Mary Morello is the mother of American Grammy award-winning guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist, “Tom Morello.”
Also, she was the wife of former Kenyan diplomat Ng’ethe Njoroge, who served as Kenya’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1979.
Well, it might interest you to know that Mary celebrated her centenary birthday on October 1, 2023. Yes, you read that right: Tom Morello’s mom is 100 years old.
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Mary Morello |
| Age | 100 years old |
| Date of Birth | October 1, 1923 |
| Place of Birth | Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Teacher & Activist |
| Former Husband | Ng’ethe Njoroge |
| Relationship status | Divorced |
| Children | Thomas Baptist Morello (aka Tom Morello) |
| Family Relatives | Brother Inlaw: Njoroge Mungai Sister Inlaw: Jemimah Gecaga |
Mary Morello Biography
Mary Morello was born on October 1, 1923, in Marseilles, Illinois. She earned a master’s degree in African and Latin American/Peru history at Loyola University in Chicago in 1954.
After that, she spent most of the 1950s teaching English in Germany, Peru, and Japan and even traveled around the world on a big cargo ship.
Then, in the 60s (1960 to 1963), Mary lived in Kenya, where she got married to former Kenyan activist Ngethe Njoroge.
He was known to have fought for the freedom of Kenya from British rule during the Mau Mau Uprising, which lasted from 1952 to 1960. Later, he became the first Kenyan representative at the United Nations.
Mary Morello Civil Rights Movements & Award
In the 1960s, Morello was part of the Civil Rights Movement and the NAACP, which aimed to make life fair for everyone. She cared a lot about improving things for people in Chicago.
Morello and Ngethe broke up when Tom was one year old in 1965. Morello then moved to a small town near Chicago with her son.
She got a job at Libertyville High School, where she taught social studies and U.S. history for 22 years. In 1987, she quit her teaching job and started “Parents for Rock and Rap” to oppose music censorship.
She also went to the Soviet Union three times, traveling through Siberia and Mongolia.
In 1991, Morello and many others fought against a law called the Pornography Victims Compensation Act. They were successful in preventing it from becoming a law because of their hard work.
In 1996, she received an award for protecting free speech in the arts and entertainment industry.
In 1991, Morello began volunteering at the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center, where she taught adults how to read and write. She also worked with the Cuba Coalition in Chicago to try to change the U.S. rules against Cuba.
Personal Life
Mary was married to former Kenyan activist & diplomat Ngethe Njoroge. In 1964, she and her husband moved to Harlem, New York, and had a baby named Tom Morello. However, they got divorced a year after he was born.