Judith Black Moore, President

Judith Black Moore is president of the Tarik Black Foundation and creator/producer of Taking Back The Future, the organization’s life skills program.

Her marketing and communications career spans over 30 years. In addition to serving as the director of communications for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for 14 years, she has held key positions in public, for-profit and non-profit organizations including First Tennessee Bank, Memphis City Schools, International Paper Co., Memphis Light Gas Water, National Civil Rights Museum and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. This background has prepared her well for her role as co-founder and president of Tarik Black Foundation.

Community service has always been her passion – a passion she instilled very early on in her three sons – Bilal, Amal and Tarik. She taught them that regardless of their circumstances, there is always something you can do to enhance another’s life. With this philosophy in mind, she has served on numerous non-profit boards and played key roles in organizing countless community initiatives and events. A 2001 alumni of Leadership Memphis, she is also a 2011 graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Citizens’ Academy. Appointed to Memphis’ Minority Business Development Oversight Commission in 2013 and later serving as chair, for five years she advocated on behalf of minority business owners in their efforts to be awarded city contract opportunities. With a BA in Journalism and an MBA in Marketing, she is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

She helped launch the Tarik Black Foundation in 2017 fulfilling a commitment she made to her son, Tarik Black even before he signed his first NBA contract. Their goal was to offer experiences that help youth avoid the pitfalls so often resulting in negative consequences for young adults. “We prepare young people for life. When youth are well informed, well prepared, and well rounded, they can make good decisions and wise choices,” says Moore.

Tarik credits his mother’s support for keeping him humble and spiritually grounded throughout his professional basketball career. She was adamant that he complete his undergraduate degree and encouraged him to complete his graduate degree before entering the NBA. He says that solid foundation has served him well as he went on to play for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and now internationally having played for Tel Aviv, Russia, Istanbul and Greece. 

Tarik Black, Founder

Tarik Black is the founder of the Tarik Black Foundation.

Boundless youth experiences shaped Tarik’s young life. His desire to give back by offering transformational experiences to the next generation was the catalyst for launching his foundation.

As much as he loved playing basketball, life experiences off the court were the most impactful in preparing him to be an accomplished young man. “There were experiences my parents insisted I have that shaped my values, my character, and prepared me for my life as a professional athlete,” says Tarik. He recalls the time his mother made him attend a science camp at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta before she would agree to him participating in the NBA’s Top 100 High School basketball players camp one summer. “I didn’t understand then why attending the science camp was as important as going to an elite basketball camp,” he says. Now, he understands all too well.

When he worked alongside his dad helping to renovate rental properties and hauling items to his dad’s outdoor flea market, he hated the hard work it entailed but realizes now the valuable lessons he learned from the experience. 

At age 15, it was a professional athlete that transformed his way of thinking about what success should mean. During an award acceptance speech Tarik listened to former NBA player, Magic Johnson talk about using his NBA platform to fulfill his real calling – a calling to serve humanity. Moved by these words, Tarik decided that night he wanted to do the same if blessed with the chance. It was at that moment he understood the power of professional athletes to influence young lives.

Tarik learned empathy and compassion through his friendship with an autistic buddy who he realized simply navigated the world a little differently. During his teen-age years, participating in Memphis Bridge Builders taught him to appreciate diversity. It was a combination of all these life experiences that taught him servant leadership.

 After graduating from University of Memphis and completing his master’s degree at the University of Kansas, he is now a testament to how positive life experiences prepare young people to become successful adults. “Through the Tarik Black Foundation, my vision is for youth in the communities we serve to develop into self-motivated, productive adults who achieve their dreams.”

While an NBA player with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers he offered free activities for youth in those communities as he has for youth in Memphis, his hometown. Now playing abroad, Tarik offers the foundation a global vision and is why international education is a key component of the foundation’s Taking Back The Future program.