City Council honors legacy of Ed Faison

Jack Tunnell, The Sampson Independent, Clinton, N.C.
·4 min read

Nov. 18—Shortly after being called into session, a solemn mood befell those in attendance at Tuesday's Clinton City Council Meeting as Mayor Lew Starling reverently acknowledged the recent passing of a former councilman and community figure.

"It is with sadness, Madame Clerk, that we report a Resolution of Respect for former City Councilman Edward Faison Jr., who died on the second of November, 2023," Starling began. The mayor then lifted a finger to point and said, "His picture is right over the clerk's head. He served in this chamber."

He continued, "So, at this time, we will read into the record a resolution of respect." Starling expressed that respect, stating, "He [Faison] faithfully and honorably served the City Council of the City of Clinton, North Carolina, from December 5, 1989, until June 5, 1996, when he moved from District Five."

"The Mayor and City Council wish to extend their condolences to the family of Councilman Ed Faison Jr.," Starling emphasized. "Be it resolved, that as the Mayor of the City Council, I do, by these resolutions, recognize the service of Ed Faison Jr. to the City of Clinton."

"Councilman Ed Faison was indeed a trailblazer and advocate, an avid writer, and outspoken in his beliefs," Starling shared.

Those who knew Faison agree and attest that he was all these things and more.

"Conviction" is a word that comes up again and again when he is described by those close to him, as well as those whose lives he touched. A close friend of Faison, Patty Cherry, immediately pointed out that very "conviction" as she began describing Faison.

"Oh yes, he was a man of very serious conviction," she attested.

Clinton Mayor Pro Tem Marcus Becton spent a very brief time working with Faison, only several months. "As far as working with him, well, it was good," Becton remembered of his short stint on the same Council with Faison. "He was steadfast when it came down to his beliefs and, whatever he believed in, he stood on that firmly." Becton added, "So he was a strong man."

"I really want to emphasize that he was a man of conviction, and he did not mind letting you know how he felt," Cherry said, lamenting, "You don't have too many people like that anymore. Everybody is trying to please each other, whether it's right or wrong, or whether they like it or not."

As Councilwoman Wanda Corbett put it, "he was genuinely someone that, if you wanted to discuss something or ask a question, and you knew that you wanted an answer to a question, a completely honest answer to a question, then you could ask him." She emphasized, "You talked with him, and he was upfront with you."

Cherry recalled, "When we had the Sampson Alumni Association, in the beginning, he didn't agree with something they were doing, so he set up a protest in front of the Expo Center."

By all accounts, there was an important distinction, though — he may have been blunt and steadfast with a penchant for activism given his convictions, but not purposefully abrasive or malicious or disruptive. As Elaine Hunt, Clinton City Clerk, put it, "He was vocal, but he didn't mean to ruffle feathers, even though I think he may have at times."

He was steadfast and pushed because he genuinely cared about other individuals and wanted to improve the place he called home in whatever ways he could, they said — whether that be with a pen, in the city council, or through any of the other myriad things of which he was a part.

"Ed Faison was a wonderful individual. I was honored to call him my friend," said Sherry Matthews, publisher of The Sampson Independent. "He had a brilliant mind, a wonderful bend toward history, and was unselfish in sharing his talents with our Sampson Independent readers, which he did on many occasions. He loved this community and served it in many ways. He will be missed."

Hunt shared her appreciation for Faison and his community activism, saying, "If it had not been for the Lord and him, I probably wouldn't be here." she continued, "He's the one that told the city manager that we needed minorities in areas other than public works." Hunt explained, "He was very instrumental in the process of trying to get equality and diversity in the city all the way back then."

"All I know is that I loved him for the fight, that he was real and genuine," Hunt said with gratitude for Faison and his legacy. "Whatever he was going to say, he was going to say it to you and not behind you, and that's what he has instilled in me."