It’s the teacher in her, that selfless facet of her character that makes her nostalgic for the best of West Southern Pines’ past, candidly analytical about its present, and demanding of its future — a future that she perceives as an opportunity for necessary and positive change.
If a career in the classroom has honed her social consciousness, it’s also made her disarmingly blunt.
“I don’t know, maybe I’m unconsciously trying to recapture my youth,” she says, “but I’m disappointed with the progress we’ve made in Southern Pines. When I say ‘we,’ I mean the entire community in terms of economic progress and race relations — and specifically the black community. I’m talking about the quality of life for young and old people alike.”
McDonald’s measured assessment comes with the perspective of a lifetime spent in the community.
After graduating from West Southern Pines High School, she earned her B.A. and M.A. Magna Cum Laude from North Carolina Central University. Except for brief stints as a teacher in Augusta, Ga., Troy, N.Y., High Point, and Durham, her career has centered on teaching English at Sandhills Community College, just a few miles from her family home on West Pennsylvania Avenue.
She recalls with fondness the heyday of black-owned businesses — the late ‘30s into the early ‘50s — that enlivened the West Southern Pines community.
“In 2003, there are very few businesses in West Southern Pines,” she says. “We have a couple of restaurants, a service station, some beauty salons and a couple of barber shops, and that’s about it. There was a time when he had three shoe repair stores, approximately six or seven neighborhood grocery stores, several service stations, about five restaurants, and many night clubs.”
Concerned About Drugs
McDonald is cognizant of the fact that the loss of those black-owned businesses wasn’t wholly an African-American phenomenon but rather a small-business trend and a reaction to the changing dynamics of the neighborhoods. But overall she’s dissatisfied when she compares West Southern Pines to other predominately minority communities in the South, and she longs for a return to a time when young people found work in the community.
“Promoting black-owned businesses is absolutely necessary. It would help to alleviate the unemployment that’s so pervasive,” she says. “It’s a shame to hear hundreds of kids in a small community say, ‘I can’t find a job, but I can make $300 a day selling drugs.’”
She’s especially concerned about the impact illegal drug use has on the African American family.
“The community isn’t doing all it can to alleviate the problem,” she says. “We have to be more overt in our support for the police. And we need to stop drug use before it gets to the crime level by stimulating our young people into positive action. There’s a disproportionate number of youth strung out on drugs and alcohol, and it’s so disheartening.
“And we should try to do more with young unwed mothers and fathers to help them with parenting skills. It’s not enough for them to go to social services; they need the help of the entire community. We need to help them understand what’s expected of good parents. We can’t leave it to children to raise children.”
And she isn’t shy about apportioning the blame for the loss of economic clout and the dearth of social responsibility. She believes the black community needs more civic leadership, especially from its young people, who, she says, aren’t being trained to take on the role of community leaders. “We’ve failed as a community in training young people. When I talk with my classes at the college I see the same thing — a disenchantment with politics and civic life. Many of them aren’t registered voters; they have no interest in voting.”
Backs Words With Action
Although a devout Christian and an active member of her church, McDonald feels that churches too often have failed to reach out to those in need, that traditionally the African-American community has looked to church leaders for guidance and leadership and that in recent years that leadership has been found wanting.
“It’s difficult to save a man’s soul if he’s hungry,” she says.
If McDonald is outspoken, no one can accuse her of not backing up her words with action. She’s has a shelf of honors and awards. She’s been cited twice for excellence in teaching, and she’s received awards from the West Southern Pines Civic Club, the NAACP, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from Gov. Jim Hunt.
For 16 years she’s directed the Moore County Black Arts Festival, and she’s worked as a special voter registrar for 10 years. She’s active in her church. For the past 26 years, she’s organized the Sandhills Community College annual Martin Luther King celebration.
Like any experienced teacher, McDonald knows it’s not enough to simply identify the problems. She has concrete plans that will move the community toward solutions.
“First,” she says, “we need to bring in experts in economic development to build a commercial center in the West Southern Pines community.”
McDonald envisions a youth center that would provide trained social workers and counselors with academic degrees and experience to help with drug prevention and alcohol abuse programs. These counselors would also work with the unemployed, advising them on the skills needed to acquire rewarding jobs.
“Young people need to know that you don’t wear dungarees when you go for an interview,” she says. “Or you don’t wear pants hanging from your behind. We need to identify specific goals that will teach children to respect authority, women, other ethnic groups, etc. We need to teach them to accept themselves while working with others. We’ve got to have a plan to take back our young people from the drug dealers.”
Stephen E. Smith is a professor of English at Sandhills Commuity College. He may be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.
