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The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Purnell Swett High School

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I want to share a story with you.

The summer before my freshman year at North Carolina State University (1992), I went with my grandmother, Pearl Strickland, to visit her uncle (mother's brother) and aunt, William and Dice Lowery, on Whistling Rufus Road. We were going to buy eggs. My grandmother preferred buying her eggs from members of the community instead of the grocery store.

Like all the other times, we pulled up behind Uncle William's house, got out of the car and went inside. We would usually spend a few minutes talking. During this visit, the conversation turned to my going to NC State in a few weeks.

Uncle William, who along with his wife and my grandmother passed away a few years ago, said something to me I will never forget. He said, "Get your education and come back and help your people."

That statement, short yet powerful, carried a message that has stuck with me since that summer over 15 years ago. Those words have guided my actions during my first term on the Tribal Council; I have tried my best to help the Lumbee people.

MY FAMILY

• Full Name: Lawrence Travis Locklear
• Raised and reside in the St. Annah community, north of Pembroke
• Parents:
  • Father: Merle Locklear (Union Chapel Community)
  • Mother: Mary Ann Strickland (St. Annah Community)
• Grandparents:
  • the late John Archie and Roberta Locklear (Union Chapel Community)
  • the late Jeffrey and Pearl Strickland (St. Annah Community)

TRIBAL COUNCIL EXPERIENCE

• District 6 Representative (since January 2005)
• Served as Speaker of the Tribal Council (July 2005 – January 2007)
• Served on each of the Tribal Council’s standing committees, including:
  • Former Chair, Public Relations Committee
  • Former Co-Chair, Education Committee
  • Former Vice-Chair, Constitution Committee

EDUCATION

• Master of Public Administration (MPA) (2005)
  • The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
  • Thesis: Online vs. In Line: An Assessment of E-Government Initiatives in North Carolina's County Government Web Sites (PDF - requires Adobe Reader; opens in new window)
  • 2005 MPA Student of the Year
  • Member, Pi Alpha Alpha, National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration
• Bachelor of Arts in History (1996)
  • North Carolina State University
  • Dean's List
  • North Carolina Teaching Fellow
• Purnell Swett High School (1992)
  • Honors Graduate
  • Senior Class President
• Undergraduate courses in American Indian Studies at UNC Pembroke
  • AIS 2010: American Indian Cultures
  • AIS 3600: History and Culture of the Lumbee
  • AISS 4220: Lumbee Oral Traditions

EMPLOYMENT

• University Web Publisher
  • UNC Pembroke (since 2000)
• Computing Consultant
  • UNC Pembroke (1999 – 2000)
• Teacher (Seventh Grade Social Studies)
  • Pembroke Middle School (1996 – 1999)

AWARDS AND HONORS

• 2005 MPA (Master of Public Administration) Student of the Year
• 1995 Lumbee Indian Post-Secondary Indian Student of the Year

COMMUNITY SERVICE

• Staff Advisor, Sigma Omicron Epsilon, Inc. (American Indian Sorority)
  • UNC Pembroke (2007 – Present)
• Lumbee Representative, United Tribes of North Carolina (2007 – Present)
• Member, 2008 American Indian Women’s Conference Planning Committee (2007 – Present)
• Staff Council, UNC Pembroke (2001)
• Brother, Alpha Phi Omega (National Service Fraternity), NC State University [web site]

GROUP AFFILIATIONS

• American Indian Alumni Society, NC State University
  • Charter member and former president
• Alumni Association, NC State University [web site]
• Wolfpack Club, NC State University [web site]

To join the team or
receive emails about
Tribal Council news and
events, send an email to
lawrence@
lawrencelocklear.com.