Like
most of the strong men and women profiled here, State Senator Howard N. Lee
acquired his strength and talent for leadership by watching his parents and
grandparents respond to the challenges in their daily lives.
One of Lee's greatest challenges
happened when he was 15 years old and living in Georgia. While protesting "Jim
Crow laws" he defiantly entered a men's restroom reservedfor "whites only."
This defiant act resulted in a confrontation with members of the local KKK,
and Lee was severely beaten. The beating, while painful, did not destroy his
sense of justice and fair play, It became is defining moment and served to deepen
his resolve to remain in the South and work for justice.
Lee graduated from Fort Valley
State College in Georgia in 1959. He spent two years in the U.S. Army before
receiving a master degree in social work in 1966 from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Lee was a juvenile probation
officer and social worker. He has been a member of several college faculties
and directed programs designed to improve the quality of life. He received the
National Urban League's Equal Opportunity Award in 1970.
Senator Lee has been active
in North Carolina politics for several decades. From 1969 to 1975, he was mayor
of Chapel Hill. As Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Community
Development, he was an effective member of the governor's cabinet managing 2,500
employees and a budget of $350 million.
His attempt to win the nomination
for lieutenant governor on the Democratic Party ticket failed despite months
of hard campaigning. Undaunted, he accepted an appointment to the North Carolina
General Assembly in 1990, and was elected in 1991.
In spite of Senator Lee's
busy schedule, he continues to write articles for scholarly publications. His
most important efforts, however, involve helping young men and women to secure
college degrees. These efforts inspired him to establish the John H. Wheeler
Foundation, Inc., o non-profit organization created to provide scholarships
for deserving students majoring in business, law and political science at historic
black colleges and universities.
At the pinnacle of his career
in government, Senator Lee can be proud of the fact that he has been able to
harness some of government's power to meet important needs of its citizens.
