Pembroke State University - Indianhead Yearbook (Pembroke, NC)

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Consequently, Mr, McMillan had legislation enacted giving the Indians of Robeson County both a name and the privilege of their own public schools. The two signifigant provisions of the law were: Section 1, That the said Indians and their descendents shall hereafter be designated and known as the Croatan Indians; and Section 2, That said Indians and their descendents shall have separate schools for their children, school committees of their own race and color, and shall be allowed to select teachers of their own choice — . In 1887 an act to establish a normal school in Robeson County was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, The first board of trustees was composed of the Reverend W.L. Moore, Preston Locklear, James Oxendine, James Dial, Sr„ J.J, Oxendine, Isaac Brayboy and Olin Oxendine. The end product of their work was Croatan Normal School. The Act stated, All those who shall enjoy the privileges of said school as students shall previously obligate to teach the youth of the Croatan race for a stated period, The legislation appropriated five hundred dollars for the payments of services rendered and for no other purpose. When W.L. Moore called a meeting to implement the provisions of the law, very few citizens attended. And even then he found it necessary to give$200.00 of his own money and to devote his energies full time to the school so it could open and begin serving the people. The first college building, a two-story structure, was located on a one-acre site near Pates, where New Hope Church now stands. This original building was constructed by the Indian people since the legislature made no provisions for housing the Indian students. Since W.L. Moore had completed his normal work and since he had l 20 21