we opened the month that Black History Month gives us the opportunity to honor those who have come before us, recognize the history being made around us and a chance to educate future generations of the contributions of the African Americans in our community.”
“It’s important to remember those who are pillars of our community, pillars of our neighborhood, as well as those who have gone on to national fame.”
Betts remembered Moore as “a pillar of this community for as long as I can remember. I can remember years ago when my father passed, we were great friends before then, but when my father passed, I kind of looked to him as a father figure,” Betts said. “There were some things about Red that really impacted a lot of us young men in the neighborhood. Red would go to work every day; he would be there no matter how tough things were. He was always a good father to his children, and that being said, a father to a lot of us.”
He said Red always opened his doors to people, helping folks from across the city. “Everybody knows who Brickyard Red is. If they don’t know, his name is Henry Lavell Sr.
“We decided to come together and rename this street, so it can honor this great man. I just can’t thank him enough for being who he is to us. This man means a lot to this community.”
District 2 supervisor Charles Marshall refers to Moore as “a very good friend of mine.” The two, who may possibly be kin to each other somewhere down the line, call each other “Cuz.”
And the men attended high school together. “We are glad Henry is here; he’s a good guy. Whatever he tells you he is going to do, he does. He’s a good honorable person.”
The process to rename the street went through the city’s Planning Commission before being passed on to the Hattiesburg City Council, that unanimously approved the name change.
“This will preserve history for future generations,” Barker said, “and be a real testament to the type of life he lived.”
Those in attendance, who wandered the street prior to the unveiling, had his or her own stories to tell about their memories on the street.
McDonald recalls a whooping she received at the hands of her grandfather.
“M y mother, (may she rest in peace) dropped me off at my poppa’s house and I was crying, because I didn’t want to stay with him, and he tore my behind up,” McDonald said. “And I never did it again.”
She also sang high praises for his cooking, especially the items he grows in his garden and uses to make pickles and other things.
“He knows how to make some homemade pickles, okra and stuff and has a nice garden,” McDonald said. “He loves to do that, but he also likes animals and has a lot of kitties he looks after.”
Moore said he grew broccoli, collards, and okra and cucumbers to make spicy pickles.
Moore had three children, two daughters (one deceased, McDonald’s mother) and a son, at least 15 or so grandchildren and lots of great-grandchildren.
“I didn’t make all of them now,” he said.
William T. Taylor, pastor at Beautiful Zion Baptist Church, said he had known Moore for years. “He’s a down-to-earth man and if he gets excited he’ll cuss. But he’s a good guy that you love to be around. All smiles all the time, just a good man in general.”
Tammy Jordan, a niece, described Moore as “one sweet man who loves his community, especially this part. He wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” she said. Jordan remembers hanging out in the neighborhood. “Over there was Miller Transport,” she said. “We used to go in the break room and buy drinks and chips. We’d ride our bikes. We had a lot of friends. There used to be a lot of houses in the neighborhood.”
Moore’s oldest daughter, Reveita, said her father was surprised of the honor, asking why they wanted to name the street after him.
“We grew up on this street,” she said. “A lot of older people are gone and others moved out, so there are just a few of us and we are family. We don’t have to wonder about crime or nobody. It’s quiet all the time.”
She pointed to a vacant parcel of land. “They even named that park after him,” she said. “In the summer, we’ll be out having cookouts and playing music. When somebody in the neighborhood wants to use the park they come ask him and he tells them they have to mow it, clean it up and pick up the paper.”
McDonald said they like to spend summer days at the park as well as holidays and when the Steelers are in the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately for this occasion the park was a little too wet to use for celebration purposes.
Following the celebration, Moore walked back down the street to his house, arm in arm with those who love him most.
