Ring to it: Bell naming official

Larry Bell’s soulful voice resonated inside the sanctuary of Poplar Grove Missionary Baptist Church as he offered his thanks through song in the same place he grew up and attended school, and still worships every Sunday. In that very church, a modest haven in northeast Sampson County, surrounded by family, friends and supporters, Bell saw a five-mile stretch of Interstate 40 officially named in his honor, a tribute to a life dedicated to the betterment of his community, county and state.

An educator, school administrator, county leader and state lawmaker, Bell held a number of roles over his life of public service, leaving an indelible mark along the way. Friday’s dedication ceremony for Representative Larry M. Bell Highway was hosted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and attended by some of the many who know and love Bell.

“You don’t know it feels to be honored for something like this, when you can see it and hear everybody. I’d rather for it to be an honor program than a memorial program,” said Bell to applause. “I just appreciate you all coming. You don’t know how warm it is to see all of you here.”

An emotional Bell talked about his late wife Macie, and said he couldn’t have such a ceremony without acknowledging just how much she meant to him. She was the “wind beneath my wings,” Bell said.

“It’s kind of hard to be here and think about all those who’ve gone on,” said Bell, who also mentioned his parents. “Really, I’m the only one left in my immediate family. There were seven of us. It’s kind of tough, but they all push me to move forward.”

Born in the Poplar Grove area of Sampson County, Bell graduated from Douglass High School in Duplin County, and later from North Carolina A&T State University. He spent 36 years as a coach, teacher, principal, supervisor and assistant superintendent in the Sampson County Schools, serving the last six years as the first Black school superintendent in Sampson County.

He served as a county commissioner for 10 years, and devoted 18 years to the North Carolina House of Representatives, where he served the residents of a district that included Sampson, Duplin and Wayne counties.

Warsaw Mayor Rev. Dr. A.J. Connors called Bell “an outstanding teacher,” who was well-dressed and professional, regardless of the occasion.

“When I was in his classroom, I was a little shorter than him, but I always looked up to him, and now that I’m taller than him, and wider than him, I still look up to Dr. Larry Bell,” said Connors. “When God calls him home, which we hope will be no time soon, I will still be looking up to Dr. Larry Bell. He is an outstanding citizen of this great country.”

Mary Brown, former chair of the Sampson County Board of Education, said her memories of Bell are ones of a kind, dignified family man whose staff and constituents respected him immensely because of how he carried himself and how he represented them.

“He loved the children, he loved his staff and I think he cared for the school board,” she said to laughs. “Most of you who know Dr. Bell, will know how humble he has been. Dr. Bell has been so gracious in all his endeavors. It’s so fitting that we honor him with his highway dedication. Dr. Bell, thank you for being the person you are, thank you for being a peer and thank you for all the work you did to get our children where they needed to be.”

Gloria Edwards, former communications officer for Sampson County Schools, served as Bell’s public relations person. She recalled when Bell took over as superintendent for the system. He came in when relationships between the SCS administration and the school board, as well as the county commissioners, were frayed. On top of that, the system was being sued by the Office of Civil Rights, Edwards recalled.

“I thought ‘this man has really got a job ahead of him’, but he took it on and he dealt with the situations,” she said. “If it was not for Larry Bell, we would not have come out as well as we did. We were a better system because of his efforts.”

Working side by side with Bell, Edwards recalled his way of listening, taking everything in before offering a measured response.

“He was soft-spoken, but when he does speak, you need to listen,” Edwards stated.

That voice may have been soft when speaking, but carried weight and a tune. Bell was known as the “singing superintendent,” quick to offer a song. Edwards would accompany him on the piano. They would go from school to school, and Bell would speak to students and then, from time to time, he would offer a song as well. The two ventured around the county — even made a quick trip to New York one time — and one day Bell took Edwards to Hargrove Elementary School.

He took her toward the center of the building and then down to the end of the hall.

“You know where you’re standing?” Bell asked Edwards. “You’re in my very first classroom.”

When Bell started out, they brought in a few desks, as well as a chair and desk for Bell, along with a blackboard. and he got to work, right there in the hallway. Bell was a teacher starting out, doing whatever he could for his students despite the challenges, like so many other young educators.

“You’ve gone from hallways to highways,” said Edwards. “You’ve been a teacher, a principal, a superintendent. You’ve been a county commissioner, you’ve been a member of the House of Representatives, you’ve been a member of the community and you’ve been a member of everyone you’ve ever met’s family. You are family.”

Sherry Matthews, general manager of The Sampson Independent, quoted Nelson Mandela’s assertion that education was the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world.

“I call tell you that Larry Bell wielded that weapon with a gentle power that has affected Sampson County Schools, Sampson County and really the entire state in all the many roles he has played,” Matthews stated. “He has taught us and educated us through his example through all the years he’s been around.”

Matthews recounted going to Hobbton Elementary School back in 1992, and first meeting Bell, an experience she felt embodied the man and the leader she would come to know. She saw Bell sitting in the cafeteria talking to a little boy, listening intently to the youngster. Just a few moments later, he was in the kitchen with one of the workers, offering an ear to her. He went into the classrooms and listened to the teachers after that, each time giving his undivided attention to the person in front of him.

“He was focused on the people that were important to him, which was those people in that school at that time,” said Matthews. “He has through the course of his leadership taught us so many things. One of those things is to be a compassionate listener. Another is to treat people equally, no matter their age, no matter their race, no matter their socio-economic status.”

She said Bell has used his wisdom, and let his conscience guide him, not swayed by party politics or divisive discourse.

“He has always been a unifier — a voice for the voiceless, a champion for children, for senior citizens, for farmers and small business owners.” she said. “He has done that with a gentleness and a humbleness that is really hard to find. That we are naming a portion of I-40 in his honor today is a fitting tribute to a man who has given so much and asked so little.”

NC Rep. Marvin Lucas of Cumberland County was one of Bell’s closest friends in the Legislature for many years. They would go to lunch every day. If Lucas wasn’t ready, Bell would wait, and vice versa. They co-chaired the Education Policy Committee, which Lucas called “one of the most pleasant experiences” of his life. They traveled across the state, and from state to state, championing North Carolina’s status and its hopes for the future of education.

“Nobody in Raleigh could say anything bad about Larry Bell because he commanded such respect,” Lucas attested.

When Bell chose not to seek reelection to the NC House of Representatives in 2018, Lucas said it left a void for him.

“I’ve missed him ever since,” said Lucas. “I’ve missed him so much, I’m going to leave too. It’s not the same without my buddy in Raleigh. We know the evolution of time suggests we do move on, but having moved on, we recognize the work speaks for you. And that work still speaks for Larry Bell. I’m so happy to know that we’re going to have a corridor — one that transcends the full state — that has a section right here in Sampson known as Larry M. Bell Highway. Congratulations Larry, we’re so proud of you.”

In January, the North Carolina Board of Transportation approved the honorary designation of I-40 from mile marker 352 to mile marker 357 in Sampson County as Representative Larry M. Bell Highway. The move was the culmination of an endeavor that began last year.

During that effort, Larry Bell Jr. said it was time to recognize “the exceptional service, dedication and unwavering commitment” of his father. Others agreed. The endeavor received a groundswell of support, bolstered by local government leaders, which officially requested that the N.C. Department of Transportation designate a portion of I-40 in honor of Bell.

“State Rep. Bell worked tirelessly for the betterment of Sampson, Wayne and Duplin counties and their citizens,” a resolution adopted by the N.C. Board of Transportation stated. Among the many accolades through the years,

“This gesture would not only serve as a lasting reminder of his remarkable service but also as an inspiration for future generations to follow in his footsteps,” the younger Bell stated then. “This gesture would pay homage to his dedicated service and the impact he made in our community, ensuring that his name remains etched in the history of our county and state.”

On Friday, the younger Bell thanked the many who helped him honor the legacy of his father, who he called a remarkable statesman. He said that the impact his father has had, and the naming that has now been realized, serves as a testament to the power of dedication and public service. He recognized the many family and friends in attendance, along with the guest speakers, dignitaries, government officials and others.

“They say you should give people their flowers while they’re still here, while they can still smell them,” said Larry Bell Jr. of his father, who will turn 84 in August. He introduced his father at Friday’s ceremony.

After the elder Bell offered his brief reflections, thanking those in attendance and conceding to his reputation for being quick to song, he recalled how it all began.

In the beginning, he was just a boy singing in church, at the behest of his mother, who would play the organ. The church recorded some of those songs by Bell onto a CD as a tribute to his mother years back, and every once in a while they’ll play one of his selections. He’ll come up to the church podium and offer his vocals to the track.

He did just that on Friday, from that familiar spot at his home church, closing his comments with a rendition of “To God be the Glory.”

Those lyrics, belted out by Bell as some sang along, and others wiped away tears, read: “How can I say thanks, for the things He has done for me, things so undeserved, yet you give to prove your love for me. The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude, all that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to you. To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory, for the things He has done. With His blood, He has saved me; With His power, He has raised me. To God be the glory, for the things he has done. Just let me live my life; let it be pleasing, Lord to Thee, Should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary.”

Rev. Willie Alford, pastor of Poplar Grove Missionary Baptist Church, said all the roles Bell has played — educator, politician, humanitarian, even singer — were gifts from God to a faithful servant. He said the man he knows as Deacon Larry Bell decided to stay in the Poplar Grove community, where he grew up the son of John Moseley Bell and Fannie Mae and did his parents, family and community proud.

Despite all the experiences and the accolades, he chose to stay in the place that has given him so much, Alford said of Bell.

“He continues to lead by example,” said Alford, who has been pastor at the church for more than three decades. “As of today, he is the oldest male member on the church roll at Poplar Grove Missionary Baptist. He’s been our mentor for many years. We thank God, Dr. Bell, for your service, for your support — we are a better church, better human beings, better Christians, because of your presence. I can speak for the entire church: we love you, and there’s nothing you can do about it. We are friends and family, always and forever.”