PEMBROKE — Harvey Godwin Jr. calls his resounding re-election to a second consecutive term as Lumbee Tribal chairman as a sign the people approve of what his administration has done, and promises to do.
Godwin won easily over three other opponents, including Raymond Cummings, the chairman of the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, by garnering almost 68 percent of the total vote. He prevailed in all 14 voting districts.
Godwin is pleased with his victory, but said his first term was a learning experience, and while much was accomplished, much more needs to be done for the tribe and its people. He said tribal members’ expectations for his administration will be higher.
“It’s a weighted responsibility now and the bar has been set higher,” said Godwin, a Lumberton businessman. “It also shows the kind of faith they have in you, so it’s at a different level than the first time.”
Lumbee voters cast 3,036 votes for Godwin during Tuesday’s election, which saw a turnout of about 20 percent on a dreary day. Cummings received 1,232, Randy Lewis won 206 votes and Everton Chavis Jr. received 32. Godwin will be sworn into his next three-year term in January. Under tribal law, he can only served two consecutive terms.
Cummings did not answer phone calls from The Robesonian, but posted this on his Facebook page: “I would like to congratulate Mr. Godwin as Lumbee Tribal chairman. I want to thank all my supporters for their support. The people have spoken. Thank you.”
Tribal voters elected six new members to the Tribal Council, and all three incumbents seeking re-election were defeated.
Godwin ran on a campaign that he had restored integrity to a government that historically has run afoul of HUD, and that he had cleaned up The Turtle by hiring more qualified employees and dispensing with political patronage. Cummings primarily argued that the tribe has a lot of money, but isn’t building enough new homes for its members.
Godwin credits his political and leadership victories to his experiences in life and to the people who have influenced him along the way.
He said suffered with low self-esteem as a child, but had mentors who helped him build his confidence. Among them are his high school teacher, Mable Ziegler, who encouraged him to run, successfully, for class president in the 12th grade at Pembroke Senior High School, from which he graduated in 1972. Another was local civil rights leader Julian Pierce, who was running for a Superior Court judgeship when he was murdered on March 26, 1988. Godwin served as his campaign manager.
“He taught me about working within the three races,” he said. “He was my mentor.”
Another mentor was his father, who taught him a strong work ethic, Godwin said. His leadership skills were honed by a love for acting with Robeson Drama Historical Association, getting minor roles in movies and later becoming a successful business owner.
“I messed up a lot and people gave me a lot of chances,” he said.
Godwin thanked his staff at Two Hawks, an employment agency in Lumberton and one of the largest employers in the county, for supporting him during his first term as chairman, and now that he has been re-elected.
He mostly is glad it is over.
“I’m just relieved that the election part is behind me,” he said. “I just want to continue the job of representing the people.”
During his second term as chairman he wants to increase the level of trust between the Lumbee people and the tribal leadership.
“To me that’s my No. 1 objective, rebuilding trust in our government,” he said.
The chairman-elect grew up poor in a poor Pembroke community that was racially and culturally diverse, but where conflicts based on color or class were rare.
“I grew up in an environment where we all collaborated,” Godwin said. “We worked together, played together and ate together. This is the way things get done because I’ve seen it.”
He said he has used that kind of collaboration with local, state and federal government agencies to help the Lumbee Tribe make progress economically, educationally, in leadership effectiveness and in quality of life as a whole. The government now has the fattest bank account it has ever enjoyed.
When he entered his first term as chairman, 800 homes needed to be renovated, Godwin said. Now that number is 300.
He is aware that there tribal members who are tired of waiting for their homes to get remodeled, Godwin said. But there is a home rehabilitation process, and his administration will do more to educate tribal members on how it works.
“We’re trying to do outreach just to educate our community,” he said. “We’re going to do more of that, but any service that you get through the tribe there is a process.”
Another second-term goal is to eliminate food insecurity.
“Thirty percent of the people in the Lumbee tribe go one day of the week without a meal,” he said.
Usually these are children who rely on school lunches for a daily meal, Godwin said. But when school is out, it becomes a serious issue.
“We can collaborate with the community and government to do more,” he said. “If a child doesn’t have enough food, they can’t perform.”
He thanks the elders of the tribe for their wisdom and consults with them often on decisions he makes.
“Going forward, we have to go back,” he said. “To go back we have to go back to our elders. Everything we do, we consult with our elders.”
Solving problems means taking a proactive role as chairman and as a Lumbee, Godwin said.
“We have to set the bar where we are self-reliant,” he said. “We should stick by who we are as a people and set our standards culturally. We can never sell out.”
