The second annual Caldwell County Black Sports Hall of Fame was hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Center on Friday, August 2. The event included the induction of 5 new members and was accompanied by a meal. A meet and greet was hosted from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards from 6 to 8 p.m.
Opening the event was a meet and greet between inductees, family members, and the surrounding community, which fed into a welcome from induction committee member James Patterson, a reading of the mission statement from committee member Arthur Horton, an introdcuction of other members from center director Lester Whittington and a blessing and invocation from Lenoir City Council member and Rev. James “Ike” Perkins. Food was delivered and the guests dined until Darryl Perkins began to announce the inductees.
According to Arthur Horton of the induction committee, Black athletes who are graduates from Caldwell County high schools may be eligible for entry based on a combination of factors including personal history, athletic accomplishments, personal character and community involvement. 4 living athletes are inducted each year alongside 1 deceased athlete. The event is designed both to share the history and accomplishments of the Black community in Caldwell County and to ensure that younger generations have a point of contact with that community, Horton said.
Toni Steed-Smith was inducted for her basketball history. She won back to back AAA championships in 1984 and 1985, and was Co-MVP in all her tournaments. Steed-Smith was a “4 year letter winner and 4 year starter at power forward,” according to the center.
Darrell “Lightning” Lipford was inducted for his football accomplishments. A 1974 Lenoir High School graduate, Lipford played high school football, basketball and track while enrolled and was “all-conference, Northwestern Conference Player of the Year and All-State in Football in 1973 and 1974,” according to the center. Lipford was the Western Carolina University All-Time Leading Rusher in 1977 and was 2nd nationwide in scoring in the same year. He is also “1st College Back in NC with 4,000 yards career rushing.”
Henry “Bulldog” Patterson was selected for his boxing. Patterson played tennis, football and basketball, swam and boxed for Freedman High School. He played basketball for Lenoir High School in his junior and senior year, becoming one of the Circle 5. He joined the Caldwell County Bulldogs semipro football team as a wide receive before becoming a professional boxer in 1970, eventually becoming the NC Heavyweight Champion in 1983, according to the center.
Derek Witherspoon was elected for his time as a coach, athlete and educator. Witherspoon was the only person on his football team to get a letter for all 4 years of school. He has 40 years of experience as an educator, including at Asheville and Chapel Hill High Schools. Witherspoon has also worked for 25 years as a coach of baseball, track, cross country and golf, and coached the 1986 and 1987 Women’s 4-A State Basketball Champion team, according to the center. At the event, Witherspoon noted that he has coached professional athletes.
Each of the athletes inducted had an opportunity to give a speech highlighting their accomplishments and thanking those who assisted them to that point, and at the event’s conclusion Whittington thanked the attendees and invited the guests to the coming Harambee Festival, set to take place the following week.
Horton wanted to thank Phil Horton for donating the plaques and medallions presented to the honorees, and to extend his gratitude to the community and donors that made this event possible.
“I’d like to thank all the board members who have made time for the sports,” Horton said. “That’s very commendable of them.” He went onto thank “the sponsors who have contributed, the local churches … who have sent money and their time to help get the word out. Their participation is vital to the success of identifying everyone who is worthy of being inducted into the hall.”
