Despite not being able to hold its annual art auction, the Julian Pierce Memorial Scholarship Committee raised $2,000 for the scholarship fund at UNC Pembroke.

Last week, committee members Harvey Godwin Jr. and his son, Cody, presented a check to Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings and General Counsel Kelvin Jacobs in front of North Carolina Legal Aid, a poverty law office in Pembroke where Pierce was the founding director. Funds have also been directed to the scholarships at Robeson Community College and the North Carolina Central University School of Law, where Pierce earned his law degree.

Funds are typically raised at the Julian Pierce Art Auction during Lumbee Homecoming, but all events were canceled last summer due to the pandemic.

Pierce, a UNCP graduate, was an attorney and civil rights activist in Robeson County. As a lawyer and through his civic involvement, he fought for education, equality and justice for all persons.

In 1978, Pierce became the first director of Lumbee River Legal Services, known today as N.C. Legal Aid. Established in 1991, the scholarship recently surpassed the $100,100 mark. The scholarship supports UNCP students from Robeson County with financial needs who demonstrate scholastic and leadership abilities.