Remembering Bob Moses, 1935–2021

July 27, 2021 11:22 AM

His leadership ushered in alternative conceptions of gender, race, and political power that would, eventually, shake the world.
posted by Ahmad Khani (16 comments total)

Statement from the Algebra Project.

Statement from the American Mathematical Society:

Robert P. “Bob” Moses, a leader in mathematics and civil rights, passed away yesterday. He made tremendous contributions to equity and justice in math education and displayed an unwavering commitment to math education as a civil right. His death is a huge loss for the community, and we will miss him greatly.

Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Moses endured intimidation and violence to educate and register Black voters in Mississippi during the 1960s. He then taught mathematics in Tanzania for seven years. During a MacArthur Fellowship in 1982-1987, he founded the Algebra Project, which “uses mathematics literacy as an organizing tool to guarantee quality public school education for all children” in the U.S. Moses considered the access to quality mathematics education to be a civil right, as a direct extension of his earlier activism. The Algebra Project’s trainings have reached hundreds of classrooms nationwide. Moses was a co-author of two books on civil rights and mathematics education. Earlier in 2021, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A memorial tribute to Moses will appear in a future issue of Notices of the AMS.

posted by eviemath at 12:42 PM on July 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

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posted by saturday_morning at 2:12 PM on July 27, 2021

An absolute fucking giant. So sad to watch these heroes pass. But also makes me proud to just be part of the human race. I've been reading the Barbara Ransby Ella Baker biography and I'm just getting into the chapter about the founding of SNCC. Moses is described as such an amazing person. A working class intellectual, a New Yorker who eagerly left the city to come to the South and work side by side with sharecroppers. A deeply principled young man with humility and intellectual curiosity.
posted by latkes at 2:33 PM on July 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

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posted by Lawn Beaver at 3:50 PM on July 27, 2021

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posted by JoeXIII007 at 4:04 PM on July 27, 2021

I know of Bob Moses only through a recent reading of the Taylor Branch trilogy, and he clearly comes through that as the only figure of a crowd of extraordinary figures who meets or exceeds the greatness of King (warts and all). A true moral giant.
posted by hwestiii at 5:33 PM on July 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

This is a man that everyone in America should know about. He was every bit as important as Rosa Parks or MLK. His legacy is just that important.

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posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 7:31 PM on July 27, 2021 [2 favorites]

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posted by filtergik at 3:13 AM on July 28, 2021

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posted by adekllny at 9:00 AM on July 28, 2021

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posted by Sreiny at 10:04 AM on July 28, 2021

They should name a highway after him.
posted by kevinbelt at 1:19 PM on July 28, 2021

Different Robert Moses.
posted by latkes at 3:13 PM on July 28, 2021

I know, that’s the joke.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:09 PM on July 28, 2021

This one seems more deserving though.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:09 PM on July 28, 2021

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posted by detachd at 4:11 AM on July 29, 2021

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posted by LobsterMitten at 3:13 PM on July 31, 2021