Meet Nettie

In 1970 Nettie began her career with Sears Catalog Merchandise Distribution Center as a packer.  She retired in 1993 as assistant manager of Asset Recovery.  She was educated in Management and Supervision and Substance Abuse Counseling at GTCC.

Nettie began her career with the Partnership Project in 1994 and was trained in Community Building/Organizing at Marin Institute in Marin Ca.  In 1997, she attended a workshop at The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond based in New Orleans, La.  This training dramatically changed her life and her work and she was selected as a trainer in training for the Institute in 1999.  Nettie is executive director of the Partnership Project.

Nettie has advocated for human rights most of her adult life, by participating in the Lunch Counter Sit-In marches in the 60’s, and getting involved in east Greensboro community activities in the 1970’s.  She initiated the organizing of residents in her community and started an association to address critical issues of blight and neglect. Much has been accomplished but there is still much to do.

In 1980 she was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and elected as Democratic County co-chair in 1988.  She presently serves as chair of the Senior Democrats.

Nettie has organized and held Undoing Racism™ workshops throughout Greensboro and surrounding cities.  She has spoken before Civic and church groups and at national conferences. Her organizing and training has spanned the Greensboro community, reaching neighborhood residents, politicians, organizations, clergy, foundations, college’s universities and business individuals.

She and her co-workers introduced the anti-racism concepts to the Guilford College faculty and students.  Nettie was co- teacher in the Justice and Policy Studies Courses at Guilford for four years.  She also participated in the movement that resulted in Guilford College starting a twenty year program to become an anti-racist institution.

Nettie was married to her husband Willie, from 1954 until his passing in 2003.  She is the mother of two sons, Henry J. Lewis and W. Perry Coad and adopted son, James Sharper.  She has three granddaughters and two great grand children.  She is a founding member of Saint Paul Baptist Church where she has served as a secretary, scout leader, choir member, missionary and ward member.

Nettie has been recognized by numerous organizations: 1988 Guilford County Democratic Party Outstanding Dedication, 1990 Commission on the Status of Women, 1990 City of Greensboro Community Service, 1993 African American Atelier Woman of Distinction, 1994 NAACP Community Service, 1995 Bennett College Belle Ringer Image, 1996 Chamber of Commerce Human Service, 1999 Sertoma Service to Mankind, 1999 Nominated for the President Clintons Community Service, 2000 Z. Smith Reynolds Race Relations, 2002 The People’s Institute Community Organizing, 2004 Annual Heritage Award Reid Memorial CME Church.