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Former United States Congressman G.K. Butterfield was the guest of honor today as the state Department of Transportation unveiled a replica of a sign that designates Interstate 95 at the Virginia line to Exit 173 at Highway 158 as a highway in his honor.

A Wilson native, Butterfield’s work as a lawyer, judge, and politician run deep in Halifax and Northampton counties as do his family roots.

“I’ve had a lot of honors over my lifetime but I can’t think of anything that eclipses what is taking place today,” he said after several speakers talked about the influence he had on them and the counties they represented.

He acknowledged the work he did for the late Horace Johnson who in 1981 solicited Butterfield to help him wade through an unfair Halifax County Board of Commissioners race, which ended up becoming known as Johnson v. Halifax County. “It changed the political landscape of this county,” he said. “No African American had served on the board of commissioners since the 1890s. Because of that case the court required that Halifax have a system of three districts and three at large. Now we have a board of commissioners in this county that is representative of the county.”

Carolyn Johnson, the wife of Horace, now serves in his seat.

In 1959 Louise Lassiter of Seaboard challenged the literacy test that was required for people to register to vote. That case went to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled against her, saying the literacy test was not being used to target a specific race. “But that case laid a precedent for the 1965 Voting Rights Act that eliminated the literacy test in the United States of America.”

Butterfield told the audience, “My relationship with Northampton and Halifax counties is deep and it’s wide.”

In explaining those connections he said his mother began her teaching career in Northampton at the Rosenwald School in Gumberry in 1922.

In 1926, his mother’s sister married a Halifax County preacher who for 64 years pastored four churches in Northampton and Halifax counties — Mt. Zion in Seaboard, Cool Spring in Gaston, and Daniel Chapel Baptist Church and St. Paul Baptist Church both in Enfield. 

His mother’s sister became a classroom teacher at historic Inborden School in Enfield for decades. 

His mother’s brother was the principal at Halifax County Training School, which was later known as  Ralph Bunch School in Weldon.

Even his last week as presiding as a superior court judge was in Halifax County.

In 2004 he was elected to congress to represent the First District. “My responsibility as a federal representative was, yes, to go to Washington each week and cast intelligent votes in the House on behalf of my constituents but my other responsibility was to bring federal dollars into the district and I worked overtime doing that.”

Over the years, he said, “I was able to direct millions of dollars into the district.”

Said Butterfield: “I say all of this to say I am connected to these counties in so many ways and I consider it the honor of my life for the North Carolina Board of Transportation to recognize my work.”

He said, “Like most of you, I’ve lived in North Carolina all my life. I’ve seen our state evolve into a model for the nation but there is so much more work for us to do. The leaders of these two counties will want the world to know that they represent proud, hard working Americans who have the same dream, the same aspirations as citizens who reside in urban areas of our state. My advice to our political leaders is to double down on investing in rural communities. These communities are rich in character. As we face the future these communities need investment — not just love and best wishes. They need investment and economic opportunities for all of their citizens.”