When you meet Dr. Ora Mobley Sweeting, the first thing you notice is her kindness. Soon after, her quiet strength begins to shine. She grew up in Monroe, North Carolina, where she was raised by her aunt, Mama Cora. Mama Cora was a pillar of the community. She helped raise 19 children, including Dr. Sweeting and her twin, after their mother passed away. She also cared for Robert F. Williams, who later became a well‑known civil rights leader and author. In their family, education and Black history were part of daily life. Mama Cora often spoke to the children about the struggles of their community, which planted the first seeds of activism in Dr. Sweeting.
Dr. Sweeting’s father was one of six boys, all of whom went to college, which was rare at the time. Their strong belief in education shaped her early love of learning and her desire to teach. This family environment taught her to care for others and to speak up when things were unfair.
Dr. Sweeting attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and after graduating, she went on to teach and moved to Whiteville. Following Mama Cora’s example, she “went off script,” as her daughter, Candida, says, and taught Black history, even when it was unsafe to do so. When the school board told her to stop teaching it, her students held a sit‑in to support her. This drew the attention of the Ku Klux Klan, and her life was threatened. She was arrested “for the crime of educating,” as her daughter explains. A group of Black doctors bailed her out, and she was told she could either stay in North Carolina and face jail time or leave the state. In 1951, she headed north for safety.
Dr. Sweeting moved to Harlem, where her activism grew even stronger. As a young mother, she wanted her community’s children to be safe, supported, and heard. She founded the Central Harlem Mothers’ Association. They worked tirelessly for nearly 30 years and focused on improving conditions around schools, shutting down unsafe bars, closing dangerous roads near school buildings, advocating for equal job opportunities, and making sure Black students were part of every important conversation.
During her time in Harlem, Dr. Sweeting also led the St. Nicholas Tenants’ Association, helping residents of public housing fight for safe, livable buildings and get access to state services like food assistance.
Dr. Sweeting believed children of color should be honored and celebrated. She created “The Pursuit of Excellence Pageant,” which invited students from kindergarten through 12th grade to wear caps and gowns and be recognized for their achievements. Every child received a “Certificate of Excellence,” because, to her, no success was too small to celebrate.
Her boldest moments have become part of Harlem’s history. After helping to rename her neighborhood school the Harriet Tubman School, she fought to protect children from speeding cars on unsafe roadways. When the city refused to act, she lay down in the street between two kitchen chairs to stop traffic. Candida recalls seeing her there, remembering a police officer stepping over her mother to arrest her. Sweeting told him, “When you stepped over me, you stepped over every mother in Harlem ... That’s who you’re looking at right now.” Her protest was a success, and the city closed the nearby streets during school hours.
Over the course of roughly thirty years (1960’s – 1990’s), Dr. Sweeting pushed for decentralization by serving on the Executive Board of P.S. 157, a local public school. She helped organize the first Decentralization Community Control movement so schools would better reflect the needs of local families in Harlem’s schools. Due to threats connected to her advocacy work, Dr. Sweeting moved to California in 1990.
Candida says her mother’s story is a reminder today for young advocates to use their voices. In 2019, after nearly seven decades away, Dr. Sweeting finally returned to North Carolina.
Dr. Sweeting joined LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines in 2023. Her journey has since come full circle. The strength she once used to lift her community is now met with care, dignity, and support. As a PACE program, LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines helps seniors stay independent and connected to the places they love. Dr. Sweeting’s story reminds us that when one person stands with conviction, entire communities rise.
Today, she is surrounded by support, community, and peace. Her daughter says, “I must tell you, Mom is aging backwards. She said, “I feel like I'm 16 … So, something wonderful is happening here!”

(Photo: Dr. Ora Mobley Sweeting, a part of the LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines community, has been an activist and community leader her entire life. Photo courtesy of LIFE St. Joseph of the Pines)