The Story

Since 1976, Strike at the Wind!, a musical outdoor drama, has told the true story of the Lowrie War, one of the most important events in North Carolina history. The drama opens in 1865, at the end of the Civil War. Henry Berry Lowrie, a 17-year old Lumbee Indian boy, is confronted with the unjustified murder of his father and brother at the hands of the Confederate Home Guard. Determined to avenge their deaths and restore freedom to the Indian and African-American communities who had been victims of racial injustice, Henry Berry, along with members of his family and neighboring whites and blacks, wages a seven year “war” against the “Old South.” Along the way, Henry has a family of his own with wife Rhoda Strong and he becomes a kind of Robin Hood to the poor families of Robeson County. But the “Old South” does not die easily—Lowrie’s compatriots are jailed and executed and eventually Lowrie himself mysteriously disappears in 1872. But the story does not have a sad ending; ultimately, Henry Berry Lowrie is victorious in his quest to uphold the rights of poor people. They earn their right to vote, pursue an education, and live without fear. Strike at the Wind! embodies the values of freedom, independence, and equality on which our nation and state were founded.

 

Strike at the Wind! opened in the summer of 1976, and since then, over a thousand people have been cast or crew members and tens of thousands have enjoyed the drama from the audience. When you see Strike at the Wind!, you will be moved not only by the story, but by how the local community has kept the drama alive. The play brings together the three races of southeastern North Carolina—Black, White, and Lumbee Indian—in a unified attempt to portray a piece of history that is important to everyone. Over its almost thirty-year history, it has furnished an income and meaningful activity for people who come from all walks of life. Some are professional actors and technicians, but most are students, teachers, construction workers, waitresses, elected officials, and musicians.

Strike at the Wind! was written by Dr. Randolph Umberger, Jr., professor of Theater at North Carolina Central University. The music was composed by Willie French Lowery, a Lumbee songwriter, publisher, and recording artist from Pembroke, N.C.

Click here for a scene synopsis