Newspapers / The Carolina Indian Voice … / Jan. 20, 1983, edition 1 / Page 16
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DOUBLE VOTING BROKEN! i ?; >?; ' . I APPEARING MAY 1, 1975 The question "Have vou heard from the suit to break double voting?" had become a form of greeting between Indians and friends of Robeson County. Instead of saying "How are you?". Indians would say. in greeting, "Have you heard from the suit to break double voting?" And from January 9. 1975 until April 23. 1975 when the suit was decided the answer was "no." But the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit sitting in Richmond. Virginia has changed all that. The court ruled April 23. 1975 in a unanimous decision that Double Voting as it has been practiced in Robeson County-is unconstitutional because it dilutes the vote of the county residents of the Robeson County School Admin istrative Unit. The three judges (Winter. Craven and Butzner) with Judge Harrison L. Winner writing the decision declared that. . ."the votes of the residents of the county school board gebgraphic area are unconstitutionally diluted in the election of the seven members of the county school board which the law directs to be elected on the combined votes of county and city voters. . ." The court of appeals remanded the matter back to the district court with the l * M. M. M. JL M.M. M. M. M. M * * * 4k * * ? * 4 instructions to enter . . declaratory judgment in accordance with the views expressed herein. We leave to the district court, in the exercise of its sound discretion, the fashioning of other relief. Ultimately the formulation of a constitutional method of electing members of the Robeson County School Board is the perogative of North Carolina. That opportunity should be afforded. The district court may well conclude to withhold further relief at the present time if an election is not i mminent and if there is a likelihood that exercise of North Carolina's perogative will be forthcoming. " "Double voting" is the practice in Robeson County whereby residents of Robeson County's five city units may vote for the membership of their own respective boards of education as well as for the make up of the Robeson County Board of Education. City residents have a "double vote." Conversely, until the appeals court ruled on the matter, residents within the geographic confines of the Robeson County Administrative School Unit (mostly Indian) could not vote in the election of the city school boards. The nefarious practice, in times past, had meant that the membership of the Robeson County Board of Education was made up of mostly White mem bers. Indians and Blacks could not be elected without the city vote which was seldom forthcoming for an Indian or Black candidate for the Robeson County Board of Education. The Robeson County Board of Edu ation has never had an Indian chairman of the fetolrd of education and/or an Indian superintendent of the county school system . Until the N.C. General Assembly passed a law in 1973 declaring that four members of the board of education would be elected by county residents only few Indians or Blacks could be elected to the board of education. To our knowledge, until the general assembly ruled on the matter of the four members to be elected by county residents only. . .two Indians in the history of Robeson County had been elected to the school board in the history of the county. Judge Algernon Butler, in the Eastern District Federal Couit in Fayetteville, where the double vote suit was originally filed had declared in a ruling that . ."a compelling state interest justified par ticipation of city board Residents in the election of certain board* members. . ." That ruling was appealed. But the appeals court ruled emphatically that "WE DISAGREE." And further said "We reverse the 'district court and remand the case for the entry of declaratory judgment and the fashion ing of other appropriate relief." The Indians were happy indeed! All those who sued the Robeson County Board lof Elections in the matter ex pressed pleasure at the ruling of the appeals court. The Indians who sued for Indians in the county on a class action suit were: Janie Maynor Lock lear, James Earl Brooks, Marie Lock lear, Curiey Locklear, Kever Locklear, Brenda Brooks, The Eastern Carolina Indian Organization and the Task Force to Break Double Voting. The principle attorney was Barry Naked. with able assistance from Adam Stein. The suit was sponsored by the North Carolina Civil Liberties Union. And the N.C. League of Women 'Voters filed an affadavit as a friend of the suit. Said Barry Naked, in a telephone conversation, "above all else we ought to give credit to Dexter Brooks, a Lumbce Indian who is attending law school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He did out standing work in the litigation and had ********?***???**?***?-? iiic fortitude to see the suit through.' Nakell also $aid, "f think, the decision opens up the exciting prospect of giving the Indians of Robeson County full opportunity to participate it) the running of their own schools." In area news reports local officials in Robeson County have been quoted as saying no challenge has been decided on concerning the outcome of the suit. W. Earl Britt represented the county and the board of elections in defending the suit. Reports have it that a test of the suit might be discussed at the next meeting of the Robeson County Board of Elections. Said one prominent Indian. "I am sick and tired of paying the bills for kicking my own self in the rear end. The taxpayers have been taxed enough. Every time they defend one of their racial schemes like double voting, the Indian and Black have to help pay for it. I think the suit has been tested enough. It is time now to get on with the business of providing an education for all the children of Robeson County." n , n < n i- ?i~ Indians Capture Voting Majority on County School Board The new political game in town is named "Waiting on Pembroke," Pem broke was the last precinct to report in balloting Tuesday. They reported at approximately 6 a.m. Wednesday mor ning. The radio broadcasters groused and one said, apparently in a fit of pique, "Seemingly Pembroke is inscri bing its ballots in mortar and sending them to Lumberton via donkey back..." Later the same broadcaster, who was unidentified said, "Well, we'll go ahead and give the totals...the figures should not change appreciably. We're not toing to wait on a few straggleis." Either the radio broadcaster was crazy or simply new to the area. Waiting for Pembroke made all the difference in the world. Before Pembroke's totals were announced, the Robeson County School Board race showed incumbant Shirley Britt leading the ticket and a possible three whites, three Blacks and three Indians on the top of the electoral list. It was not to be. When Pembroke's totals were an nounced, the school board tklly was shuffled considerably. Adding Pem broke's totals. Ralph Hunt, formerly a principal at Fairgrove School, was sitting atop the list. Britt had fell to third and two Blacks and a white were nudged out of the top nine slots. The new totals showed 6 Indians, 2 whites and 1 Black on the list of nine. Leading the ticket with an unofficial 36SS was Ralph Hunt. Tommy D. Swett was second with 3589. Following in positions of 3-9 were Shirely Britt 3314; Sim Oxendine 3249; Herbert Moore 3043; Lillian Faye Locklear 2986; Bob Mangum 2958; Laymon Poe Locklear j 2986; David Green 2855. Said one ' punster. "What a difference a precinct makes." DAVID IL GREEN V August 19, 1976 m SIMEON OXENDINI ROBERT (BOB) MANGUM LILLIAN FAYK LOCKLKAR L HARBBRT MOOM fa* * ? ?.* RALPH HUNT iS StflnrwMK'NHrw TOMMY D. SWITT awWWV9B SHIRLEY P. BRITT LAYMON P. LOCKLEAR i Old Foundry Restaurant I !2510 West 5th Street Lumberton, N.C. 28358 ?Pembroke Exit 1-95? Telephone | 919/739-9219 I ! Hubert Oxendine ) Banquet Facilities and Catering Service %? v ' * 4 ? 4T ^ ? ? . Congratulations To The CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE For a "Decade of Service." OLD FOUNDRY RESTAURANT ?Banquet Facilities ?Catering Service VSlC1^ ^90fc ^9/SK* ^??C5JHC f Charts ELECTRIC ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS AND MAINTENANCE Phone [919] 521-2922 ? ?HENRY C. CHAVIS, OWNER Pembroke, N.C. 28372 Congratulations To THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE ON YOUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY! ggC ^WC^WC ^aRBUR / ^ffljRRRRRRHRRHIRRi ! Congratulations to | I i i THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE | ! i ! FOR A DECADE OF SERVICE! jj ? K ' I "Serving Industry and Defense" j|| ! "*?= i PEMBROKE MACHINE ? COMPANY, INC. ! i I Union Chapel Road Phone 521-3411 or 3412 jj JF How Much \ N Entertainment \V^!\\ 1 Would You Prefer? X^^V^jj ? 1 Great Movie. WJ ? 1 Great Movie and a Special. \ | (XI Unlimited great movies, | *Wm Broadway shows, sports and specials. I jflbf Find Out Today Why CABLEVISION jj Si And HBO give You More Hit Movies, $ u More Sports, More Entertainment ! j and More Religious Programs J Than Ever Before. I * Call CABLEVISION OF LUMBERTON 1 | TODAY FOR CONNECTION TO THE ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE 738-2428 i Coblevislon j [
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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Jan. 20, 1983, edition 1
16
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