City Councilwomen with "Passionality": Part 1, Pamela Holder
Dr. Holder is on our November ballot in Brevard NC. Part 2 will be about the adventures of a former City Councilwoman in Louisiana
Women in politics! We’ve always been players in the social politics of our communities. And now our community is all of our town, state, nation, and even the world, as Heather Cox Richardson has been pointing out lately in her blog, Letters from an American.
Last Friday we went to a meet-and-greet for the Rev. Dr. Pamela Holder, one of six candidates for three open Brevard City Council seats in next November’s election.
Dr. Holder was introduced by Rodney Locks. But first, he asked the audience, “If anyone here has moved to Brevard, how far away did you come from?”
“California,” said someone. That’s 2500 miles away. Other states were called out. I raised my hand and said, “Cedar Mountain,” eleven miles away from town. Now we can vote in municipal elections.
When Pamela Holder had the microphone, she told us how she herself moved to Brevard two years ago to become the pastor at Bethel A Baptist Church on Oakdale Street.
I first met her last year when, at another campaign event, she introduced former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice, Cheri Beasley, who was running for the U. S. Senate.
That day Holder told the crowd she remembered meeting Justice Beasley and being impressed by her dedication to the people of North Carolina. Beasley then spoke, saying her campaign was based on the values she learned from her mother: hard work, faith, justice and integrity.
I know that Holder shares these values. Her own campaign today is based on serving the whole community. And she has a unique, personal way of doing it.
Dr. Holder told us on Friday that she’s excited about the idea of intentionally talking with someone you don’t know, to discover what you have in common. What if you first met someone at the library, say, and began a conversation with them? What would you learn?
For her, people’s stories inspire community action. It’s important to her to talk about what’s happening to real people. She’s building community.
For example, we need affordable housing; I know of school teachers who moved to South Carolina because they couldn’t afford to live here. But when Holder told us that she knows a family who has just moved into newly available, affordable housing, suddenly the problem didn’t seem so hopeless.
In published interviews, she has said,
My concerns for housing, bridging age, racial, and socio-economic gaps, and homelessness in our city are areas I hope to approach and assist in improving.
It is also important that I listen to the concerns of our residents and act accordingly.
She believes there’s a place for compassion in government. “People say I have passionality,” she says with a smile. And she believes there must be a place for everyone. As a pastor, she was asked how important diversity is in her congregation. She replied,
It’s very important to me. God created one race and that is the human race.
Dr. Holder grew up singing and playing as part of a musical family who traveled widely giving gospel concerts.
In 4th grade, I started playing the violin. I noticed my peers, around the time of integration, leaving school around two to three times a week. I saw one of them carrying a funny looking thing, and I asked, “What’s that?” It was a violin. I wanted to learn and told my parents. They didn’t know if I would stick with it or not, so we rented a violin. I was pretty good and won several awards, playing statewide. My parents saw that I was serious and got me a private teacher and a good violin.
Her parents guided her in how to earn success in life.
My dad was a strong and faithful spiritual leader … A good education and good grades were strongly encouraged by both of my parents.
My mom taught me the importance of having a clean and polished outward appearance.
It was important to learn that from her because if we did not present a good outward appearance, people may not care about what we had to offer from our hearts. She was a seamstress and she taught me how to sew. As a result, I made a couple of the robes that I use when I preach.
In a published interview, she remembered her family’s association with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
My father … recorded a single called “A Man Called Martin” (about Martin Luther King Jr.) We had the opportunity to present that single to Mrs. King and her family in Atlanta. She was very grateful and we all took pictures with her and her children.
I remember the night he was assassinated and how upset my parents and grandparents were. I was a young girl and didn’t really understand who he was or why they were sad. Of course, it all made sense as I got older.
I find it easy to imagine Dr. Holder extending her community and church service to city government. There are so many ways people need hope.
Her granddaughter once interviewed her about how to approach the social and personal affects of a public mental health crisis. She said,
I think that if we educate more, then people will feel freer to be able to seek help and to find somebody to help them. I think that education is key. And I think that we need to start it now with our youth, and so that it doesn't go to the next generation with this stereotype.
So the 2023 municipal election season has begun!
This past Saturday we took a break from working on getting out the vote for the fall, and watched the U. S. Open women’s tennis finals. Commentator Chris Evert said something toward the end of the match that I wrote down as soon as Coco Gauff finished her victory visit to her family and coaches in the stands. Evert said about Gauff,
Serious tennis players play to win, not to avoid losing.
After listening to Pamela Holder the other day, I see her as quietly, effectively playing to win - for the people.
Thank you for writing this article it is just excellent. I have heard her numerous times, and I think she is absolutely terrific, and expresses herself so well. You can even go online and listen to one of her services! She is a real asset to Brevard Community.
Patty
Thank you so much for this important in-depth information about Dr. Holder Deda. You continue to educate me and I am most grateful.