Albemarle Tradewinds October 2018 Web Final

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Visit my website
IAMHARRYUMPHLETT.COM
or
Give me a call
252-435-7740
252-338-2131
Villa
The
Restaurant
Breakfast Specials All Day
Irene and Savvas Rallis
846 Halstead Blvd, Elizabeth City, NC
(252) 338-6206
Harryumphlettiii@gmail.com
1197 US Highway 17 South, Elizabeth City NC
Edenton Civil Rights Leader Partnered with MLK, Led Impacttful Protests
by Laura Bush Jenkins
Did you know the
Albemarle Tradewinds
is located in more than
250 locations in NENC
and Chesapeake?
I
f you pass a brick building on Peterson St., you
may not realize you are viewing the home of an
impact player in the civil rights movement, whose leadership
and influence earned Dr. Martin Luther King’s
attention.
Golden Frinks, known as “The Great Agitator,” was
jailed 87 times leading protests throughout coastal
Carolina. A World War II veteran, truck driver, and
small businessman, he didn’t go to college or devote
his work to efforts in major cities.
The protests he led within the Edenton Movement
were completely unique. They occurred in relatively
isolated areas among poor, less educated citizens
as opposed to educated, middle-class students and
professionals.
Frinks and citizens he mobilized successfully desegregated
public facilities like lunch counters, restaurants,
and shops in town, as well as John A. Holmes High
School and Hyde County Schools.
According to North Carolina historian David Cecelski,
his “small-town upbringing had shaped an outlook
more in touch with rural blacks than many of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference leaders, who
came predominantly from the largest Southern cities.”
Although his territory was different from that of other
civil rights organizers, his work still wasn’t easy. The
efforts of the Edenton Movement gained little national
media attention, and Frinks was strongly criticized for
challenging the status quo in a charming small town.
Other business leaders were reluctant to work with
Frinks because they thought addressing unfair racial
dynamics of the time would shrink their reputation
within the public eye.
However, Frinks continued sharing his vision. He collaborated
with Rev. Fred LaGarde of Providence Missionary
Baptist Church (214 W Church St.) in Edenton.
Together, LaGarde and Frinks brought Martin Luther
King to the Armory, where he addressed a crowd of
500 people. Today, there is a plaque at this location
commemorating his visit.
Frinks continued living in Edenton until his death in
2004. The state of NC is working to secure funds to
acquire his Peterson Street “Freedom House” and add
it to the repertoire of Historic Site Edenton.
Natalie Harrison, program coordinator of Historic Site
Edenton, looks forward to sharing more information
about this in the near future. On October 1st at 5 30
pm, she will speak at Shepard- Pruden Memorial Library
about an upcoming black history exhibit. To learn
more, contact 252 482 2637.
Bout Thyme Kitchen
Restaurant Bakery Gifts
Photos by Cedric Seymour
(252) 404-2550
109 N Church St,
Hertford, North Carolina
16 Albemarle Tradewinds October 2018 albemarletradewinds.com