A piece of Fayetteville’s rich history slipped away Tuesday, April 25—former Judge Arthur Lane left us. We talk so much about trailblazers and their sacrifices. Well, according to those who held him in high regard, Arthur Lane, a Howard University Law School graduate, was more than just a trailblazer. He was the one you called upon not only for legal representation, but also when you needed someone to stand beside you in the trenches. "Arthur wasn’t afraid to get his shoes dirty," said one longtime friend. For those who knew him well, Arthur Lane always stood for making things better even when people didn’t want to step on toes. Lane could stomp the toes of his adversaries, and then, offer some ointment to soothe the pain.
At the time Arthur Lane came to Fayetteville in 1956, the Goldsboro native was the only African American attorney in the city, so if you weren’t around during that era, one can only imagine the personal challenges he also faced daily. Banks refused to do business with him , and the North Carolina Bar Association denied his membership once they learned he was a black man. Picture this, you fight in the courtroom against prejudice, then once you exit that legal dome of justice, you experience inequality and unfair treatment against you and your family. He arrived at "the right time," when help was needed to fight the injustices that were commonplace throughout the area. Lane represented those who marched for change, and fought for equal treatment. His efforts lead to the privileges many of us are afforded today. Fayetteville wasn’t unlike many cities across the state—drained from racial unrest, but Arthur Lane knew his rights and was so well-versed in the law that he was not to be defeated and trampled on. He helped many of the civil rights supporters and demonstrators who were locked up after marching at Fayetteville State. Lane also sued the Cumberland Board of Education over segregation. In a sense, you could say that Arthur Lane stood against whatever plagued Fayetteville. When you are the target of daily verbal abuse, it’s difficult to describe any particular situation as a defining moment. However, in retrospect, many African Americans in Fayetteville recognize the turning points in this city’s history, and attribute the momentum to Arthur Lane.
E.E. Smith graduate Sylvester "Skip" Reeder, a retired hospital executive residing in Tennessee, knew Arthur Lane as a family friend. Skip’s fondest memories of him began when he was a child. Skip is the son of the late Bertha Lee Ray Reeder, a longtime math instructor at E.E. Smith, Reid Ross, and Seventy-First High Schools. He said that Lane and other fighters against inequality in Fayetteville would often gather in the Reeder home. "Arthur Lane was a man of principle, and it was difficult for anyone to castigate him, because he knew so much; he fought so hard for the rights of African Americans." Living around injustice was like a daily dose of castor oil. You hated to see tomorrow coming, because you already knew what to expect, and tomorrow, more times than a few didn’t taste good. "During that time, African Americans were just fed up." African Americans were faced with segregation and voter rights issues; the basic rights to live, walk, or even eat where you wanted was in constant jeopardy. "My desire to go into law school was directly linked to knowing Arthur Lane; he made you proud to represent your people. He did it so daringly that you couldn’t help but want to emulate the man and his will to help make a difference."
Fayetteville native Jimmy Harvey, a local insurance representative, said "In the minds of several African Americans, Arthur Lane was like the man who rode into town to get rid of the rodents who gnawed and destroyed the moral fiber of a city. He came to do good things, and when you walked in a room or building with him, you felt empowered. He was really a hometown hero." Archie McMillian of Zeke’s on Person Street shared with me that Arthur Lane was the closest thing to royalty in the black community. "He was dapper that’s for sure. Actually, a better way to describe Arthur Lane would be to say he was the Willie Gary or the late Johnnie Cochran of his day. He was well-respected for what he did not only for what he talked about. He made some things happen, and he always dressed professionally—Valor hats and Botany 500 and other high class suits. Dressed like that, he was easily recognizable; and when Arthur Lane entered a room, he commanded attention." Attorney Willie Gary is best known for donating $10 million to Shaw University, his alma mater in Raleigh, and the late famed Attorney Johnnie Cochran is known for defending O.J. Simpson in what was dubbed then as the trial of the century.
Arthur Lane was for all people; he represented anyone he felt was wronged, regardless of their status in the community or financial ranking. There were times when Lane would represent people with no money to go to trial, but he represented them anyway.
I really don’t think great people set out to be great. It’s through taking a stand or a making a difference in the lives of those around you that encourages others to do for themselves and stand up for what’s right. Arthur Lane stood up in so many ways, and gave others the strength to stand up for themselves.
Arthur Lane served the public not only as an attorney, and a county commissioner, but also as a judge. He was a beacon of hope and symbol of how one person can make things better for other people. If there had been no Arthur Lane, would African Americans consistently have a voice on the board of county commissioners today?
He was a WWII veteran, a lifetime member of First Baptist Church, Omega Si Phi Fraternity and was reported to have been a member of Sigma Pi Phi, the oldest professional Greek fraternity for professional African Americans; it was founded in 1904 by a group of physicians and dentists in Pennsylvania.
Too often, those who deserve accolades don’t get the opportunities to smell their roses because they never seek attention. However, in the case of Arthur Lane, he was lauded by the people who lived through his triumphs, and walked with him. They were constant reminders of how Arthur Lane saw and doused the flames of injustice, and helped grow a city of acceptance and respect.
Arthur Lane is survived by his wife, Celesta; a son, Michael, North Carolina Central University School of Law graduate and Cumberland County magistrate; and a daughter, Ardra Brandon, a Corrective/Recreational Therapist with the Veterans Medical Center in West Virginia. Arthur Lane was 85 years old.
