I do God’s work, not man’s, so man doesn’t phase me.
Ernestine Lewis Ward moved to New Jersey at 18, but she relocated back to North Carolina when she felt the time was right. She wanted to get involved in the Burlington community, showing the community that African Americans were there to stay.
Ms. Ernestine ran for City Council, Mayor, County Commissioner, and School Board. Eventually she joined the board of the Alamance County chapter of the NAACP, a human rights group that “builds Black political power to end structural racism.” There, she served for decades as Secretary and President.
Ward faced many obstacles, but she was resilient in advocating for Black voices. If the county refused to listen to her, she would find a way to make things happen on her own. In 1994, Ward founded the E. Bynum Education center, an after school program designed to provide assistance with homework and tutoring children in the Burlington community. She remains humble regarding her service, saying, “It’s not me…I do what the Spirit needs me to do.”