First Posted: 6/26/2013

PEMBROKE — The work of a man who died 25 years ago while fighting for equal rights will be remembered on Wednesday at the inaugural Julian T. Pierce Memorial Art Dinner.

Pierce was an attorney and civil rights advocate who was murdered in his home on March 26, 1988. At the time of his death, he was running for Superior Court judgeship.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s advancement office, Robeson Community College Foundation and the North Carolina Legal Aid of Pembroke and will hold the dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. at the University Center Annex as a part of Lumbee Homecoming. Tickets are $50 a person and a table of eight is $500.

Tickets will be available at the door. To buy a ticket or a table, call Cody Godwin at 910734-8465. That can also be done at a Paypal account at julientpiercememorialfund.com

“I’m honored to be a part of the art dinner and on behalf of the RCC Foundation’s board members, we are happy that his legacy will live on,” said Rebekah Lowry, director of the Robeson Community College Foundation. “With this memorial fund, generations after me will learn about his work and will maybe want to follow in his footsteps.”

Pierce’s daughter, Julia, an American Indian attorney, will be the guest speaker. The art that will be auctioned off at the dinner will be an original painting of Pierce by Sheila Godwin. There will be 100 prints of the original painting for sale during the auction and on Saturday at Lumbee Homecoming.

The proceeds will fund Julian T. Pierce Memorial scholarships at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Robeson Community College and North Carolina Central University School of Law, and pay for a monument at the North Carolina Legal Aid of Pembroke.

“Julian Pierce is a wonderful model of civic leadership and dedication to the good of our place, our people, our county and our nation,” said the Rev. Mac Legerton, executive director for the Center of Community Action and a member of the Julian T. Pierce Memorial Initiative. “Establishing an initiative and raising funds for these memorials are the least we could do to support a new generation of leaders in remembrance of Julian’s leadership and life.”

Legerton and Pierce worked together advocating for minority rights in Robeson County when Pierce was the the executive director for Lumbee River Legal Services, now North Carolina Legal Aid of Pembroke.

Pierce petitioned the Bureau of Indian Affairs for recognition of the Lumbee Tribe. He was also a supporter of a proposal to merge the county’s five school districts, which voters approved in a referendum shortly before his death.

Abbi Overfelt, editor of the Red Springs Citizens and the St. Pauls Review, contributed to this story.