Established January 18. 1973. Published Each Thursday ?
? <
? ft
! ms ^aGf^flQooa QajUfem ^7?fes- i I
????? pi
Pembroke, N.C. "Building Communicative Bridges In A Tri-Racial Setting" Robeson County
i ' ... ? . ? ? *-v ?- . ? ' ' ? ?. ... ? ? . /
THURSDAY, APRIL 20. 1989 VOLUME 17 NUMBER 16 25? PER CUKY
Oxendine Named
PSU Chancellor
Dr. Joseph B. Oxen dine
_ Dr. Joseph B. Oxendine was
elected Chancellor of Pembroke
State University last Thursday by
the University of North Carolina
Board of Governors. UNC Presi
dent C.D. Spangler, Jr. presented
Oxendine's name to the board for
approval at a special April
meeting in Pinehurst. Oxendine,
who will assume his new post Ju
Iv 1, 1989 succeeds Paul Givens,
who will retire June 30 after ten
years as chancellor.
Oxendine, 59, is a native of
Pembroke, NC. A 1952 graduate
of Catawba College, he later at
tended Boston University, where
he earned both his master's and
doctorate. He was a teaching
fellow at the university for two
years.
Oxendine joined the faculty at
Temple University in
Phijadelphia in 1959. From 1974
to 1981, he served as the first
dean of Temple's College of
Health, Physical Education,
Recreation, and Dance before
returning to full-time teaching.
Under Oxendine's leadership, the
number of students enrolled in
the college doubled from 600 to
1,200, and four separate
academic departments offering
programs through the doctoral
level evolved.
Before beginning his doctoral
studies, Oxendine was a public
school teacher and athletic coach
in Lynchburg, Virginia. He also
served in the U.S. Army and for
three summers was a professional
baseball player in the Pittsburgh
Pirates' minor league system.
Oxendine has authored three
books and has contributed
chapters to several others. A con
sulting editor for American
Educators Encyclopedia, he is ac
tive in a number of professional
associations. Among his many
awards and honors are an
honorary doctorate from
Catawba College and the Alumni
Award for Distinguished Public
Service from Boston University.
Oxendine is married to the
former Adrienne McNaughton of
Philadelphia. They have two
children: James Thomas, 21, a
first-year law student at
Syracuse, and Jean Marie, 21, a
senior at UNC-Chapel Hill ma
joring in psychology and recreation
therapy.
"We've got to make a
difference," says
Dr. Joseph Oxendine
The following is the extem
poraneous response of Dr.
*" Joseph B. Oxendine when he and
Mrs. Oxendine were introduced
to the UNC Board of Governors
by President C.D. Spangler, Jr.
after Oxendine was elected April
13 as the next chancellor of Pem
broke State University, taking of
fice July 1, 1989:
"I'm pleased with this. I'm
more than pleased. I'm delighted.
I'm thrilled. It's a very emo
tional, personal time for me to
consider returning to my home
area.
"One of my favorite writers was
Thomas Wolfe. As you
know, Thomas Wolfe populariz
ed 'You Can't Go Home Again,'
in which he wrote about some of
his friends and neighbors?not
very complimentary things. If I
had written those things about
my friends and neighbors at Pem
broke, I wouldn't want to go
home either.
"But in a way, I never really
left emotionally and spiritually
from my home. It is a serious
issue. Can we return home I grew
up within a mile of the Pembroke
State University campus and
played basketball at the gym
there so I have a special feeling
for it. But if I attempted to return
there believing that it would be *
the all-Indian university that it
was when 1 was growing up, I'd
be sadly mistaken. It has chang
ed, it has grown, it has improved
-and that's great.
"And I have changed from my
youthful perspective. I feel as if 1
have worked for the past several
decades to prepare for this role?
and I'm looking forward to it.
"I want to thank several peo
ple. Wayne Evans, chairman of
the Board of Pembroke
whom I got to know only recent
ly. Wayne, I was especially im
pressed by the way in which you
designed and orchestrated the
search process. It was thorough.
. It was fair. It was intense. On the
two occasions I met with the Pem
broke group, they worked me
over. It was intense. It was a
good workout. As an old athlete,
I like a good workout?and it
was that. I met with the faculty,
the community, the alumni, the
Board of TruatMs,. the Search
Committee, and that was great. 1
was very impressed with the in
tensity, the fairness and the
thoroughness of that process
and I thank you for doing it
right. You really did.
"And so it was at the Universi
ty level with Dick Spangler and
his staff. 1 only visited Chapel
Hill and his office last Friday,
and I assure you they are not
whimps there. They really inter
rogated me--thoroughly, fairly,
and they did it right. And I ap
preciate that, and so I am
delighted.
"I was told by D.G. Martin
(secretary of the UNC General
Administration) that 1 didn't
have to make a campaign speech.
Perhaps it already has been done,
and I don't have to impress vou
that way. But I would like to U'kc
a minute to say that I ha\r
spoken to each of the constituen
cies from the groups I've met
with in terms of a perception, a
concept about the University and
some aspirations I have about
Pembroke State University.
"Those are that it is a great
University, and I want to be
greater. I want to be sure that the
University has an impact on the
community in which it is involv
ed. I think we can do more. I'm
Soing to insist that we continue to
e an all-around University, a
good teaching University, and I
hope to recruit and promote good
scholars who will reflect well on
the University. And we are going
to do service.
"My own real interest right
now-and a primary interest-is
that we impact on that communi
ty. The community needs the
University. We need to upgrade
the quality of public school
education in that area. We need
to impact on the social climate of
that area. We need to impact on
the cultural level and the
economics of that area-and I
plan for us to do it. I am going to
devote serious efforts to that end.
"We've got to make a dif
ference on that community-and
I'm not speaking about the
Lumbee Indian group only.
We've got to make a difference
on the total community, the
county, and the surrounding
counties of that area of the state..
We've sot to make a difference--^
and we're going to do it.
"One other thing. You all
know something about the tradi
tion, the origin of Pembroke
State University:C>rowing up as a
Lumbee Indian, I knew it as an
all-Indian school. It started as an
all- Indian school. It's not that
now-and never will be again
and never should be. But we are
going to remember that aspect of
the University. We're going to
have pride in the ethnic diversity
of that University. No one is
going to be hurt there. Everyone
is going to be encouraged. We are
unique. There's no other univer
sity in the nation that has the
kind of percentages, the kinds of
diversity that we have. We are go
ing to be proud of it. We're going
to give visibility to it. We're not
going to deny it. We're not going
to allow anyone to be put down. 1
guarantee you that all groups are
going to receive recognition. 1 in
tend to devote lots of attention to
that.
"Just a few days ago, I got ac
quainted with the Board's recent
policy on American Indians. I'm
delighted with that. I ask for your
continued support in that area. I
will be studying that document
*
ana studying the University over
the next few months in an effort
to develop darity and ways to im
plement that policy most
effectively?and I ask for your
continued support for American
Indians and other groups in that
area.
"Mr. President, I commit
myself to you and the Board and the
University. Im going to make you
proud of me. I'm a team player. And
I ask for your continued support at a
Board of Governors, your support,
Mr. President; and I thank you all."
Shown last Thursday at Pinehurst where the UNC Board of Gover
nors unanimously voted Dr. Joseph B. Oxendine (third from left) as
new chancellor of Pembroke State Univeraty are: (left to right) Ruth
Dial Woods, who made the motion that UNC President C.D.
Spangler's recommendation of Oxendine as Chancellor be accepted;
Wayne Evans, chairman of the PSU Chancellor Search Committee;
Oxendine; Mrs. Oxendine; Rev. Joy Johnson, who seconded Mrs.
Woods' motion' and Reginald McCoy. Woods, Johnson and McCoy
are all members of the UNC Board of Governors.
looks at the county's
Affirmative Action Plan
by Connee Brayboy
The Affirmative Action Policy
and Plan for Robeson County
has no mention of when the Plan
was adopted by the county. If the
plan has no date of adoption, ac
cording to Mitchell Locklear 1
reasonable to assume there is no
implementation of the plan.
Locklear and Jennifer Mickies
are employed by the Rural Ad
vancement Fund's Justice Pro
ject. They are working toward
the advancement of employment
opportunities for minorities in
the county. They have been com
piling statistics on the racial and
salary breakdown of county
employees. Fhu? far, they have
discovered that Blacks and In
dians are woefully
underemployed by the county.
They discovered also that those
Blacks and Indians who are
employed by the county are
among the lowest paid.
"It is not enough to realize the
bleakness of the minority
employment in the county,"
Mickies said, "we must unders
tand why the statistics are so and
work to correct the problem."
The logical step is to look at
the Affirmative Action Plan
itself, and the seeming lack of im
plementation of the plan. "The
plan itself states that a 'Statement
of Policy and this Plan will be
communicated to all county
employees and applicants,'"said
Locklear, "'"Ilie dissemination
Policy Covers seven
points,"Mickiesinterjected, "but
it appears that the only one
adhered to is the one that states
all employment advertisements
shall indicate that the county is
an equal opportunity employer."
Both Locklear and Micklesfind
the Affirmative Action Plan itself
an interesting document.
Locklear especially found this
section interesting:
LABOR FORCE EMPLOY
MENT STATUS (ROBESON
COUNTY 1973 ' 1975):
"The labor force in Robeson
County in 1973 was 36,310 com
prised of 17,900 (49.5 percent)
whites; 7,950 (21.9 percent)
Blacks; 10,370 (28.6 percent)
OTHER RACES; 160 (0.4 per
cent) Spanish-Americans. The
total labor force participation was
42.8 percent of popula
tion. Employment in the area
total 34,580 with 17.380 (50.3
percent) whites at work; 7,400
(21.4 percent Blacks at work;
9,800 (28.3 percent OTHER
RACES at work; and 150 (0.4
percent) Spanish Americans at
work.
"Unemployment in 1973 total
ed 1,730 or 4.8 percent of the
labor force. The unemployment
rates by race groups were:
whites-3.4 percent; Blacks-6.9
percent; OTHER RACES-5.5
percent; Spanish-Americans-6.3
percent; minority group-6.1 per
cent. The statistics provided are
not indicative of isolated pocket
situations of unemployment in
the county, but reflect aggregate
totals."
The Policy continues by saying:
"Robeson County has a total
permanent full time employment
of 333 employees with whites
constituting-201 (60.4 percent);
Blacks-77 (23.1 percent);
OTHER RACES-55 (16.5 per
cent)." Todays figures are 51.5
percent white; 20.5 percent
Black; and 28 percent Indian.
"These figures," Locklear said,
"are certainly outdated. I find it
almost incomprehensible that In
dians are referred to in the coun
ty's affirmative action plans as
OTHERS."
In making recommendations to
correct county employment pro
blems, Mickels reccommends
that the county freeze hiring until
an Affirmative Action Plan is not
only adopted by the county com
missioners, but also implementa
tion has begun.
"The county commissioners
really need to take a look at the
affirmative action plan under
which the county's hiring is
done," Mickels said. "It is ob
vious that we cannot expect any
real solutions until the Plan itself
is evaluated by the county com
missioners. When they evaluated
the plan. I am confident they will
make the necessary revisions to
rectify the overall problems sur
rounding county employment. In
addition to evaluation of the cur
rent plan," she continued, "there
needs to be a comprehensive,
workable plan that encompasses
all people in Robeson County."
Both Locklear and Mickles are
optimistic that the failure of the
county to hire and promote
minorities is something that will
be rectified in the near future.
Their first step will be to present
their information to the Robeson
County Human Relations Com
mission at their May meeting (the
last Tuesday in the month). "We
are not only going to ask the
Human Relations Commissions
to accept the challenge of work
ing toward correcting the silu
tion," Mickels said, "but we ex
pect our elected officials (county
commissioners) to be as appalled
by the entire current plan as we
are.
"The Human Relations Com
mission is charged with the
responsibility of dealing with the
problems faced by the tri-racial
citizens of the county," L.ocklear
said. "Hopefully, they will ac
cept the minority underemploy
ment in the county as a priority.
The longer a situation is ignored,
the greater the potential lor
irreparable damage," he con
tinued.
"We are confident," Mickels
said that the commission will be
willing to take our statistics and
make recommendations to bring
the county employment percen
tages in line with the tri-racial
population. To tolerate
discriminatory hiring practices by
the county is to admit that one
segment of the population is en
t-iteld
preferential treatment," she con
tinued.
Locklear agrees with this
assessment. "The Human Rela
tions Commission," he stated,
"as 1 understand it was formed to
bring about better relations, com
munication and unity among the
three races. It would appear
impossible to unity races witnout
correcting the basic causes of
disharmony in Robeson
County...such as unfair hiring
practices."
What can you, as a citizen of
Robeson County, do to improve
relations in the county" Call
Locklear or Mickels at the Rural
Advancement Fund, 739-8200,
and discuss the situation.
|_OG A I?
MARRED 1 N GS
lhe applications lor the Miss
I. umbcc Pageant arc now
available. The pageant will be
held June 30,1989 at the PSU
Performing Arts Center. Ap
plicants must be l.umbce Indian
and must be a high school
graduate between the ages of 18;
to 25 by the day of the pageant. ;
lor additional information,;
please contact Patricia B.
Locklear or Belinda S. Harris at
(919) 521-8602 at Revels Plaza.
Deadline for applications is
May 15, 1989.
Mission Church
Revival
The Mission Church Revival
begins April 23-28. Sunday ser
vice begins at 7 p.m. with nightly
service, Monday-Friday at 7:30
p.m. Guest speakers will be Rev.
Roy Clark and Rev. Edward
Woods. The pastor is the Rev.
Crites Oxendine. The public is
cordially invited to attend. IF you
can't attend, then please be much
in prayer for the unsaved and the
revival itself. The Mission
Church is located at Route 1,
Pembroke.
COMMUN I
/\ KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION AT
PROSPECT SCHOOL APRIL 20
L Registration for children who will enter kindergarten at
Prospect School next year will be held Thursday, April 20
in the school library from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Children
jyj must be five years old by October 16. 1989 to be eligible
for kindergarten. If your child is already attending
O kindergarten at Prospect School, you will not need to pre
register your child for first grade.
A Parents need to bring the following information to
_ register their children for kindergarten:
1. Child's immunization record (shot record);
2. A certified copy of your child's birth certificate:
3. Child's social security number; and
4. Tribal enrollment (for Indian children).
PSU ALUMNI TO MEET' APRI1 20
The PSU Chapter I Alumni will meet Thursday, April 20
at the James B. Chavis University Center at 7:30 p.m. in
room 213. All PSU alumni are encouraged to attend.
REUNION PLANNED
A Cruise Reunion is planned to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of the graduation Class of 1964. To team
more about the'trip, please contact Olene Carter Sampson
at (704)847 4245 at night or (704)373 3867 during the day.
You may also write her at 2513 Clam Bed Court,
Matthews, NC 28105.
TRAINING SESSION PLANNED
The Southeastern family Violence Center is presently
recruiting volunteers for its upcoming training session to
be held at the Robeson County Public Library on April 22.
The Center provides assistance to victims of family
violence and needs volunteers to help in the office, on the
crisis line, and in many other areas. Please call the office
between 8:30 and 5:00 for further information at
739 8622.
WMU TO HOLD ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 22
The Burnt Swamp Associational W.M.U. will hold its
annual meeting on April 22 at Bear Swamp Church.
Pembroke, at 10 a.m. The guest speaker will be Nancy
Curtis, Executive Director, Women's Missionary Union of
North Carolina.
The public is cordially invited to attend.
BEEP BRANCH BAPTIST CHURCH REVIVAL
Deep Branch Baptist Church will hold revival services
April 21 23. Sunday night's service will begin at 7 p.m.
Services Friday and Saturday night will begin at 7:30
p.m. Rev. Chester Chavis and Rev. Romey Revels will be
the guest speakers. Rev. James Albert Hunt, pastor,
invites the public to attend these services.