EDUCATOR COMMITTED HIS WORK TO EQUITY
Vernon Moore’s career dedicated to lives of students
Excellence and passion. These two words define the life and work of San Diego native Richard Vernon Moore more than any others that come to mind. At a time when we appropriately focus on the many ways our nation has made success an elusive dream for generations of African Americans, the story of generations of Moores is one of tremendous accomplishment.
Moore grew up in San Diego and despite his parents first being turned away from Allied Gardens in the late 1960s, they ultimately purchased a home in San Carlos, near Patrick Henry High School, where Vernon would move through the public schools to graduate as a Patriot. The son of a dentist and an elementary school principal, Moore’s early life was shaped by the time he spent in his immediate neighborhood as well as by the experiences he had around the Southeast Medical Center that his father, Gene Moore, co-founded — near community landmarks such as the Elementary Institute of Science and the Jackie Robinson YMCA.
He developed a sense of purpose seeing the variation in his world. So when he headed to UCLA to begin what has become nearly 25 years in education, it was no surprise that a commitment to equity animated his journey — a passionate commitment to equity.
Sitting with Moore and talking about why he chose to quickly return to the San Diego community he loves so much after graduating from college, it was immediately clear that his passion for what he calls the “beautiful diversity” of San Diego runs deep. He spoke about taking his children and other students to experience cultural ceremonies of the Kumeyaay Band of Indian Tribes and exposing young people to the languages and cultures of dozens of countries all from the City Heights community, where his wife, Gwen, is also an educator. These examples of beauty are as much a part of Vernon’s San Diego as the natural beauty that makes San Diego an international desti