Greensboro History Museum program to highlight how Lumbee Tribe has fought to reimagine democracy

The Greensboro History Museum will host a discussion on the Lumbee Tribe and their fight to reimagine democracy over the years on Thursday. 

Historian and documentarian Malinda Maynor Lowery says the history of native people is in part a demonstration of how fragile democracy is for some Americans. And while there are historic similarities to other groups in terms of voting, tribes are often also pushing to uphold their sovereignty.

"We're not only using the vote to have greater representation in state government and federal government, but we are also using the vote to support candidates who support our collective ability to govern ourselves," she says.

Lowery, who's Lumbee, says her tribe is not only the biggest in the state, but also the largest without full federal recognition.

Her lecture on the tribe supports the museum's exhibition “NC Democracy: Eleven Elections.” It examines the ways voting has changed over the last few centuries, and the impact on the present day.

The program starts at 6 p.m. at the Greensboro History Museum and is open to the public.