Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

This article provides a detailed overview of the formation of the Baltimore American Indian Center, the services it offers, its current financial problems, and the needs of Lumbee people in Baltimore. The Center, located in the 100 block of South Broadway (less than a block from South Broadway Baptist Church) was established in 1968. The Church's pastor, Rev. James M. Dial, was integrally involved in establishing the center, as was Elizabeth Locklear. Its original aim was to help Lumbee people who migrated to Baltimore for employment in the 1940s-1960s adapt to urban life and feel connected. A few years ago the center had a staff of 13. It has since suffered financial problems. As of this writing, there were only one full-time employee (the substance abuse outreach coordinator) and two part-timers. The executive director's position had been vacant for a year. The center includes a museum, day care center (with Head Start), after-school cultural program, and senior center. It offers drug and alcohol education and helps clients obtain housing and heating. Its role for Lumbee people has shifted in recent years. Rather than helping recent migrants adapt to urban life, it helps their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren deal with issues such as employment, unemployment, health, and housing. The needs of Lumbee people in Baltimore are many. In 1999, the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University did a survey of the city's Indians for the Baltimore American Indian Center. The survey revealed that Indians had the lowest average income of any minority in the city ($5,000-$10,000). About 45% lived in poverty, and the unemployment rate was 35%. There are still connections with Robeson County. The Carolina Indian Voice has about 1,300 Baltimore subscribers, and LRDA and the Baltimore American Indian Center have always supported each other.