When LaTonya Colvin heard about George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020, the 44-year-old Fairmont, N.C. native decided to do what she did best: create art.
“The name of the piece is called, ‘Say Their Names,’” Colvin told me, standing in a Red Springs, N.C. art gallery. The image includes an image of a woman wrapped in a tattered flag, and says, ‘Our air isn’t polluted with injustice.’ The woman’s ‘pupils are the fists, and Black Lives Matter’ is written on her lips.”
Gwen, 72, who opted not to provide her last name, is from Los Angeles, but has lived in Robeson County since 1981. A retired University of North Carolina Pembroke math professor, Gwen is also an artist.
“I’m from L.A., and we talked about stuff like this,” said Gwen. “But this is smalltown USA, and it’s just not polite to air stuff about religion and politics and stuff like that at a social gathering. It keeps people from getting all hot and bothered.”
Both Latonya and Gwen recently had their artwork displayed at the nearly one-year-old Red Springs Art Space in Robeson County, which was founded by Jeffery and Irina Shin-Geller.
Robeson County is the largest — and poorest county — in North Carolina, located about one hour south of Raleigh. The county is also home to the state’s largest Native American population, the Lumbee Tribe.
Voters in the rural region voted for former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, but soured on the Democratic Party in 2016.
The county backed President-elect Donald J. Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
Jeffrey Geller, who taught in UNC Pembroke’s philosophy department for 38 years, is proud of the space he and his wife have created.
“It’s a unifying force,” said Jeffrey. “I think we’ll be okay no matter who wins the election.”
Jeffrey and Irina met at the university in 1992 while he was teaching philosophy, and she was a master’s student. Jeffrey retired from UNC Pembroke in 2018, after 38 years in the philosophy department.
“Gwen hates when I get all philosophical,” Jeffrey joked about his good friend and fellow artist.
Pembroke was established for the Lumbee Tribe people in the 1800s. Eventually, it became part of the UNC university system, and still remains a cultural institution in the area today.
“The multiculturalism here is really interesting,” said Jeffrey, noting that in addition to a large Native American population, there’s also a large African American population in the county.
Though “one of the most diverse counties” in the state, according to Border Belt Independent, racial tension is ever present.
In June 2020, Border Belt Independent reported that the Robeson County NAACP’s protest — consisting of mostly Black demonstrators — in response to George Floyd’s murder, was met with fierce opposition.
The news outlet reported: “As the protesters approached a shopping plaza anchored by a Maxway discount store, they were outnumbered by counter-protesters. A crowd of mostly Native Americans threw whatever they had on hand. One man had a knife, and another carried a military-style rifle slung over his shoulder. A large flag in support of then-President Donald Trump flew from the back of a pickup truck.”
Jeffrey emphasized that the tension is still felt.
“There’s animosity. There is tension. I can’t lie to you about that,” Jeffrey said.
“But it’s not tension that threatens to erupt,” he continued. “It’s a tension that just stays on the same level. The animosity comes from a sense of resentment for a very long period of mistreatment. That’s where the African American sentiment comes from. And it’s justifiable.”
Just as African Americans have long faced racism and discrimination — and in the South more prominently — Irina noted that “the Lumbee people were not allowed into town until the 60s.” The tribe has had “major breakthroughs,” Jeffrey added.
The former philosophy chair sees the gallery as a space that can alleviate some of the tension.
“We just do the best we can,” he insisted. “We want unity, and art is our vehicle for getting there.”
When asked about what she expects to happen post-election, Gwen pointed to the “animosity” Jeffrey mentioned.
“I don’t know what will happen here. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens here.”
