Jelani Jahi Moore is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor’s in Media Studies and a Master’s in Community Planning. Born in Huntsville, Alabama to an art teacher and former nursing student, serving the community is in his DNA. While an undergrad, Moore embarked on a three-month ethnographic journalism project whereby he was station in the small town of Elba, Alabama and produced a series of articles highlighting the town, its people, and its passions. Additionally, Moore led his own initiatives to establish pubilc art on the town’s square as well as conduct the planning and execution of local art-based events to promote social connectivity. Resulting from his work in Elba, Moore was awarded the Newman Civic Fellow award in 2015.
As a graduate student, Moore was selected to lead a group of peers to develop a repositioning plan for the Montgomery Housing Authority in an effort to revitalize vacant property for the public good. After graduating from Auburn in 2022, Moore accepted a job as the real estate coordinator for the Montgomery Housing Authority where he is currently employed.
Outside of work, Moore has maintained an active role in his community as an event planner/organizer, public speaker, volunteer, artist and all-around visionary. Moore also serves as a member of Rising Gardens, LLC, a small business in Auburn, Alabama that seeks to cultivate food-conscious, ecologically informed and socially connected communities through farmer’s markets, community dinners and educational workshops. Moore assists with strategic planning, event organizing, content generation, and product logistics. In his free time, Moore enjoys exercise, running, tennis, outdoor adventures, reading, writing, film and time with family.