Saying Goodbye to David Hairston

I still cannot believe that we have lost David Hairston, The Lilies Project Community Partner. I had the honor and privilege of sharing some personal moments with David at the funeral service, which was a beautiful Homegoing Celebration. These are my words:

Good Afternoon. My name is Caroline Rutledge Armijo. I am the director of The Lilies Project for which David was my community partner.

First I want to thank Sandra and the family for inviting me to speak today. My many prayers are with you through this time. It is a great honor and privilege to share about my dear friend, David, whom I will greatly miss.

I first met David through the coal ash movement here in Walnut Cove. It quickly became a shared passion of ours. When given the opportunity to apply for the funding which resulted in The Lilies Project, David was the obvious choice as the lead community partner. The Lilies Project was an opportunity to move beyond advocating for the coal ash clean up. We had three primary goals: FIRST to advocate for clean up coal ash and impact policy, SECOND to create art out of coal ash and identify special places in the area, and THIRD to build community. David was the perfect partner to lead the way. More than anything, this was our chance to highlight what is extraordinary about Walnut Cove and SE Stokes County and her people.

David was always focused on the children and what he wanted them to experience. Through a sparkle in his eyes, he shared so many wonderful stories about his childhood in Stokes County. He had a true gift for building community and had a clear vision for the future here in this community that we must continue to work together to fulfill.

David was adamant that we create a documentary on the life of John L. Hairston so that every student in Stokes County would know the history of the integration of the schools and the town of Walnut Cove. When we debuted the film, we celebrated with a weekend of music, laughter and David’s delicious fish fry. On the third day, John L’s birthday, former VP Al Gore and Rev Barber showed up. David stood by their side and shared a moving account of the suffering he had heard from his family and friends for all of the world to hear, broadcast from the boat dock at Belews Lake.

Following the Celebrating Courage Weekend, we shifted into a more playful mode of celebrating the legendary Gymnastics Shows at Southeastern under the direction of Jane and Rick Williams. David participated in the first ever gymnastics show and my class was the last. We were bookends to a time when everyone in the community showed up to watch the amazing talents of all of the students working together in unison.

Through all of this, we were also dreaming up ideas of what we hoped to see for the future of Walnut Cove. Art throughout the town, a greenway connecting the Walnut Tree into Walnut Cove, and of highest priority, a community center honoring the legacy of David’s beloved mother, Mrs. Mildred Hairston. We already see his vision in the ground at the Walnut Tree playground, his pride and joy.

David’s big heart contained a clear vision and passion for Walnut Cove. It is reflected in the words he spoke every chance he got and the life he lived. The way he was determined to annex the Walnut Tree into the town, despite consistently being turned down. He served on numerous boards protecting the environment of the place he loved with Appalachian Voice, ACT against Coal Ash, Residents of Coal Ash Clean up and The Lilies Project. He also served on the board of the Walnut Cove Public Library and the Hanging Rock State Park Steering Committee. David visited youth organizations to share about the harms of tobacco, asking children to vow not to use tobacco products, which also gave the group a donation of $1000.

My favorite moments with David were more personal. He soon found a place on my phone’s favorite list, right under my Dad. David was truly the big brother I never had. Always encouraging and curious. Excited to share his favorite memories, on more than one occasion, we walked down through the woods in the Walnut Tree, to see the ford where he road dirt bikes where Lick Creek and Town Fork Creek meet. He showed me the Indian burial ground where his ancestors rest. He showed me the railroad trellis, even though I was too scared to go down the bank of the tracks. He told me about the chimney of the abandoned glass house behind his mother’s home. (I wasn’t willing to walk through the briars!) He took me to Danbury to see the little church he grew up in and loved. He told me about how he got candy everyday from the store that is now ArtsPlace in Danbury. He talked about roller skating in downtown Walnut Cove and how the Palmetto was integrated for the kids to watch movies together once a week.

David was a giant man, who was truly a child at heart. He was passionate about doing everything he could to create those wonderful, playful opportunities for the children of Walnut Cove. David has a very clear vision of what he wants to see happen in our community. It is our turn to step up and work together. To Build his dreams, all of his dreams. And to also be a watch dog for everyone in the area from polluters like Duke Energy. We must listen to the concerns of our neighbors and take action. That was what David was all about. He left the world way too soon. But he is with us in spirit and guiding us to fulfill his vision.

I love you, David. May you enjoy deep rest for you have worked hard. May you know that your mother is so proud of you and that we all are.

Biography of John L. Hairston

Research from Henry Wiencek & Curated by Jennifer Martin
 

We will honor John L. Hairston during the Celebrating Courage Weekend August 11th & 12th. 

John L. was the seventh generation from the original Hairston settlers in the Walnut Cove/Pine Hall area. He went to great lengths to receive an education, even repeating the same grade a few times in the local school because it was the highest grade there and even as a young man Mr. Hairston had a passion for education.  

His education was interrupted for 12 years while he worked in the Brickyard to help take care of his family and John L. Hairston would go on to honorably serve his country in the United States Army in the 372nd Infantry Regiment of the United States Army for forty-four months.

During his service in World War II, Mr. Hairston married his childhood sweetheart, Ms. Ruth Anderson in 1942.  Mrs. Ruth Anderson herself was the Valedictorian of her high school class and they both would go on to earn college degrees:  Mr. Hairston from North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina [NCAT] and Mrs. Ruth Hairston from Winston-Salem State University.

Mr. Hairston earned an engineering degree from NCAT with a minor in Math Education in 1951.   Although he was offered a job in New Jersey as an engineer where he would make much more money than he could in the segregated South the death of his grandmother kept Mr. Hairston in Pine Hall helping his family. 

This well-educated man ended up bagging groceries at the A & P in Greensboro. An offer came to him to teach math at the all-black London School in Walnut Cove. John L. took the job and taught for a while before being offered the engineering position in N.J. once more.

It would have paid twice as much money as he was making as a teacher but John L. Hairston remained dedicated to the development of educational opportunities for the children of African – American families including his three children; Ted, Tony, and Mona Lisa. Before long, John L. was principal of London School. Their three children would all go on to be college graduates and serve their communities in the spirit of their father. 

Although the nation had already passed desegregation laws, Stokes County schools were still segregated while Mr. Hairston was the principal of London High School. History was made when students from London School marched in protest down Main Street of Walnut Cove in 1968 when there was a push to close the London School. The march ended up fully integrating Walnut Cove and London High School became an elementary school; it became a grammar school, serving fifth through eighth graders of all races. Stokes County Schools became integrated.

John L. Hairston remained principal and served the State of North Carolina over the course of a forty-five-year career in education. While leading the way in education Mr. Hairston remained an active member of Pine Hall Baptist Church where he served as the head of the Deacon Board for thirty-five years, Building Fund Treasurer, Sunday School teacher, and the Sunday School Superintendent. As with their marriage and careers in education, his wife was by his side as the church pianist for four decades. John L. Hairston’s belief in service extended to his community where he was on the Board of Directors of the Yadkin Valley Economic Development District.  Among Mr. Hairston’s many charitable efforts was his fifteen years of service with the Stokes-Rockingham V.F.D. that he helped organize. Mr. Hairston was a member of the first County Planning Board and served on the Board of Directors of the East Stokes Outreach Ministry. Mr. Hairston received many awards, citations, and honors over his life; he remained most proud of The National Alumni Association of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University for outstanding contributions to the desegregation of Stokes County Schools.

A Look at the Life of Jester Hairston

I have always been fascinated by the story of Jester Hairston, ever since reading "The Hairstons: A Family in Black and White." I was amazed by his legacy and the fact that very little people knew who he was. Last week as I spoke about how Jester traveled the country collecting spirituals from African-Americans, Molly McGinn said, "He was a song catcher." Yes. I love that term, one I had never heard before. 

Many people around Stokes County know about Jester, because he is a local legend. Several are related to him. Jester was the driving force behind the National Hairston Clan, which meets every year somewhere around the country. The first meeting was held at Rock Hill Baptist Church, where we have also met numerous times for our Residents for Coal Ash Clean Up Meetings.

Leading up to The Lilies Project grant launch, we questioned if Jester was actually born in Stokes County. Belews Creek is located on the four corners of Stokes, Rockingham, Forsyth and Guilford counties. As late as December, someone interjected that he was born in Surry County. Finally I said, it doesn't matter where he was born, we are claiming him anyway. Several towns honor O'Henry, including Greensboro and Asheville. We are honoring Jester.  

In January at our Lilies Project Kick-off, we shared the documentary "Amen: The Life of Jester Hairston." After the screening, we opened the floor to the community to share stories and ask questions. In that moment, we learned that not only was Jester from Stokes County, he was born in Little Egypt, which was the land flooded to build Belews Lake for the Duke Energy Power Station in the early 70s. Wow. So perhaps this confluence of ideas have stronger connections than I ever fully considered. 

Throughout the grant period, we hope to elevate the hidden excellence of so many of our Stokes County natives. The leader of this merry band is Jester Hairston, the song catcher, who gathered the African-American spirituals of America and shared it with the world. Thank you, Jester.

Enjoy this preview of the Amen documentary, which is so inspiring. A copy is available at the Stokes County Arts Council for additional community screenings. Tufts University holds the Jester Hairston Collection and offers this Digital Archive of images for our local relatives to learn more about Jester's life and legacy. 

We are sharing his music with #JesterSings. Be sure to tag any performance that you hear, so that we may include it with our online concert. 

Read a CBS Interview for The Hairstons: A Family in Black and White