NORTH CAROLINA, USA — The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is searching for clues after 71-year-old Theodore Anthony Spearman was found dead in Greensboro.
Rev. Anthony Spearman, the former president of the North Carolina NAACP, and social justice advocate, was found in his home on Farlow Drive, according to deputies.
Investigators said 9-1-1 dispatchers received a call after 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Earlier AME Zion church officials said he was not pastoring but rather serving as the Piedmont Episcopal District Coordinator of Economic and Political Empowerment.
Rev. Spearman also served as a member of the Guilford County Board of Elections.
Repairers of the Breach, a non-profit organization released a statement on the passing of the Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman.
"North Carolina and the nation have lost a champion for justice and a beloved public servant with the death of Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman. My heart is broken. Tears seem not to be enough so I have not cried yet. I’ve only been silent and in prayer for his family. I have lost a true brother in the struggle. We have all lost a freedom fighter, a man deeply committed to justice, and a man of true faith. We have lost a scholar, a preacher, a voting rights defender, an advocate for prison reform and for the wrongfully accused, and a stalwart soldier in the cause of love and justice for all humankind. This great man’s efforts and commitment should be cherished. We must honor his life and continue his work. But right now, we must love and support his wife and his family."
According to the NC Council of Churches, for the past 52 years, Rev. Spearman was heavily involved in community activism. He was an advocate for keeping Voter Photo ID out of NC. Rev. Spearman was also loyal and passionate about fighting criminal injustice.
This is an ongoing investigation.
If you have any information about Spearman’s death, call Crime Stoppers at (336) 373-1000.
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