ROBESON COUNTY, N.C.
PUBLISHED each THURSDAY
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Hew Recommends Enforcement of Civil
Rights Legislation Against
Robeson County Board of Education
The board meeting began quietly
enough. Item 13 was buried in the
middle of an unusually long agenda and
was simply listed as “Report on
information we have received from
HEW.’’
But what information! The United
States Health, Education and Welfare
Department outlined its grievances
against the county school system in a
detailed, 15 page letter to Y. H. Allen.
To secure a copy, this reporter was
forced to pay 50c per page to have the
letter xeroxed in keeping with policy
established by the board of education at
an earlier meeting when it was dictated
that 50c per page would be chargod to
anyone wishing to xerox any informa
tion from the files of the Robeson
County Board of Education.
WHAT ARE THE BASIC
COMPLAINTS?
HEW’s William H. Thomas, Direc
tor, Office of Civil Rights (Region IV)
outlined the grievances in a letter to
Supt. Y. H. Allen.
“...Our letter of August 21, 1975
outlined three areas where your dis
trict’s policy, procedures, and practices
failed to comply with the requirements
of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964...In two of these areas your district
has not taken action which promises to
eliminate the compliance problems...’’
Thomas stated, “We are forwarding
your district’s files to our Washington
office with a recommendation that
appropriate enforcement action be
initiated...”
One area prompting the chastisement
by HEW is in the area of faculty and
staff assignment to schools. The letter
noted that the racial ra'. d of teachers in
each school must be substantially the
same as the racial ratio of the total
district faculty and staff.
HEW was exacting and specific in
stating that ...“Faculty members will
generally be assigned so that the ratio
of Negro, Indian and White teachers at
each school will approximate the
current ratio of such teachers through
out the district.”
The other area where the county
school system failed to satisfy HEW and
compliance with Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act is in the area of assignment
of students to the programs for the
Educable Mentally Retarded. The letter
noted that “This is the area of concern
that we are calling to the attention of the
North Carolina State Department of
Public Instruction as well as referring to
the Regional Attorney for appropriate
action...”
FACULTY AND STAFF
ASSIGNMENTS
During the early part of 1971, suits
filed in Federal District Court concern
ing Title VI requirements for Robeson
County Schools. As a result of that
action, HEW has not fully applied the
intent or letter of the law in regard to
teacher assignment.
At times the non- compliance! has
been costly. THomas reminded Allen in
the letter that “When your district
applied for Emergency School Aid Act
funding, you were notified by Dr. Dean
Bistline, Acting Regional Commissioner
of Education, on June 2, 1973 that your
school system was ineligible for funding
because your faculty and staff assign
ments continued to identify schools as
schools for pupils of a particular
At the present lime, the racial ratio of
teachers teaching in the Robeson
County school system is 17% Black,
27%White and 56% Indian. HEW
noted in the letter that...“Based on
your current racial ratio of faculty and
staff, each group of 100 teachers in your
district would include 17 Black, 27
White, and 56 Indian in order to reflect
the total district racial ratio. This means
that under your desegregation plan and
under Title VI, it is expected that the
faculty and staff of each school would
include 17% Black, 27% White and
56%Indian teachers.”
HEW also charged that “The princi
pals have been assigned on the basis of
race. The race of the principals of 23
schools of the 24 schools in your district
continues to be the same as i!h race by
which the school has been historically
identified. The exception is at Green
Grove, formerly an Indian school, where
there is now a Black principal. This
school and Hilly Branch, a Black school,
where combined at the beginning of the
1975-76 school year into the present
Green Grove School, and the Black man
was named principal....”
The communique also states “There
is no evidence that you or your board
have initiated actions which promise to
result in the elimination of racially
identifiable faculty and staff before the
beginning of the 1976-77 school year.
“In order for your faculty and staff
assigments to comply with the require
ments of Title VI, your faculty mast be
assigned by no later than the beginning
of the 1976-77 school year in a non
discriminatory manner where the racial
ratio of each faculty approximates the
total district faculty ratio. In addition,
nondiscriminatory policy, procedures
and practices must be established for
the selection and assignment of princi
pals...”
THE SPECIAL EDUCATION
PROGRAM
The letter continues...
“The other area where your district’s
Native American Resource Center an Attraction at P.S.U.
policy, procedures and practices fail to
comply with the requirements of Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is in
the area of assignment of students to
the programs for the Educable Mentally
Retarded. This is the area of concern
that we are calling to the attention of the
North Carolina State Department of
Public Instruction as well as referring to
the Regional Attorney for appropriate
action.
“Your attention is directed to Section
80.3 (b) (1) (i-vi) of the Regulation
implementing Title VI. Further, as our
letter of August 21, 1975 advised:
‘When there is overinclusion of
minority group students among the
students assigned to a program, the
denial of equal educational opportunity
that arises from improper placement
rests more upon the minority group
students. Therefore, the improper
assignment of students to the EMR
program in Robeson County would
result in a failure to comply with
nondiscriminatory student assignment
requirements under Title VI,’
“Dr. Bistline in his June 2, 1973
letter, regarding your district’s ineligi
bility for Emergency School Aid Act
funding, mentioned previously, advised
your district that the placement of
students into an EMR program on the
basis of a score obtained on the Slosson
Intelligence Test constitutes an impro-
-er EMR placement.”
“....There is no provision in North
Carolina for temporary placement of
students into an EMR program. The full
psychologocal evaluations, including
the consideration of a measure of
adaptive behavior, are to have been
completed before the district- wide
EMR placement committee meets to
consider the appropriate placement of a
student into an EMR program, then the
parent or guardian is requested to
provide permission for placement. The
superintendent or the employee who
has been designated the responsibility
for the Program for Exceptional Chil
dren is required to assure that each of
the pre- placement procedures has been
completed in a proper sequence before
a student is assigned to the EMR
program.
The records of students assigned to
your EMR program were compared to
the state standard during our visit in
March, 1975. Our August 21, 1975 letter
pointed out many instances where the
EMR records showed that students
have been placed before the proper
screening and evaluation procedures
have been completed, and many
instances where the students were
assigned to the EMR program but were
denied complete evaluations before and
after placements, and instances where
the permission of parent or guardian
has not been obtained, or were obtained
at an inappropriate time such as before
the psychological evaluation or after the
student had been placed in the EMR
program,
“The report provided April 27, 1976
shows 674 students assigned to the
Robeson County EMR program, includ
ing 44 white students (6.5%o), 228 Black
students (34%) and 402 Indian students
(59.9%). Your district’s student racial
ratio is 20% white students, 21% Black
students and 59% Indian students.
Therefore, minority group students are
over included in your EMR program.”
“Because of the exceptionally large
number of students assigned to your
EMR program without complying,
either before of after placement, with
your state Rules and Regulations
governing ERM placement, and be
cause of the exceptionally large number
of students who were improperly
assigned to your EMR program for the
first time during the 1975-76 school
term, we are unable to accept your
assurance that there will be no improper
assignment of students to the Robeson
County EMR program at the beginning
of the 1976-77 school term.
SEE HEW CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
people
and places
and things
Paintings, arrowheads, miniature cabins, etc., are still part of
one section of P.S.U.’s Native American Resource Center.
Beads and necklaces are on display as beautiful examples of Indian"
culture at PSU’s Native American Resource Center.
By GENE WARREN
PEMBROKE — For tourists
or citizens of this area who
would like to spend an enjoyable
time looking at Indian relics,
artifacts and paintings of every
description, the place to visit is
the beautiful Native American
Resource Center on the
Pembroke State University
campus.
The Center, located cn the
second floor of PSU’s Mary
Livermore Library, is open
from 8 a.m. untO 5 p.m. every
Monday through Friday. Since
January, the Center, which is
spectacularly decorated with its
tapestries of colors, has had
1,200 visitors. They came
mostly from a radius of six
counties surrounding Pembroke
— and from such distant states
as Oklahoma, Michigan,
Wisconsin, New Jersey, Ohio
and New Mexico.
Brochures about the Center
are placed in motels and the
North Carolina border.
The Center has been open for
two years, but is constantly
adding new attractions.
“Our visitors have been
wanting to see an Indian war
bonnet, so we have a new one on
display from the Sioux
Reservation in North Dakota,”
said,Mrs. Pauline B, Locklear,
who is completing her first year
as director of the Center.
Other new additions are Hopi
Kachina dolls from the Hopi
Reservation in New Mexico.
One has a wolf head, used in
Indian religious dances, and
another an eagle head, used in
other dances.
The Center also features a
new display on “Strike at the
Wind,” the new outdoor drama
near Pembroke whose hero is
the famous Lumbee Indian
outlaw, Henry Berry Lowrie. A
portrait of Lowrie (a popular
attraction of the Center) is also
featured. Its artist is Gene
Locklear, Lumbee Indian who is
an outfielder with the San Diego
Padres. Locklear also has a
painting of Lowrie’s home at the
Center along with many
sketches of Robeson County
scenes.
For many who think “Strike
at the Wind” is the first drama
about Henry Berry Lowrie the
Center offers a surprise. It has
displays of two other drama
scripts about the Indian “Robin
Hood,” the first being one in
April, 1926, entitled “The
Scuffletown Outlaws,” written
by William Norment Cox of
Robeson County. He was a
member of the Carolina
Play makers. Another,
produced by the Playmakers
Theatre at UNC-Chapel Hill on
July 15, 1939, was written by
Clare Johxison Marley of Cary
and entitled “Swarnp Outlaw.”
There is a Lumbee school
register from 1891 and a
newspaper about Lumbee from
1919.
PAINTINGS
Other new additions in the
Center are paintings of six
famous Indians, all the work of
Gloria Lowry of Pembroke. The
six subjects of the art work are
Cochise, the Chiricahua Apache
chief; Pontiac, the Ottawa
chief; Tecumseh, the Shawnee
chief (a statue of whom is at the
U.S. Naval Academy;,
Sequoyah, who invented the
Cherokee alphabet; Osceola, a
Seminole chief; and
Pocahontas, known to every
school child as the Indian
princess who interceded for
Captain John Smith.
There are other paintings by
Ramona Hunt, a Lumbee who
now lives in Puerto Rico. One is
of Dr. Governor Locklear, who
was educated at Johns Hopkins
University and became the first
Lumbee medical doctor in 1911.
He was the son of Preston
Locklear, a member of the first
Board of Trustees of the Indian
Normal School (now Pembroke
State University). The Center
includes a photograph of
Preston Locklear.
Other paintings are on display
of Sitting Bull, the Sioux chief;
Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce
chief; and Joseph Brant, the
Mohawk chief, also by Ramona
Hunt.
The Center ha.s a collection of
arrowheads f22 boxes), valued
at $5,000, from North Carolina.
SECTIONS
The Center is divided into four
sections: Southeastern Indians,
Southwestern Indians;
Northeastern Indians; and
Northwe.stern Indians. Under
each section is a collection of
filmstrips, books, cassettes with
record albums, art, handicrafts
and artifacts from the many
tribes that live in that section of
the country,
There is a treasury of
inuseuin pieces about the
f-umbee Indians. "Wc have
acquired ail the material wc
can find about the Lumbees,
including copit's of documents
from UNC-ChapcI Hill which
date back to Ilic 1300’s," said
Mrs. Ix)cklear.
Mrs. Ixicklear, who earned
her B.S. at Pembroke State
Dniversity, has an “A"
certificate in I.ibraiy Science
and has done additional work in
Ijbrary Science at Appaladiian
State University and East
Carolina University, points out
OUR NEW TELEPHONE NUMBER IS 521-2626
OUR NEW TELEPHONE
NUMBER IS 521-2826
A newspaper is only as good as the
readership it purports to serve. Most
news comes from the readership. And
news is people doing things...observing
birthdays, marking an anniversary,
meeting classmates suddenly turned
older at class reunions, etc. etc. Just
people doing things, living normal lives,
taking part, meeting at church and
breathing fire about politics. People are
news.
TELL US HOW IT IS...
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newspaper is your newspaper. If you do
not read the Carolina Indian Voice, we
are shouting into the wind--no one can
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in your area. Are you getting married?
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father or sister observing a birthday?
We care about that. Is your church
holding a revival? We want to know
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One of our most popular features is
our ‘Letters to the Editor.’ Some people
get upset about politics, something we
said, or something we failed to say.
Write a letter to the editor. No cussing
please, and no libel. Don’t call someone
a #!%t unless you can prove it. They
might sue. Also, write and tell us how to
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A letter to the editor is better than the
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although our ego appreciates it when
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Your letters to the editor shcnild be
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lad that Unreasonable Oxendine docs
not exist. Even Reasonable Locklear
avows that they are not related. Your
real names...please! We want (o hear
from you.
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Simply write THE CAROLINA INDI
AN VOK’E. P''t Office Box 1075,
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- - .4
that for those desiring to do
research on American Indians,
books may be borrowed from
the Resource Center. She notes
that there "are 263 Indian tribes
in the U.S. alone, ranging in size
from 7 people to 125,000. The
largest is tlie Navajo Tribe. We
Lujnbees claim to have the
second largest (45,000) and the
largest group east of tlie
jMi,ssissippi River."
It is diffic'ilt to estimate the
value of the Resource Center. It
contains a head basher that is
3,000 years old. "Tliis relic was
found by archaeologists in
North Carolina and is valued at
$1,675,” said Mrs. I^ocklear of
the head basher. "We also have
here 6,000 other Indian stones
/roin Robeson Couiity.”
As one enters the Native
American Resource Center, a
handsome Sioux plaque greets
you with this famous Indian
prayer: "Great Spirit, grant
that I may not criticize my
neighbor until I have walked a
mile in his moccasins." After
examining the picturesque
Center with its wealth from the
past, one feels he has worn
those moccasins. It is a visit one
won’t forget.
CONGRESSMAN ROSE’S
MOBILE SCHEDULE
Congrcs.snian Charlie Rose. D-NC.
announced the Seventh Congressional
District Mobile Office schedule for .luiv
28-31.
Kip Collins. C»)ngrcs.sman Rose’s
administrative assistant and represen
tative in (he district, annt)nnced thai
the mobile )ffice will be parked as close
to each post office as possible.
HOKE COUNTY
July 30. Friday- HaefonI Post Office. 10
a.m. to 3 p.m.
ROBESON C OUNTY
July 31. Saturday- 1 iinihert'n, Biggs
Park Shopping {'enter. 10 a.m. to 3 p.tn
NCC
■■NcU
STRIKE AT THE WIND CONTINUES
THROUGH AUGUST 14
Strike at the Wind is continuing to
play before enthusiastic audiences. The
newest of the new outdoor dramas plays
each Thursday, Friday and Saturday
nights beginning at 8:30 p.m. The
outdoor drama will run through August
14 at the Lakeside Amphitheater at
Riverside Country Club near Pembroke
in the Red Banks Community.
Produced by the Robeson Historical
Drama Association. Inc., ticket reserv
vations and information can be obtained
by calling 521-2401.
JOE BROOKS MEMBER N. C.
INDIAN COMMISSION
Owen Grove, CETA director for the
North Carolina Indian Commission was
recently elected president of the
nation's first Regional Indian Manpow
er Planners and Administrators Associ
ation at a meeting in Atlanta. Ga,. June
14-16.
Among the stated purposes for such
an organization is to exchange informa
tion and program assistance with other
Indian prime sponsors in Region IV. to
upgrade planning and administration
skills for Indian programs relating to
CETA. and to present positive image
characteristics of Indian Manpower
programs.
The other elected officers were:
Henderson Williams. Choctaw director
for Manpower services, president:
Glenda Rackard, o the Creek Indian
Nation, secretary-treasurer, The mem
bers of the board of directors include
Joe Brooks, director of Lumbee Region
al Developments Association’s CETA
Project: Barry Hipps, assistant mari
power coordinator. Eastern Cherokces,
Cherokee; Charles King, director man
power. United Southeastern Tribes.
Inc., Nashville, Tenn.; Rneben Billie,
director manpower, Miccosukee Indians
of Florida: and Jack Smith, manpower
director, Seminole Indians. Florida.
"The implications for such an organi
zation arc enormous." according to
Frit/ Niggeler, Choctaw coordinator and
chairman for the first meeting of the
organization, "as this gives the Indian
prime sponsors a forum to ventilate
their opinions and wishes on a regional
level. The association has the ability
to matters concerning national Indian
matters, as .they relate to CETA.”
Among the first items the association
plans to fulfill is the preparation of a
monthly newsletter to keep each of the
Indian prime sponsors in the region
apprised of current activities.
The Indian prime sponsors in Region
IV are: Eastern Cherokees; North
Carolina Indian Commission: Lumbee
Regional Development Association; the
Mississippi Band of Choctaws; the
I-reek Indian Nation: the United South
eastern Tribes. Inc,; the Seminoles and
the Miccosukees of Florida.
ROBESON DEMOS TO HOLD RALLY
Robeson County Democrats will
hold a meet-the- candidates rally July
29 at the new Jaycee Fairground,
Rally organizers say gubernatorial
candidate Ed O'Herron is definitely
slated to appear, and other candidates
for state and county officers are
expected.
Tickets for the p. m, dinner and rallv
are $3.
CANDIDATES NIGHT PLANNED
A cordial invitation to the public is
extended to attend the "Candidates
Night" program which will be held on
Tuesday, August 3 at the LRDA Annex
Building in Pembroke at 7:(K) p.m. This
event is sponsored by the LRDA
Educational Advisory Committee.
Those who are invited guests include
the candidates for the Robeson County
Board of Education. Board of Commis
sioners, the state legislature, district
judgeship-, and county register of
deeds. Most of the candidates have
been contacted and have agreed to
attend this program.
An informal reception will be held
prior to the program. The
-suggested format for the program
consists of a panel discussion of issues
(educational and others) pertinent to the
upcoming Democratic primary election
in August.
If you have anv questions, voii mav
call 521-2401 or 521-9761.