Gene Locklear

North Carolina · born or raisedBorn 1949

American baseball player, artist (b.1949)

Born in Lumberton

Quotations with a citation

Education, that’s the only way it’s going to change. People are waking up. That’s what’s going on in my home town where there’s been some trouble. The Indians aren’t leaving anymore. They’re staying and trying to improve things. They realize all the trouble will last until they do something about it.

I loved to paint and I loved to play ball. If you had asked me when I was 6 or 7 what I was going to do, that’s what I would have told you. I’d do both. As a kid from a small country town, I figured my chances of becoming a ballplayer were probably something like one in a million. I had the common sense to realize I’d better have something to fall back on. So I painted.

I cherish the experiences I had growing up in Pembroke and treasure the land, people and rich heritage of the area. Our hope is that new generations will be inspired, as I was, by this special place, its precious legacy and the rich cultural experiences it has to offer.