Silicon Valley leaders are reeling after the sudden death of the Rev. Jethroe “Jeff” Moore II, a beloved civil rights activist who devoted his life to fighting for social justice and human rights.
Moore laid down for a nap a day after Christmas in his favorite chair, friends and family said, and never woke up. Moore was 66.
Moore spent decades leading the local NAACP chapter, with two stints as president. He stepped down last month when his family purchased a home in Douglasville, Georgia six months ago — after being priced out of Silicon Valley.
“Right now our attention is centered around supporting his wife and children and our mother,” his brother Rodney Moore posted on Facebook. “I know that my brother would allow all of us to mourn for a moment, and then get back to the work of fighting for the causes to which he so faithfully dedicated his life.”
Community leaders expressed shock and grief late Thursday.
“He was literally messaging me this morning,” said Rick Callender, CEO of Valley Water and president of the state NAACP. “I did not see this coming over the holiday. He was a fighter, he was a friend and he was faithful. That’s what I’m going to remember the most.”
Callender said the cause of death is still being determined, but Moore had experienced heart disease. He had a pacemaker put in earlier this year.
Moore leaves behind two high school teenagers.
“His wife was just shell-shocked,” Callender added. “They had just purchased a home. Once he left (Silicon Valley) he was never able to recover financially to move back here.”
Bob Nunez, who led the local NAACP alongside Moore, called him a true leader for social justice.
“He made time to help everyone regardless of the reason,” Nunez told San José Spotlight. “He was my friend, my pastor and my mentor. I pray for his family and know that he is still going to help us with the fight for justice everywhere.”
A prominent organizer and community leader, Moore advocated for countless racial and equity causes.
He organized a diverse array of leaders to denounce racist attack ads published by the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, then known as the SVO, resulting in the demise of the controversial PAC. He also helped establish Juneteenth as a recognized holiday in San Jose.
The reverend often spoke out about a lack of equity and opportunities for Black people in Silicon Valley — from housing to education and the tech industry. He worked on a successful campaign to locally “ban the box” — a movement to stop employers from asking job candidates about their prior criminal history. Moore also advocated for the homeless community, collecting coats every year for unhoused individuals.
“The sudden passing of Rev. Moore has shocked the community here in San Jose,” said Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who worked with Moore for decades on social justice issues. “During this tragic time, I hope his wife and children can find solace in knowing his was a life well lived in the pursuit of justice for the powerless and economic opportunity for the least of us.”
A graduate of San Jose Christian College, Moore was a San Jose native. In June 2021, he was priced out of Silicon Valley and moved to Atlanta with his family.
When the Great Recession hit Silicon Valley in 2009, the pastor said he lost everything, including his home in San Jose, forcing Moore and his family into a rental home.
“The whole market went upside down then,” Moore told San José Spotlight at the time. “I ended up losing everything. I ended up filing for bankruptcy.”
While Moore recovered financially, the prospect of owning another home in San Jose never materialized. “It’s about housing, jobs and education for my sons,” Moore said at the time, adding that he hoped to work on voter suppression issues in Georgia—and buy a house.
“Jeff was an amazing person. Whenever I called him, he was always there,” said Walter Wilson, a longtime Black leader who serves on the state NAACP’s executive committee. “The last 10-15 years of his life, he lived to fight for people.”
Wilson recalled an incident in which a teacher put a noose around a student’s neck. Local prosecutors said it was not a hate crime, but Moore fought back. He also led efforts to hold police accountable for assaulting protestors in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“He spent a lot of time in the East Side to get them to hire more Black and minority teachers and to make sure they don’t ban books that are important to our history,” Wilson said. “These are the charges he led. Who in this community is gonna fill those shoes?”
Scott Myers-Lipton, a retired sociology professor who worked with Moore on social justice campaigns, remembered how the reverend challenged San Jose State University’s president to join a workers rights consortium to ensure the university would not use sweatshop labor on its clothing. His words moved the university president to join the group.
“When he spoke, people listened,” Myers-Lipton said, adding that Moore always made time to join student-led campaigns. “He spoke with power and clarity, particularly on issues of racism, economic justice and police brutality.”
Sean Allen took over as president of the local NAACP last month, taking the reins from Moore. Allen expressed shock at his friend’s death — he was just texting with him hours before he died.
“We always joke around because he’s a big Raiders fan, so I sent him a picture of a 49ers blanket I got for my kids this Christmas to warn him what he’s going to see when he comes over next,” he told San José Spotlight. “He knew how to connect with people, that was his skill and that’s why people from every community respected him.”
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Susan Ellenberg called Moore “a tireless advocate and an unapologetic champion” for racial and social justice.
“He kept us all accountable for working to right the many wrongs inflicted on Black Americans over the course of many centuries,” Ellenberg told San José Spotlight. “Rev. Moore and I began working together years ago, sharing deep conversations about race, religion, politics and life generally and I learned a great deal from him. His texts and messages offered a voice of conscience in my ear and he became a good friend to me. This is a devastating blow to the entire community.”
Contact Ramona Giwargis at [email protected] or follow @RamonaGiwargis on X. Contact Vicente Vera at [email protected] or follow @VicenteJVera on X.
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