William U. Bill Fletcher

Retired from the political arena in 2020. Moved to be closer to grandchildren in 2021. Now living in Fuquay-Varina.
Starting NC READS, Inc. A NC Charitable Corporation. 40% of our children are not learning to read. NC READS intends to change that. All children do learn…and reading is the most important like skill.

Music, music, music. Our 50th reunion was really a great event...an opportunity to reflect on how classmates, faculty and the culture at Broughton affected me. Believe it or not, I was kinda shy, not very athletic, not an academic standout. I did OK academically because it was expected by the school culture and my parents. What I enjoyed most was music... including symphonic band, marching band (and trips), orchestra, chorus and ensemble. When was they time for anything else?

Well, several of us found time to start an offshoot of "Up With People" and "sing Out America", a movement promoting Americanism and racial (and political) inclusion. The local group was called "Sing Out Tarheels" and there were about 60 members from several Wake high schools. We sang songs "What color is God's skin" and "Which way America?" I was one of the musical directors. One day while the group was performing on the steps in front of the state capitol building, in the middle of a performance, a man crossed in front of the group and handed me a business card. After the performance I looked at the card. It read "You are being watched by the Knights of the Klu Klux Klan." OMG! What does a 17 year old white kid do with that? And that's an interesting story involving the SBI. Needless to say, I'm still here!

Thanks Broughton for a quality education and for feeding my gifts and talents.