South Florida Book Festival

IN ‘1951 AMERICA’ TERRORISM WAS HOMEGROWN.

There were no foreign attacks on American soil. Yet there were twelve bombings targeting black Americans in the “Jim Crow” South that year. But the final bomb was set off that year in a small town in Florida. And it was heard around the world.

Harry Moore and his wife, Harriette, were murdered on Christmas night, sixty-six years ago at the hands of racist terrorists. Harry knew he was a target for racist groups like the KKK but he swore he would keep going even if they killed him. The Moore’s courage was unmatched.

World War ll had just ended but that was in Europe and Asia. Americans had never experienced the shock and tragedy of war on ‘home soil’. Americans, for a very long time, paid little attention to the persecution of blacks, despite the multitude of violent, racist episodes; not dissimilar from events in Nazi Germany.

And while this is the story of Harry T and Harriette V Moore — it is also a story for today.

With many questionable killings of blacks in America today, the racial divide has widened exponentially. Racial injustices of yesteryear relate directly to today’s current events. White supremacists marching openly in public signifies that extreme racism has returned in force, for the time being. Recent travel bans are in the process of rejecting immigrants and the current administration’s bullying of minorities signifies a segment of America is devolving.

The current right-wing government has created a toxic environment where an inordinate number of American citizens seem to support returning to a darker time in American history where being white was embraced with enthusiasm whilst foreigners and peoples of color were treated as second-class citizens.

This was, indeed, “THE BOMB HEARD AROUND THE WORLD”.

http://thebombheardaroundtheworld.com/

About the Author:

GREGORY MARQUETTE, a Canadian citizen working in Los Angeles, is a graduate of the renowned British Columbia Institute of Technology. He currently works and lives in Los Angeles producing, directing and/or writing for television and motion pictures.

He has been a Producer, Director, and Writer since his time at national television networks in Canada. His directing and writing career began in journalism and soon moved into series drama and variety television. Marquette served as a Television Producer/Director and/or Writer for CTV (Canadian Television Network), CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Network) and Global Television in network news and television. He produced, directed and/or wrote over 130 hours of network television.

Upon leaving the television networks he formed the prolific production house, Polaris Entertainment Corporation, moving full-time into television production, television commercials, and motion pictures for eight years, where he served as President and Producer/Director. The company represented fourteen Directors plus eleven Directors of Photography exclusively. And the company earned a sizable international reputation in television commercials, music videos, and film production.

Upon moving to Los Angeles, he commenced as a Director and Screenwriter in motion pictures and television. He wrote and directed the award-winning film about Vietnam featuring Oliver Stone and Ed Harris entitled “LEGACY OF WAR” for the American Veterans’ Foundation. He directed for Disney, a George Lucas and Lucasfilm co-production entitled: "INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF THE FORBIDDEN EYE".

With 26,947 entrants Marquette won "BEST DIRECTOR" award at the annual CLIO AWARDS; which recognizes innovation and creative excellence as judged by an international panel of advertising professionals. He was Director and Screenwriter for the theatrically released motion picture, "INNOCENTS", starring Connie Nielsen, Frank Langella, Mia Kirshner, and Anne Archer, which was released by First Look Pictures, Cinerenta, and UFG.

He developed a reputation as a Director and Writer for hire and was commissioned to write a science fiction TV series (90-minute pilot episode + 5 episodes) of “ICE PLANET” for Space Works Films, CTV Television (Canada), and producer Philip Jackson (“STARHUNTER”). He wrote & produced the television special called "AN EVENING OF GRACE" starring David Foster, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Charice, Brian McKnight which was broadcast on BET (for VIACOM). And he was Director and Writer of eight episodes of the television series, “FRAUD SQUAD”, for FSTV Productions and Global Television.

He shot "MONARCH OF THE MOON" for DARK HORSE ENTERTAINMENT, (renowned for "300", "PREDATOR", "SIN CITY", and "HELLBOY"). He was Screenwriter for Russian film Director, Alexei Uchitel at Rock Films in Moscow and St. Petersburg, (large-scale war movie) “HOUSE OF CHURCHILL”, currently in development. Marquette traveled to Russia to research, develop, and write the original screenplay for this international co-production.

Later he was hired in Tokyo, where he was Screenwriter of the international theatrical motion picture release of “OBA: THE LAST SAMURAI” (World War II drama of the invasion of Saipan) which was distributed theatrically by Nippon TV and Toho Distribution worldwide and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

He shot the Second Unit Action sequences and Directed the Aerial sequences for "THE DEATH AND LIFE OF BOBBY Z" starring Paul Walker, Larry Fishburne, Olivia Wilde for Millennium Pictures, Eclectic Pictures, Equity Pictures Medienfonds, GmbH.

He was Consulting Producer of "THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY LEFAY" starring Tim Allen, Andie McDowell, Elisha Cuthbert, and Jenna Elfman. He wrote the crime biopic “LICENSE TO STEAL”, based on the book and the true story plus the theatrical motion picture script “EL ZOMBO”, based on the cult graphic novel comic series created by author Kevin Monroe for DARK HORSE COMICS.

He was commissioned to write the three-part mini-series for Blip Productions of the American Civil War entitled "SHACKLED" which is currently being packaged by its producers. Marquette was Director and Screenwriter of the highly-regarded, award-winning theatrical motion picture documentary release, “GENIUS ON HOLD”, which was initially distributed by Free Style Releasing featuring Frank Langella and currently featured on Amazon Prime, worldwide.

Marquette wrote 4 television series pilots for production companies including: "SEDONA FALLS" (a new television series drama being produced by Amazon) - "BY ONE VOTE" (television political drama) - and "KEMPNER FILE” (television series action/thriller). "SEDONA FALLS" (TV series) which he co-created and wrote is being packaged, currently.

In China, Marquette wrote the award-winning motion picture, "BALLAD FROM TIBET", which was released theatrically in fall of 2019. He wrote the screenplay, "THE UNKNOWNS", and he is currently writing the mini-series drama, "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL" for Emmy-winning Producer, Peter Shakour.

Marquette's book, "THE BOMB HEARD AROUND THE WORLD" has just come out, to be followed by the motion picture theatrical documentary of the same name later this year.

He is booked as Director and Screenwriter of the action thriller "GIRLFRIENDS" scheduled for production in early in 2020. Packaging commences this fall for the television mini-series "STEALING LINCOLN" for The History Channel. He is also signed to produce and write the Korean War epic motion picture entitled "VICTORY" committed for production in 2021.

Marquette has worked as Director and/or Writer for the following production companies:

Zhang Wei Films, Toho Distribution, Nippon Broadcasting, CBS Television, Disney, Boss Films, Robert Greenhut Productions, Henson Films, Eggers Films, Planet Films, Worldwide Films, Shooters Films, Cine-International Films, Limelight Productions, Lucas Film/ILM, Partners Films, Cielo Films, Emerald Pictures, Millennium Pictures, PMC Films, Five Times Faster Productions, Boss Films, Greenberg Films, Protean Image Group, Barbara DeFina Films, Paws in Print Productions, Polaris Entertainment, Royal Pictures, UFG International Film Distribution, Adagio Films, Alpine Films, Top Cat Productions, Stage Presence Productions and more...