FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Two young boys, one Black and one white, sparked a lifelong friendship playing at the foot of Haymount Hill in the late 1800s.
As the two grew up, they lived very different lives. W.W. Fuller, who was white, worked as a lawyer; he was admitted to the bar in 1880 and began to practice law in Raleigh, joining his father’s firm, Merrimon and Fuller. He served at one time as general counsel for the American Tobacco Company. James McAllister, a Black man, worked as a luggage handler at a train station.
Even though their lives took different paths, their boyhood bond remained strong, according to a 2001 Fayetteville Observer article.
In 1923, McAllister died and left his possessions, which included a little house on Franklin Street and a dray, a cart that he used to handle luggage, to Fuller. Moved by this act of generosity, Fuller established a fund, now known as the James McAllister Fund, in 1926, “in the interest of racial harmony.”
Fuller put $5,000 into the fund, and the income to be derived from the fund was to be distributed to Black residents of Fayetteville, usually 65 and older, who had made contributions to the community, James McAllister Fund board member Crawford Mackethan, said.
Fuller died in 1934, less than 10 years after starting the fund, according to a 1934 New York Times article.
According to Mackethan, the fund was created in hopes of bettering the relationship between the Black and white communities.
“These individuals were not to receive charity, but a gift, in hopes that good relations could be established between the Black community and the white community,” said Mackethan. “These two gentlemen were ahead of their times.”
In its second year, the fund distributed $10 to 31 recipients, according to the 2001 Fayetteville Observer article. Today, the James McAllister Fund is a gift of $25 provided to about 195 people.
The distribution of the $25 gifts was originally supposed to be held Friday with a drive-thru at First Presbyterian Church located at 102 Ann St. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund’s board decided to hold off on the distribution.
“The trustees of the James McAllister Fund have decided to put the 2020 distribution on hold. After much thought and conversation among the trustees, we consider this move to be in the best interest of our recipients due to the fact that the majority of individuals are of senior citizen status. We hope that in the future when this current pandemic situation is under control that we will give notification of a time and place for this distribution. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to seeing you soon.”
The gift has always gone to the elderly Black residents of Fayetteville and will remain that way, according to the 2001 article. Once people are added to the list, they remain on it and receive their gift until they die or leave the city of Fayetteville.
“Unfortunately, because we’re dealing with older people, the list is getting smaller and smaller and we try to add to the list when we can,” said Mackethan. “But we also try to keep enough in reserve to where we can distribute the funds generated by the endowment, and so that’s what we’ve done.”
Usually, the fund would accept applications from members of the community who wanted to join the list, but in recent years they have stopped taking applications.
“Our funds are getting to where we have to closely watch so we will have enough available funds for the distribution each year,” said Mackethan.
According to Mackethan, for the past 10 to 15 years, they have been at St. Luke AME Church on Hillsboro Street and have welcomed all the gift recipients there. People sing “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells.” Then the preacher delivers his remarks, a Christmas story and prayer before they discuss the distribution of the gifts. And then those on the list receive their gifts.
According to the 2001 article, the recipients range from retired housekeepers and cooks to retired government workers and teachers. Even though some of the recipients may not need the money, they are proud to be included to go to the church each year and see other participants. Some of them can use the money for food, clothing or Christmas gifts.
Mackethan said the board hopes that everything dies down by spring so that they can hold a distribution event, but they don’t have an exact date since they, like many others in America, don’t know where the pandemic is headed.
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