EDITORIAL ANO
OPINION PAGE
AS I
SEE IT
by Bruce Barton
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE
CHANCELLOR DEBACLE
They were all on one accord
on May 19, 1921. It was
commencement at the Indian
Normal School in Pembroke.
An old copy of the Robesonisn,
?' dated May 21. 1921 reads like
this:
"Speaking of people being all
in one place with one accord,
that is what happened at
Pembroke Friday (May 19,
1921), the last day of the
commencement of the Indian
Normal, the eiercises being
held for the first time in the
splendid new S7S.000 brick
building. So great was the
crowd for the morning eiercis
es that not only was all space
in the auditorium, which seats
800 people packed, but heads
were thrust in at every win
dow, and many could not gain
a vantage point..."
* After a full day of recitals and
songs and speeches and com
mencement sermons and de
claration contests by the stu
dents, including an impromptu
sermonette by Rev. W.C.
Moore (the first principal of
the Indian Normal when it was
established In 1887). O.R.
Sampson, chairman of the
board of trustees gave a
wonderful talk to dose the
eiercises. He urged parents to
keep their children in school
and on through the normal, "h
is a big job", he said, "to
educate a race", and he
, 'Stressed the point that time
spent in preparation for life's
work is never lost, that it is
better /to spend 40 years in
preparation than to be unprc
f paced .and make a falere.
"Herd is the Important ?
thing", he said, "teach child
ren to obey, to be truthful and
honest. Opportunity is greater
today than ever before. Every
obstacle seems to have been
moved out of the way. Since
1887, when the Normal was
established, till the music of
the hammers heralded the
erection of the splendid new
building we now enjoy, the
Indian race has been making
progress. The future will un
fold things greater than you
ever dreamed. You can't in
vest in a better thing than
education. Empty your pocket
books into the education of
your children and it will be the
beat investment you ever
made. The power is in the
brain. The educated man and
woman are worth infinitely
more than the uneducated..."
That was In 1921 and every
thing that wonderful man said
has come to fruition. The
future did unfold mighty ?
dreams. The Indian Normal
School ( now Pembroke State
University) survived perilous
times and in 1969 was desig
r naked a state university, re
moving the institution for ever
more from local control.
Bat the people still think of
the school ss "their school." ?
They know that the school was
begun in 1887 to "educate a
race" and the education con
tinues. Sometimes the going
guts rough. The editorial in the
Fayettevile Times Wednesday
hart very much. Entitled -
"Give Givens Chance", the
editorial waa simplistic aad
condescending The (even the
?yntai protested) piece im
pMod that we were screaming
not a Luaabee Indian. That is J
pore llama dang. That Is not
fee case at all.
^OfesM Is betide the point
isnpawn, a chess piece being
mned as BUI Friday works out
Mo hi* level strategy No. Dr
Faul Givens don not have
Mjjrfetag to do with our
loam. Mho DisR Brawn in the
Hf'Ns'fea Observer, in hie
kfenam "Capo Poor Country".
MUfr"ii
condescendingly chided us for
"Indian divisions". That is
pure poppy cock. Did the two
white candidates invoke divi
sion? What is wrong with two
Indians vying for a post? Is
there an unwritten law saying
two Indians cannot contest
for a position?
The complaint is not that
Givens is some thing other
than a Lumbee Indian. The
complaint is that two eminent
ly qualified Indians (in a final
field of four out of 84 candi
dates) were by passed. Either
would have made a competent
chancellor. But Bill Friday, the
Autocratic One. once again
has gone outside the state to
fill a vacant chancellor's chair.
He likes to name his own
people, and seems to thrive on
antagonizing the local people
surrounding the universities.
He implied that he was
offended by letters to him in
favor of the two Indian candi
dates. To me Bill Friday is a
fool, if that is true. God, in his
infinite wisdom, receives pe
titions from his people. Is Bill
Friday better than God? He
admitted to this writer that he
"received more letters for a
chancellorship in this instance
than in any since 1 have been
here." All the letters, accord
ing to Friday, were in favor of
the two Indian candidates.
Friday also decried the Indian
division. And I decry his
ignorance of the Indian men
tality. Indians have prefer
ences just like white folk.
Really!) What in the name of
God is wrong with Indians
preferring one candidate over
the other? We should be
commended for being able to
put forth not one mind you but
two worthy candidates for the
job.
Too. the local PSD Board of
Trustees (with a majority of
Indians) performed, at times,
ineptly, throughout the selec
tion process. At their last
meeting with Friday they
agreed (magnanimously even)
to support whoever Friday
recommended, although he
did not deem it necessary to
tell them who his selection
was. That was sort of like
buying a pig in a poke. As a
matter of fact, it is stupidity of
the highest order to give your
support for something when
you do not know what you are
supporting.
Mr. Sampson, in his oration,
said, in the 1921 commence
ment address. "Every ob
stacle seems to have been
moved out of the way..."
Alas, every obstacle but one:
RACISM I That obstacle is still
with us. The university is
predominately white now. and
Mr. Sampson would be shock
ed to know that two eminently
qualified Indian candidates
have been bypassed for an
outsider who is SS years old
and has seemingly moved ever
time the seven year itch
struck.
Too. it has now come to light
that the two Indian candidates
were never seriously consider
ed. They were cosmetic, to fool
us into thinking they were
being considered. And, at the
end. they were played off
against each other like banjos.
A reliable source has told me
that Oseadinc's references st
Temple were never contacted,
and that his interview wss
prefunctory. to say the least.
And. Friday was angry be
cause tb* ,oc*' board had the
audacity to add Charts to the
list of three recommended by
the selection committee. Too.
it is evident that the selection
"get even" with the departing
Dr, English E. Jones by
forsaking his seeming chelee.
Dr. James I. Charts Anywav.
??? ?isaw
?
they spent S20.000 flitting
about acting important and
winnowing the list down.
1 join Rep. Horace Locklear in
calling for the resignation of
Bill Friday, head of the
university system. The man is
autocratic and backward think
ing. Instead of playing thinly
disguised racial games Friday
ought to face up to the law of
the land or quit and go to
South Africa or some other
land more suited to his philo
sophy. A government woiJd
be derelict if h did not hold its
administrators accountable. 1
has been just a few years since
Indians were allowed to attend
supposed liberal UNC-Chapel
Hill. That is one of the reasons
PSU was begun: "to educate a
race." A resignation from Bill
Friday would be a sound
educational step for all of us.
then we could get on with
educating our race, whatever
color it happens to be.
MUSING...
by or
Reasonable
1
Bill Friday has
Boys, listen to this: Bill
Friday's wife is from ol
Robeson. According to smart
elecky Bruce Barton, Mrs.
Friday's father was a fanner in
the Back Swamp area for years
and her mother taught in the
Lumberton schools for some
thirty years. Barton says that
Bill Friday told him this.
If so. boys, that explains Bill
Friday's peculiar rulings
against our Indian people. 1
can't hardly believe the man.
He thinks like a member of the
old home guard when Henry
Berry Lowry was a running
around.
I don't know what we can do.
but I do kapw f)?nt we ought to
hollar out loud as hard aa we
can. IT en it don't change
nuthin. it will make you feel
better in gitting it out of yore
system.
An Editorial
Expression
Concerning the
New
Chancellor
We have thooght eboot H
long ?id luud. Dr. Pad K.
Glvena Md Me family moat
likely will be coming to
fa tore. We frmakly hope they
change theh mind and go back
from whence they came.Bat we
don't think that le going la
la Pembroke; net with open
anna, bat we welcome them.
And we hope Dr. Glvena
becamee a bloealng In die
qalee. Gad knawe there are
many tbfoge wrong with cam
Maybe, if he Uvea In
Pambreke, ether white pre
feeeare md admldetraleie will
Jdn Mm. Bat I daabt h.
Bat we mnet give hhn and Me
famly the benefit at the daabt.
Oar fight le not with htmi It li
with Bill Friday and hie
mkeleaa In Chape! HU They
era the cnlprttoi Dr. GHaaa
eknply applied for a Jab and
get It.
Bat we wfl watch Mm Mm a
hawk watchaa a tklihia. Wa
any lam wanM ha a Be, and la
my mom weaM ha a etmln an
am h ieklid heart. Wa da not
leadyfog ap la Mm. tf wa
devafcg a idmlaaahlp It wM
ha ana baaed an rnotnal
raapart, and b wM be aeotnaMy
THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE
PUMJMBD BACH THUNMMr
jpy ^ PAR y I tw
f.o.
*?
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
? 0
1 ? I
A PLAUDIT FOR
PRESBYTERIAN MINISTRY ,
Dear Mr. Barton.
Thank you very much for your
editorial concerning John Rob
inson that appeared in the
Carefca ImBw Veto of 1
March 1979. We share your
opinion of John and feel that
he is an exceptionally capable
and dedicated young minister.
We are so pleased that the
work that he is doing in
Pembroke has been accepted
by the people there.
The Presbyterians have need
ed to do something in Pem
broke. I am pleased to say that
some five years ago Mr.
Murphy McGin ot Maxton.
one of our Presbyterian lead
er*. met with the remnant of
the Pembroke Presbyterian
Church to plant the seed for
the ministry that John Robin
son is doing. The tiny con- |
gregation that wis left endors
ed the project enthusiastically
and offered the^actlities of the
church buildiatfWe are grate
ful that the propel has grown.
J
Thanking you4gain. I am
ShunJ^ yours,
Harris Stephens
Eiwitht Sen aiary
P.O. Bag 53392
Fayettevflls, NC2830S
A Nice Note About
Barbara McMillan Story
Dear Bruce.
I am writing to express my
appreciation to you for the
excellent newspaper article
you did on Barbara McMil
lan's program. The article was
well done and certainly did
present an excellent overview
of Barbara's program. The thing
that impressed me most about
the article was the fact that
you were not writing from
here say but had a feel for the
program. It was obvious that
you had spent time with
Barbara finding out about her
program because of the kind of
feeling you were able to put
into the article.
You will never know just how
much I appreciate the many
kind and helpful things you are
always doing for the Center.
You have always been willing
to publicize special events at
the Center, to do articles on
certain programs of the Cen
ter, etc.. This has enabled us
to keep the public informed as
to what we are doing and has
also been instrumental in
strengthening our ministry
and in gaining support for our
work at the Center.
Please be assured that I
appreciate your continued in
terest in our. work at the
Center and especially
grateful for yqnf illingness to
help us publioz^what we are
doing at the Center.
?
yillw swij 9
Betty Purkey,
Exec. Director
Community Center
Incensed at '
Chancellor Selection
To the Editor
1 will agree with you that
things are not much better
than they were in the 1800s.
Smoke may not be coming
from guns now as it was then,
but it is still here, in the
County of Robeson. The
choice of chancellor for Pem
broke State was made behind a
large smoke screen, and we
should send up the largest
smoke signals ever.
We have smoked the Peace
Pipe long enough, and if we sit
and smoke it with many more
decisions nka thljone, we will
choke to from the
smoke. The choice has been
made and this is not the time
to stop, when a few people
think the fire is cool, it should
be flaming more in the hearts
and minds of more of us. We
were told for a long time that
Indians were not qualified
Oh yes, we are now.
Thank you.
Cedl G. Hunt
Rt. 1
Shannon. N.C. 28386
booster Club
Extends Thanks
Dear Sir.
The Pembroke High School
Booster Cub would like to
express their appreciation to
Mr. Donald Bonner, guest
speaker for the PSHS Athletic
Awards Banquet held last
week in the school cafeteria.
We would also like to thank
Ms. Pattie Brayboy. Ms. Bar
bara Harris, and Ms. Barbara
Jones and the girls from the
Home Economics department
who did an outstanding job
decorating and serving for the
Banquet. Mrs. Rose Carter of
Carter's Florist prepared the
beautiful floral arrangements
for the occasion. Mrs. Mable
Zeigler provided the programs
for the awards banquet, and
did an outstanding job. Noah
Woods and Ocpanous Lowry
helped with the table arrange
ments. The PSHS cafeteria
staff did an outstanding job as
usual, along with the help of
Waltz Locklear and wife.
Jim Poorboy President
Pembroke High Booster Clab
Now accepting applications for the
following positions in their new medical
and dental clinic. Open August 1,1979:
Lab and X-Ray Technician Combination
Salary $8,000-$11,000
Dental Assistant
Salary $6,800-$7,200;
Nurse Assistant
Salary $6,800-$7,200;
Medical Receptionist
Salary $5,800-$6,200;
Dental Receptionist
Salary $5,800-$6,200;
Medical Records Technician
Salary $6,800-57,200;
Maintenance Specialist
Salary $7,000-$7,400;
Secretary
Salary $5,800-56,200.
If Interested send complete resume
Including all experience in your
soeciallzation to:
PEMBROKE MEDICAL SERVICE, Inc.
P.O Box 849
Pembroke, N.C. 28372
A
SEE MORE4LETTERS TO THE EDITOR9
M
ON PAGE 20
Slapped
in the
Face Again
by
Chancellor
Snub
i I
Dear Sir.
I am a native of Robeson
County: my ancestors settled
this area long before the
devastating advent of the
white man so I am a Native
Amencan-tttM't 'bout as na
tive as one can get.
I oftentimes wondered why
people label us "Red Men." I
lave now figured it out: Every
time we "Indians" start malt
ing a little lead-way the whites
"Slap our face (figurative
speaking)."
When we were recognized as
Lumbee Indians by the Gen
eral Assembly in 1956. local
whites changed the name of
Lumbee River to Lumber
River; that, my friend, was a
slap in the face. Could it be
that we are called "Red Men"
because our faces are always
red and inflamed from the
constant slaps administered by
our fair (skin) non-Indian
neighbors?
In 1885. after being denied an
education for 50 years, the
General Assembly appropriat
ed S500 to begin a school for
Indians of Robeson County; it
was from this SS00 appro
priation Pembroke State Uni
versity sprang forth many
Indians have experienced
growing pains in order for
P.S.U. to arrive at its present
state of glory. As a matter of
fact, the legislation in 1885
included a stipulation that the
local Indians would have to
furnish the building in which
the school would be housed.
Now, I read in the Fayette
ville Times that a white man
will become Chancellor of PSU
when English Jones retires
June 30. After overcoming (he
impossible 50-y ears-imposed
ignorance (the years 1835
1885 when Indians were deni
ed the right to an education),
the Indian people managed to
flaunt 2 qualified Indians for
the post of chancellor of what
used to be our school. To add
salt' tp the wound, of the 4
nominees fot^he post, the 2
Indians came in 3rd and 4th.
This, my friend, is a slap in
the face. Although I believe in
the Bible. 1 dont't think we
should turn our other cheek; if
we do the whites will even
tually advance to using brass
knuckles on us. It's now time
for us to take a stand.
This time, let's not sit around
smoking peace pipes and
rubbing our red and inflamed
faces. Let's join together and
demand an Indian. I say, the
new chancellor-to-be is old
enough to retire right now
he's 55, let's let him know
that we will not accept this
latest blow to our pride and
heritage. Let's petition all
levels of government, write
letters to our representatives,
make phones calls to the
appropriate persons, and
demand an Indian. Write
President Carter and ask him
if what he preaches about
human rights applies to Indi
ans of Robeson and adjacent
counties.
You may think I'm making a
mountain out of a mole hill,
but I think not. The last time I
was on the PSU campus I saw
nothing to reflect the univer
sity's rich Indian past; as a
matter of fact, the only thing I
saw with a dab of red in it was
the bleachers in the old gym,
and they, if the truth were
known, were closer to a rusty
orange.
h s pret,y evjden?: the UNC
administration wants every
semblance of Indianness eras
ed from the Pembroke State
University campus; if
Hurricane Hazel could have
blown the whole campus to
Lumberton with its devastat
ing wrath in the 1950s. I'm
sure Dr. Friday would not have
minded. The prevalent PSU
mentality would Mend right in
with our non-Indian neighbors
in Lumberton.
The sad feature is that when
Pembroke State joined the
University of N.C System in
i%i. many smiled--even the
Indians grinned a bit. I bet you
5-to l odds that only the
whites are laughing now (no
doubt behind our backs)
So, at you read this letter. If
you experience a tingling
sensation m your cheeks there
?s no need to consult Dr.
?rooks Your only problem *
that you've been slapped
again'
Noibmho. N.C. MIT)
Up from Dust and
Darkness
LCW Diuuni
3rd Century Artist
THIS TOO WILL PASS
BUT WHEW?
Study hard, they said. Study
hard. wort hard and sacrifice
whatever it takes. And then it
must follow as the night by
day. your opportunities will
come. But when one compares
the credentials of Dr. Joseph
Oxendine with those of Dr.
Paul Givens. or those of Dr.
James Chavis. either, for that
matter, he cannot help feeling
it was all a miserable lie.
Nothing will equalize things
between Givens and these
Indiafi candidates, for one of
them is white. And white
people-generally speaking ?
want it all.
Not ail of them. I dare hope
even at this late date in the
game. But most do and people
like Dr. William Friday see to
it that they get the lion's share.
For this, they are hailed as
heroes such as George Wallace.
It appears that Wallace has
found a faithful successor in
Friday who is currently on the
warpath against HEW. con
cerning minority require ?
meats.
One has only to read a (white)
news release by Dick Brown of
the Fayetteville Observer to
visualize this inequality. He
refers to Givens as Dr. GHvens.
but to Jones. Chavis and
Oxendinde without any indica
tion that each of the three is a
Dr.
I used to respect Dick Brown
as a fair-minded reporter with
a high degree of accuracy. But
he wiped out that image of
himself for me recently when
he wrote: "...it was a white
educator. Dr. Ralph Gales,
who first began to wipe out the
all-Indian image. But it took
English Jones, the first and
only Lumbee to head the
school, to complete the job."
For Brown's information, he
was referring to tws Pembroke
State heads, not one-Dr. Ralph
D. Wellons and Dr. Walter J.
Gale. Perhaps he should stick
to subjects be knows more
, about than he does the history
<< PSU. ? ** ,
Well, we toaik the white man
at his wont-hard work, much
study, great sacnfice-all of it.
When he kicked us out of his
schools, we built our own.
When we were not allowed to
attend the University of North
Carolina, we built our own.
Now. the very man who heads
the University of North Caro
lina. seems determined to take
over the fruits of our labors
and the rewards of our sacri
fice lock, stock and barrel-and
to shut us out in the process.
Old Main was but the opening
gesture to wipe out anything
and everything Indian at the
institution chartered by In
dins.
No. Dick Brown It wasn't the
all-Indian image your people
sought to wipe out. using
a so-called Lutnbee for a
whipping boy. They sought to
wipe out Indian odweadou.
hold I v confiscating our own
educational institute to do it.
Before William Friday wipes
out any image at PSU he ought
first to wipe out the all-white
image at Chapel Hill and
elsewhere in the University of,
North Carolina svstem.
--? ~T
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