PEMBROKE — Members of the Julian T. Pierce Memorial Scholarship Initiative Committee recently presented a $16,000 contribution to UNC-Pembroke.
The proceeds were raised during the annual Julian Pierce Art Auction held at UNCP during Lumbee Homecoming. Harvey Godwin Jr., a member of the committee, was on hand to present the check to Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings, Kelvin Jacobs, assistant general counsel, and Brittany Sandefur, director of development for advancement.
The check presentation was held at North Carolina Legal Aid, a law office in Pembroke where Pierce was the founding director. Established in 1991, scholarship now stands at $110,101.
Proceeds also go to the Julian T. Pierce Memorial Scholarship at Robeson Community College and the North Carolina Central University School of Law, where Pierce earned his law degree.
Julian Pierce was an attorney and civil rights activist in Robeson County. He was a 1966 graduate of what was then known as Pembroke State University. As a lawyer and through his civic involvement, Pierce fought for education, equality and justice for all persons.
In 1978, he became the first director of Lumbee River Legal Services, known today as N.C. Legal Aid. In 1988, Pierce was murdered while running for election to the Superior Court. He was 42. He would have been the first American Indian to hold the position of Superior Court judge in North Carolina.
To learn more about the Pierce Scholarship at UNCP, contact the Office of Advancement at 910-521-6252 or advancement@uncp.edu.
