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Established January 18. 1973, Published Each Thursday f r
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1 Pembroke, N.C. "Building Communicative Bridges In A Tri-Racial Setting" Robeson County
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VOLUME 17 NUMBER 13 THURSDAY. MARCH 30. 1989 Pfcn LUfr
'
? Memorial Service for Godwin and Pierce Uplifting
JOHN L. G0VU1N
by Coitnee Bmyboy
During the Easter Weekend, u
the Klu Klux Klmn was ftaging
Sri arches in surrounding counties, the
Concerned Citizens of Robeson
County sponsored a memorial ser
vice. The service was for John L?
Godwin and Julian Pierce and the
Victims of violent death in Robeson
County, NC. The event was held at
jB
-
Pro#poet United Memoaisi VUUlVll
on Monday night, March 27.
Special musk was rendered by the
J.J. Johnson Choir of First Baptist
Church, Fairmont. Invocation was bj
the Rev. Bob Man gum, pastor of the
host church. The purpose of the
service was stated by Dr. Joy
Johnson, pastor of First Baptist
Church in Fairmont and Chairperson
of the Concerned Citisens for Better
Government. Dr. Johnson began the
service in an uplifting manner. He
reminded those in attendance that all
is not well in Robeson County and
that the Klu Klux Klan was
apparently testing the waters around
Robeson County. Yet, at the same
time there was much hope for the
county's citizens. He urged those in
attendance to do their part to speak
out against injustices and work
toward non violent change.
The scripture reading was by
Henry Smith who is a member of the
board of directors of the .
Center for Community Action. He
took his test bom Micah 6:8 stating
that he felt the scripture was a
testament to the lives of Godwin and
Pierce. "He has shown you, 0 man,
what is good: and what does the Lord
require of you but to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with your
God?"
Micah 6:8
Trie Rev. Mae Legerton played a
song recorded by John L Godwin in
1974. "In Times Like These."
Afterwards, Rev. Legerton delivered
the tribute to John L. Godwin. He <
reminded the audience that Mr. ?'
Godwin had become known in the I
county for his sharp and critical
letters to the editor. On November 1.
1986 Jimmy Earl Cummings, an
Indian, was shot and killed by
Deputy Sheriff Kevin Stope. Stone
was found to have acted in self
defense and/or by accident. It wa? at
' this time that Godwin became more
> outspoken, organizing mass meet
ings and stating categorically that
the action was "unacceptable." He
organized the Concerned Citizens for
Better Government following the
coroner's inquest that cleared Stone
*
of any wrongdoing in the death of
Cumminga. Until his death, Godwin
was outspoken and forceful in his
fight for non-violent change in
Robe son County.
Rev. Legerton is pastor of All
People's United Chrueh of Christ in
Pembroke and also director of the
[Tenter for Community Action, Inc.
A musical tribute to Julian Pierce
was next on the agenda. The Pierce
Family (comprised of his brothers
and sisters) sang "Thinking Bout
Home. Following this Christine
Griffin, Administrator of Lumbee
River Legal Services offered the
tribute to Julian Pierce. She remind
ed those in attendance that Julian
Pierce would not have anyone say
much about him. He would have
wished, she said, for her to remind
the the people of Robeson County
that there was still much work to do.
There is still too many drugs flowing
freely in the county and far too much
violence. '
She reminded everyone of how
:ffective a united voice is. -That
inited voice waa shown in* the
primary election when Julian Pierce -
.r *
was elected Superior Court Judge
over live candidate Joe Freeman
Britt.
Griffin called on the church to take
ita rightful place in a leadership
position for the sake of the children
of Robeson County. Failure to do so,
she said, would result in the loss of a
generation of young people, further
violence, and the total destruction of
Robeson County. She pleaded with
people to wake up and realize that
JULIAN T. PIERCE
iL. 1 1 A. 1 _ ??? tKfAOa 2M AL.A iL
tnere nau to De some positive
change in Robeson County and that
change would only come through the
awakening of citizens to their re
sponsibilities to speak out against
violence, injustice, and drug dealing.
Dr. Johnson officiated over the
candlelight service where each per
son in attendance lit a candle as a
symbol of hope. The benediction was
given by Rev. Bob Man gum.
Afterwards the comment from
uiwc uj amcnuautc was uiai uie
service was uplifting, inspirational
and encouraging. Many people sta
ted that they had renewed hope that
things were going to be better in
Robeson County for all citizens.
The memorial service was atten
ded by a tri-racial audience and
conducted by a tri-racial group, a
symbol of the positive changes slowly
but surely coming to Robeson
County.
'
The Bookstore
with a bonus
By Kmborty Roach
? Uu
i For about $50, Andrew
<jVyeth's popular coffee table
Sook, The Helga Pictures, can be
purchased at most bookstores
?cross the country.
J However, at the L.R.D.A.'s
;|Book Distribution and Con
Iference Center, the same book
'{costs a mere 50 cents!
? Believe it or not, it is true. The
ALumbee Regonal Development
?Association (L.R.D.A.) has
?sponsored the bookstore since its
?opening in 1981.
T Originally, all paper and hard
-back were given out free of
icharge. Today, however, a small
ihandling fee is required for adults
ll 8 years old and over.
The paperback and educa
tional books sell for 25 cents and
*he hardback books and novels
?for 50 cents.
' The L.R.D.A. implemented
the handling charge to help pay
for the bookstore's rent and
utilities.
The bookstore is a non-profit
organization open to all the races
ond residents of Robeson Coun
:,<y.
1? For tax and public relations
^purposes, several major
? {publishing houses hired a large
' Consulting firm to select a county
to receive the free books. Accor
ding to Marilyn L. Locklear,
supervisor of the bookstore, the
firm targets the books to areas
with high rates of poverty and to
the educationally disadvantaged.
"We want to get the people of
Robeson County in the habit of
reading," says Locklear. "We
really need more community in
volvement."
The bookstore has many dif
ferent kinds of books with a wide
range of topics.
Often the books are even cur
rent best sellers, or have been
popular in the recent past.
"Unfortunately," says
Locklear, "we can't request
specific books from the firm, but
we can pick general areas. We
just get what's available."
Locklear supervises a staff of
four, who all urge the public to
take advantage of this unique
organization.
The bookstore is located on E.
3rd Street, Pembroke. Hours of
operation are: Monday through
Friday, 9:00 - 4:30.
Special hours are available
upon request. Contact the
bookstore at 321-2913 for more
information.
I United
Way
Accept! ng
. pp 11 cat ions
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|r United Way of Robeson County
islpow accepting application! for
tiP funding. Forma may be picked
?bom the United Way office. 106
VHfeft 8th Street, Lumberton, NC In
Ar to qualify for United Way
f^png, an organiaation must have a
siC-S Tax Exempt status, a non
pU volunteer board of directors,
aabe a non discriminating agency.
ABlcations must be returned to the
Tl||e<t w.? Offire hv M?v 1 1DM
SCHOOL
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NIEWS
MISS MAGNOLIA PAGEANT
PLANNED
Magnolia School will present the
1980 Mies Magnolia Pageant on
Thursday, April 18, at 7 in the
evening in the gym. Admission will
be $8.00. The public is invited to
attend.
PRESCHOOL CLINK PLANNED AT
MAGNOLIA SCHOOL
Preschool Clinic will be held at
Magnolia High School on April 6
from 8 a. m. until 12 noon. Parents
are ashed to bring the child'a shot
record, birth certificate. Social Se
MnmKoe ewrl TnrlUn ^aid.
GROWING UP IN ROBESON COUNTY
?' Mb AP
by Ronald H. Lowry
I received this picture of Henry H. Lowry's house,
located in the Hopewell community, in the mail from my
cousin, Jane Farrell who resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.
She and her daughter attended the Lowry-Smith families
reunion held in Pembroke the third weekend in July of
1988. Jane and her brother. Bill Armstrong,
are the children of the late Frank and Viola Lowry
Armstrong, who reared their family on the side of a hill
just outside the main city of Knoxville. I visited this hill
for the first time in the summer of 1984 when the Lowrys
got together over in Sweetwater. Tennessee for a
weekend of family interactions. Plans are in the works to
go to Tennessee again during the summer of 1990 with
cousin Jane as our sponsor. Jane' ? mother was a daughter
of Henry H. and Julia Revels Lowry, and grew up in the
Hopewell community, along with my mama, another
sister, and several brothers.
The picture is a copy of the original which my Aunt
Viola had in her possession, and appears to have been
taken soon after the construction of the house in the year
1900. The Henry H. Lowry family continued "The Lowry
Lineage" in 1890 with the birth of a son along with the
arrival of several other children during the last 10 years
of the 19th century in their original house. They
completed their family in 1911 in their new house with
the birth of their youngest child, a son. I didn't realise it
until I received the picture of Grandpa's house, that it was
coostruftedln the form of a cross with a wing extending to
the baek. The errought iron-chain linked fence
surrounding the house was seldom seen around houses in
rural Robeson County during the early 20th century.
Gimas lawns were not seen around country homes, but
small yards adjacent to the homes were maintained by
t A
raking and sweeping methods to provide a vegetation free
'area except for trees, shrubs, and flowers. Necessary
farm crops would take priority over large yards, because
ones livelihood was dependent on produce from the family
farm. The successful family farmer put every square foot
of land to productive usage to provide for the welfare of
the family.
Henry H. Lowry was born one year after Theodore
Roosevelt in 1859. Theodore Roosevelt became president
in 1901 after William McKinley was assassinated, and led
our nation into the 20th century. Henry {I. Lowry was
active in Robeson County, going into the 20th century,
attempting to get some autonomy for Indians living along
the banks of Lumber River. He spear-headed a crusade in
Methodism, which resulted in the formation of an
independent Methodist conference for Robeson County
Indians. This organisation is still active today and will be
celebrating that education and Christian development
were the means by which the Native Americans living in
Robeson County could work their way out 'of the
oppressive conditions he observed around his native land.
My Grandpa exhibited the independent nature typical of
decendants from the Allen Lowry lineage. He was a
Calvin Lowry family member, and most of them resisted
violence in favor of reasoning through difficult situations.
One of the most positive aspects of growing up in rural
area, such as Robeson County before the shift to large
urban areas surrounding our large cities, was the stroqg
family values passed down from generation to generation
This family stability eras practiced throughout Rokeson
County, where faipily members could interact with close
kin from both the material and paternal sides of ones
Continued on Page 5
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PEMBROKE
K IWAN IS
REPORT
Program Chairman Frank Ikim-I
try presented Mayor Milton Ilui
who spoke on the Community
Development Block Grants program.
There has been a 75 percent cut in
the programs. So far Pembroke has
received 2.2 million dollars in four
different grants and is now applyim
for its fifth grant Hope is for tin
third week in April to be approved for
the grant Hie first grant came in
1979, North Pine Street is totally
built up with the monies from the
grants. Pembroke now has only throe
or four dirt roads due to the grants.
Hie 89 grant covers one of these
roads. Recertification programs have
been great for Pembroke and we a re
applying for a very big grant for
1991. We must meet state criteria as
regulations change.
Economic development is enhan
ced with grants to industry who in
turn pay to the city. We have plans
for annexation in the 1990's. New
studies for revenue sources and
zoning plans are going on. Zoning is
a part of orderly growth with public
hearings on zoning necessary as
20,000 people live within 4 miles of
Pembroke and this is good territory
for the professions and businesses.
We are looking tt plans for a 58,000
square feet municipal building as we
don't have half the space we need. A
referendum is planned for this. Hie
police department will be in this
building as will administrative off
ices. Hie location is still to be
decided.
Questions and answers followed
Mayor Hunt's speech.
Presiding-Pres. Jeff Maynor;
Invocation Garth Locklear; Song lea
der- Henry Ward Oxendine; Pro
gram- Frank Daughtry; Reporter
Ken Johnson.