The Freedom of Harold Moss - Part 2

About this Episode

Episode 4 of Out On The Ocean tells the first part of the story of Harold Moss - listen to that first. Thenmeet us back here.

Recorded on March 14th 2016 in Tacoma, Washington, this second recording picks up the story from the early 1960s, and details the formation of the Tacoma Urban League; Harold's work with the NAACP; his route into local politics and the events that led to him being appointed Mayor of Tacoma in 1994.

Harold's own reflections are fascinating and affecting, and he speaks with such a passionate intensity at times - though with a laugh always just around the corner. What this interview also gives us is an insight into the political landscape of the city of Tacoma throughout his time there. And while that might seem, on first listen, like a very particular set of circumstances, what's most striking is how so many of the fractures in American political life that Harold describes seem traceable right up to the prersent day.

There is a treasure trove of material on Tacoman politics at HistoryLink.org - the online encyclopaedia of Washington State history. If you want a fuller account of the recall process that led to Harold first joining Tacoma City Council, check out this essay by Bill Baarsma - himself a former mayor of Tacoma:
https://www.historylink.org/File/22806

The audio interview with Harold Moss was recorded as research for the HistoryLink essay on his life. Special thanks to Jennifer Ott and HistoryLink for granting permission to broadcast this audio. You can find the full essay here:
https://www.historylink.org/File/20125

Harold Moss died on September 21st, 2020.

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Thanks, and see you soon,

Dominic