Mario Van Peebles has set his latest film “The Price for Freedom,” which tells the story of civil rights pioneers and NAACP organizers Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, who were instrumental in advancing the cause for Black voters in Florida.
The Moores’ story is described as “equal parts civil rights history and a personal tale of love, commitment and family,” as it chronicles the activists’ fight for voting rights and the equalization of pay for Black teachers in Florida, as well as their battle against racial violence and lynching.
After opening 64 chapters of the NAACP in the state (beginning with the Brevard County office in 1934, of which Harry Moore eventually became president) and registering hundreds of thousands of Black voters, the Moores were murdered on Dec. 25, 1951, when a bomb exploded directly under their bedroom at their home on the outskirts of Mims, Fla.
“It was their attempted defense alongside the young Thurgood Marshall (destined to become the first Black Supreme Court justice) of the ‘Groveland Four,’ four young African American men accused of rape” that got them killed, a synopsis of the film explains. The bombing occurred on the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary.
“Harry T. Moore died on his way to the hospital in Sanford, Fla. in a car being driven by his brother-in-law, George Simms. Harriette’s death came nine days later, just after saying final goodbyes to her husband at the mortuary,” the synopsis reads. “Their deaths might have been spared would they have been taken to a white hospital that was nearby, but instead they had to travel hours away to the nearest Black hospital.”
Van Peebles directs “The Price for Freedom” from a screenplay by John DiDonna and Walter T. Shaw, who produces the project for his Top Cat II Productions.
“We’re so honored to have the opportunity to tell this story and memorialize what happened in history which paved the way for today’s Black voter rights,” states Shaw. The producer uncovered the Moores’ story and commissioned the 2019 book “The Bomb Heard Around the World” to share it. He and DiDonna then developed the screenplay.
In addition to directing the film, Van Peebles will portray Harry Moore opposite Broadway veteran Aisha Jackson (“once Upon a One More Time,” “Frozen” and “Waitress”) as Harriette. Rounding out the cast are Harry Lennix (“The Blacklist,” “The Matrix,” “Batman vs. Superman”) portraying Thurgood Marshall, Emmy winner Keith David (“Greenleaf,” “American Fiction”) as Reverend J.W. Bruno and Kevin Sorbo playing Sheriff McCall.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin L. Crump has also signed on as one of the film’s producers, offering his insights to bridge the gap from the project’s historical perspective to today’s cases. “The Price for Freedom” will also feature music by Grammy winner Mervyn Warren (“The Preacher’s Wife,” “Sister Act 2,” “The Wedding Planner”) and set design by Jerry Blohm (“The Last of the Mohicans.”).
The film will shoot in January in the Fort Lauderdale area.
