The North Carolina General Assembly can often times be a self-serving place where politicians stroke their own ego instead of doing what they should do to serve the citizens of our state.

Recently, however, the Assembly has provided the type of recognition so richly deserved by one of our native sons.

In this year’s session, Representatives Michael Wray and Howard Hunter Jr. introduced a Joint Resolution honoring the life work of a Northampton County minister that touched not only that county, but just about all of the others in this state.

The life of the Rev. Sherley Edwards can’t be properly recognized by a piece of paper adopted by the House and Senate. Nor can it be properly written in a newspaper.

Rev. Edwards was a man of integrity who was a civil rights and education activist his entire life. He touched the lives of countless children in Northampton County and throughout the Roanoke-Chowan area.

During his 90-year life on earth, Rev. Edwards received the Northampton County NAACP Award, the Migrant Mission Ministry Award, the Richard Allen Ebony Experience Award, the Fayetteville State University Award of Excellence and the Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award.

He helped serve civic organizations, including the Northampton County Parents and Teachers Association, the Farmers and Homemakers Association of Northampton County, the Northampton County NAACP, the Northampton County Baptist Association and the Northampton County Ministers Council.

It is through those organizations and through pulpits at Second Baptist Potecasi Church and New Haven Baptist Church that Rev. Edwards touched the lives of more people than most of us will ever know.

During his life, Rev. Edwards was a force in Northampton County without ever losing his Christian values. He always carried himself with the dignity and honor he embodies.

We consider ourselves fortunate that during part of his life, Rev. Edwards served as a columnist for this newspaper.

Northampton County and the Roanoke-Chowan region lost a great man in 2004 and it is a good thing to see the North Carolina General Assembly honor him the way he so richly deserved.