Lumbee Legend(s) - Lumbee Regional Development Association (LRDA) Founders:
Bruce Jones
Horace Locklear
Roderick Locklear
Gerald Sider
The Lumbee Regional Development Association (LRDA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered by the State of North Carolina in 1968. It was organized to analyze and develop solutions to the health, educational, economic, and general welfare challenges facing Native communities—particularly the Lumbee people—in both rural and urban areas of and around Robeson County. Its service area includes, but is not limited to, Robeson, Hoke, Scotland, and Bladen counties.
In the winter of 1967–1968, Mr. A. Bruce Jones, Mr. Horace Locklear, Mr. Roderick Locklear, and Mr. Gerald Sider came together with a shared vision: to create opportunities for social, educational, and economic advancement for the Lumbee people. Their efforts led to the founding of LRDA as a private nonprofit organization designed to access federal Great Society anti-poverty programs. The goal was clear—to bring long-overdue and critically needed resources and services to the Lumbee community.
What began as a small and struggling organization quickly gained momentum. In 1971, LRDA received a federal grant to implement an economic development planning project in Robeson County. Funding followed from the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), as well as from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) and the Department of Labor. With these resources, LRDA expanded its reach by developing programs focused on community services, education, economic development, employment, and job training.
For many years, LRDA also played a central role in advocating for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe. Before the formal establishment of the Lumbee Tribal Council, LRDA effectively served as a governing body, working to represent and protect the best interests of the tribe. While the Lumbee Nation has since formalized its own governance, this does not diminish the foundational work and leadership LRDA provided during a critical period in Lumbee history.
LRDA’s mission is to continuously assess the needs of Indian people and others within its service area, improve quality of life, and develop or secure resources to address gaps in essential services. These include social services, healthcare, housing, education, economic development, and workforce training.
The organization has long served as a unifying force—providing a structure through which Indian communities in Robeson County can collectively identify challenges and pursue solutions. Through long-range planning and coordinated efforts, LRDA has worked to reduce barriers that have historically limited opportunities for a better quality of life.
Over the decades, LRDA has gone above and beyond in service to the Native community of Robeson County and surrounding areas. It holds a lasting place in history as the first major governing body dedicated to advocating for the equality, advancement, and unity of the Lumbee people at the local, state, and national levels.