Educator, legislator, small business owner, and proud Lumbee running to represent North Carolina in the U.S. House
Oct 11, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
On #IndigenousPeoplesDay, we celebrate Native Americans, their histories, and cultures. There is still so much work to be done in the fight for our collective freedom.
For me, that fight is personal.
My family and I are members of the Lumbee Tribe of NC -- named after the Lumber River that winds through my home county.
In 1956, Congress recognized the Lumbee as an Indian tribe, but denied us any federal benefits -- something our People are still fighting for today.
Oct 4, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
When I was just a boy, the KKK announced a night rally in my home county of Robeson, NC -- a poor farming community made up of Black, white, and American Indian folks like my family -- proud members of the Lumbee tribe.
The Klan called us “mongrels” and “half breeds". Despite warnings from the police chief that our community would not tolerate their hate, fifty Klansmen arrived at Hayes Pond on the night of January 18, 1958. Not a bad turnout for a winter evening.
