October 2012 AC Phoenix

In Our 29th Year

Issure No. 2011

October 2012

Associate Consultant

A Community’s Passionate Journey to Save Black Youth

by John Raye!

Mr. Bill McClain If the future of Black America rests in the hands of Black youth, some parents, grandparents and elders in any given Black community are probably a bit frustrated at this looming reality and also probably a bit nervous about their own future.

Serving the Triad

Free

A WSTA Super Soldier Steps Down for the Last Time

By John Raye

These days, some sad faces abounds at the Winston-Salem Transit Authority, the agency that oversees public transportation for the city, and is responsible for moving some 14,000 daily passengers safely to and from their homes, jobs, educational institutions and other outlets.

Uncertainty, gross confusion or abject sadness may be the best way to describe The agency is losing one of its pillars, somethe current future outlook for Black one, who, as they say, “makes the train—only this time it’s the buses--run on time”. youth in this country.

Note these two facts. The nation’s prison and jail population currently stands at about 2.7 million; of that number, 65 % are Black males. On the national level, upwards of 40% of Black children in grades 7-12 have been suspended or expelled at some point in their school careers as opposed to 20% of Hispanics and 15% of Whites.

Despite this disparity, many Black youth continue to excel in the classroom and all are not headed for “the Big House” or the “state farm”. And all do not parade around in public wearing clothing that suggests their brains got hijacked and ended up in the wrong place.

That special someone would be Martha Jones, the second-longest serving member of the WSTA board of directors, and an extraordinary public servant who has long volunteered her time, talent and resources, free of charge, to community based, civic, social, religious, business and political organizations for well over half a century.

Still, there is a clear disconnect, a troubling undercurrent, a disturbing presence that something must Earlier this month, Jones gave notice to the board that it was time to relinquish the seat be done, and done soon, if this trend is to be stopped, changed or reversed. she has held continuously for a quarter of a century, 25 years.

Putting boots on the ground to deal with this unfolding undercurrent is the Winston-Salem-based, GIDE-YEA program, which is better known as the Youth Education Academy.

[Continued on page 12] [Continued on page 10] drafted into the Army, his comic skills were discovered and he moved to Chicago after his service. There he became a cohort of comedians like Bill Cosby. But “Playboy” founder Hugh Hefner put Gregory on the map after hearing him perform a racially satiric routine in front of a predominantly white audience.

Gregory began performing at Gregory is practically his own the then popular Playboy Club chapter of Black history. The St. and the rest is definitely black Louis native once ran for Pres- history.

Living legend, national treasure and ident and got his start as a civil civil rights and health activist Dick rights leader after excelling at Gregory’s popularity and his Gregory turns 80 this Friday. track in high school. After being skits [Continued on page 14]

Dick Gregory Celebrates a Milestone

When you turn 80 these days, it’s something to celebrate. Living legend, national treasure and civil rights and health activist Dick Gregory turns 80 this Friday and will be celebrated via a 3-hour live radio tribute this Friday on “The Carl Nelson Show” on 1450 WOL Radio in Washington, D.C.

Inside This Issue America In Denial

pg 2

The New Flu

pg 4

More Americans Are Walking...

pg 6

Lowes Announces $100,000 Grant

pg 11

Mount Sinai / Belk Benefit

pg 14

2 The AC Phoenix October 2012

Tavis Smiley PBS talk show host, PRI radio host

America in Denial

I’m proud to be an American, I just want Americans to have more to be proud of -- a high quality education, a good-paying job, a place to call home, some savings on which to retire.

Most Americans aren’t asking for much, and they realize there’s no victory in victimization.

They just want a chance to get in the game, play by one set of rules and have a shot at winning.

The recent jobs report underscores that many Americans have gotten tired of standing on the sidelines waiting for their number to be called.

So the August unemployment rate falls (slightly) because hundreds of thousands of fellow citizens have given up even looking for jobs.

How does America win again if we can’t even field a team?

economy. He argues that debt-laden 20-something college graduates will become 30 and 40-something, burdened with even more debt, working part-time dead-end jobs. In the desperate competition for fewer career opportunities, personal dignity will go the way of decent pay.

As I read the book, I kept saying to myself, “This is what happens to the middle class, say nothing of the poorest Americans!”

We are in a state of denial about our future -- if we think that the salvation of the nation rests on another tax cut, another voucher, another election, or another stock market boom.

“This is really the story of America, how the market system, especially in the global era, Americans seem to be in a perpetual state of We are in a state of denial about the present -- took away a lot of jobs in America that used denial. About our past, our present and our how bad things really are. to provide a middle class income, especially future. A friend of mine teases that even Amerin the manufacturing sector. Instead of the icans who don’t live in a state of denial, tend to The late Texas congresswoman Barbara Jordan government helping to create new skills, new be frequent visitors. once said that the American people all want industries, and so on, the government teamed essentially the same thing: to live in a nation as with the most powerful and richest interests in What are we in denial about? Most things, but good as its promise. Nobody is asking for more, this country. That’s how campaigns are made, especially the state of our union. It seems that and nobody ought to settle for less. But, in and since those 30 years, they have continued without regard to who occupies the Oval Office, truth, America is not yet a nation as good as its to side with the top 1 percent and totally ignore come January we hear that predictable refrain promise. There’s a huge gap between the prom- the bottom -- the poorest people -- and once in the president’s annual address, “The state of ise of America and the possibility in America for in a while say something about the middle, but our union is strong.” I guess it depends on how ALL citizens. really only pay attention to the top,” economist you define “strong,” but you’d have to have a [Continue on page 11] very liberal definition of “strong” to be bragging Author Jeff Faux argues in his new text, THE about the present state of our union. Let’s face SERVANT ECONOMY: Where America’s Elite is it, we’re in the deep end and a whole lot of folk Sending the Middle Class, that our much-touted don’t have life jackets. service economy is fast becoming a “servant”

October 2012 The AC Phoenix 3

4 The AC Phoenix October 2012

The New Flu: Are You At Risk?

Last year was the mildest flu season on record. However, experts are warning that the 2012 flu season is likely to be more serious.

“People cannot become complacent this year,” said Dr. Howard Koh, assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Influenza strains constantly evolve, and some cause more illness than others. For example, two new strains of flu have begun circling the globe, and last year’s flu shot won’t offer protection against them.

One of the strains includes a new H3N2 strain, which tends to be harsher than other flu types.

So, what can you do?

The good news is that vaccines have been updated accordingly, and government reports are showing that they are working well to fight against these new strains. Only one ingredient in this year’s flu vaccine was retained from last year’s, protection against the H1N1 strain that caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic and has been the main kind of influenza circulating since. Also new in the 2012 shot is protection against a different Type B strain.

The bad news? Adults are still not getting vaccinated, particularly in the black community. A yearly vaccination is still the most recommended method of protection for nearly everybody. New figures show that last year, while 52 percent of children, only 39 percent of adults were immunized.

Seniors & The Flu Seniors are at especially high risk of severe illness or death if they catch the flu, but just 66 percent of them were immunized, a number that has been slowly dropping for several years.

Older adults got a little lost in the recent public health push to explain that flu vaccine benefits all ages — and it’s time to target them again, said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a flu specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The only ones who shouldn’t get vaccinated: babies younger than 6 months and people with severe allergies to the eggs used to make the vaccine.

What else do you need to know about the 2012 flu season?

Manufacturers are expected to make about 135 million doses of flu vaccine this year, and there are four different forms to choose from: • The traditional flu shot is for all ages and people with high-risk health conditions.

• FluMist, the squirt-up-the-nose version, is for healthy people ages 2 to 49 who aren’t pregnant.

• A high-dose shot is available for people 65 and older.

• The intradermal shot — a skin-deep prick instead of the usual inch-long needle — is available for 18- to 64-year-olds.

• The vaccine is covered by insurance, and Medicare and some plans don’t require a copay; drugstore vaccination programs tend to charge about $30.

People can be vaccinated anytime, but Jernigan cautioned that it takes about two weeks for protection to kick in. Flu typically starts to appear in October or November, and peaks in January or February.

Also this year, public health groups are urging workers in doctors’ offices, hospitals and particularly nursing homes, where patients are especially vulnerable, to do a better job getting vaccinated.

By Lucas Johnson, BDO Staff Writer

October 2012 The AC Phoenix 5

Giving all children a quality education by pefncadmin

Imagine being Mary Russell in Jarvisburg, Tangela Harper in Asheville, Cynthia Franks in Charlotte or any other parent whose children attend schools that aren’t meeting their needs and cannot move to an area with better schools or pay private school tuition.

These parents are among many that PEFNC engaged across the state earlier this year while garnering support for an opportunity scholarship program in North Carolina. These parents told us that a $4,000 scholarship would allow them to send their child to a quality school. With North Carolina’s average private school tuition being $5,400, these parents said they are more than willing to sacrifice to make up the difference.

A recent article referred to opportunity scholarships as “a voucher plan” that siphons money from traditional public schools. But this argument bears no factual truth – the cost of an opportunity scholarship is less than what the state spends per student, thus resulting in savings for the state and taxpayers.

Also, increased funding does not always equal improved academic results. For example, Washington, D.C. has the highest per student expenditure in the country (over $16,000), yet ranks dead last in student performance nationally.

Similarly, North Carolina spent more than $35 billion on education over the past five years yet results for poor children have not improved. Even as the state’s four year cohort graduation rate increased to 80 percent in 2011, the number of poor students passing end-of-grade tests remained flat at 54 percent, according to the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI). And the achievement gap between low-income students and their wealthier peers on these tests increased to 30 percent, per DPI numbers.

These numbers are unfortunate reminders that our children are not receiving the “sound, basic education” promised by our state constitution. The article states that parents should not have to pay for schooling because it is the state’s responsibility, but what happens when that responsibility is not being met?

Opportunity scholarships serve the neediest children by rebuilding a more effective education system that better delivers on the constitutional promise to educate ALL children. This system does not advocate for one educational model over another, but embodies a collaborative relationship between our traditional and non-traditional schools.

When a constitutional promise isn’t met, poor students should not suffer. Whether a student succeeds in school should not be determined by where they live or how much their parents make. Education reform has become the civil rights issue of our time because the imbalances in the quality of education poor children receive have negative lifelong affects. The conversation regarding education in North Carolina should not be focused on funding one educational model, but ensuring that every child can attend a school that meets their needs, regardless of the model.

6 The AC Phoenix October 2012

More Americans Are Walking....But Is It Enough?

No exercise is more popular than walking, and more people walk these days than they did five years ago, according to a new CDC report. But is it enough to prevent disease and get in better shape?

According to experts, the majority of adults still need to increase the amount of exercise they get each week in order to meet federal health guidelines. Nearly a third of American adults still get no exercise at all.

“Fifteen million more American adults were walking in 2010, and that’s a great first step,” CDC director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, told reporters during a news briefing.

“It’s a great way to get started meeting the 2 1/2 hours per week of physical activity.”

And, Frieden says, people who walk are more likely to meet that goal; 60% of walkers get the recommended amount of exercise each week, about twice as many as those

who don’t walk.

“That’s much higher than those who don’t get that 10-minute walk,” he says, adding that for people who follow the guidelines, “physical activity really is a wonder drug that makes you healthier and happier… even if you don’t lose weight, physical activity decreases your risk of diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases.”

The CDC estimates that more than 145 million American adults — 62% of the population — took at least one 10-minute or longer walk per week in 2010. That’s a 6% increase since 2005. And increases occurred across all populations.

“Because walking or moving with assistance is possible for most persons, does not require special skills or facilities, and can serve multiple purposes, it represents a way many U.S. residents can achieve a more physically active lifestyle, regardless of sex, race/ethnicity, age, or education level,” the report’s researchers write.

About two-thirds of adults in the West get out and walk, the highest rate in the country. But the South showed the greatest increase of any region, up about 8% in five years. That’s good news for a region that, Frieden points out, consistently shows higher rates of diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and other chronic health problems.

“This is significant progress we are reporting,” he says.

By By Brittany Gatson, BDO Staff Writer

October 2012 The AC Phoenix 7

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October 2012 The AC Phoenix 9

10 The AC Phoenix October 2012 [Continued from page 1]

ties—homes in the Cleveland and Piedmont Park public housing areas.

Although the focus is on students who range from middle school to high school, the Academy program is also designed to help families in the targeted areas as well, and Tamara Patterson works directly with families as the Family Involvement Coordinator.

“We have flexibility in being creative in our approach to students and their families”, McClain said. “Members of our staff are uniquely qualified to work in challenging and diverse environments, McClain said.

The YEA has a strong focus on retention, corrective social behavior and academic achievement as North Carolina has one of the highest dropout rates in the nation.

“Many of the students in this special, after school program come from challenging environments. Many have difficulty dealing with the basics—reading, writing and math skills. But we are blessed to have a dedLed by the energy and vision of the redoubtable Bill McClain, the Youth icated staff who are committed and capable of dealing with such situaEducation Academy, is a 501-C-3, after-school program, organized and tions because some come from similar backgrounds and situations”, he designed to provide academic and tutorial services for inner city youth said. and their families.

The Youth Education Academy, now in its third year of a four year federThe program is funded by a federal grant and is administered by the North al grant, currently provides tutorial services and enrichment activities for Carolina Department of Public Instructions. some 200 students. What happens after the end of the grant depends on the changing winds in Washington. D.C. McClain, best known, perhaps, as the charismatic founder of the long-running Mr. Bill’s Productions, serves as program director for YEA. Paula Mc- “We’re working on a sustainability plan. But now, the focus is on helping Coy-Anderson is operations manager and Ward Miller serves as Chairman the students and families in the current program”, McClain said. of the GIDE—YEA board of directors.

He admits that working in this environment can, at times, be difficult and “Our primary focus with this program is to improve academic achieve- exhausting, but says it is his passion, his ministry, much like his other pasment and social behavior that will enhance graduation and reduce the sion--his jail ministry. dropout rate”, said McClain who has a long history of working with young people in the Winston-Salem area. A graduate of Greensboro College “Kids don’t care who you are”, he said. “They really don’t. Their first concern where he attended on a basketball scholarship, McClain went on to be- is how much you care about them”, he said. come the school’s first Black basketball coach., a position that would later keep his attention focused on helping, encouraging and serving as a mentor for young people. Before assuming the YEA post as program director, McClain served for 16 years as Director of Youth Services for the Winston Salem Housing Authority.

The motivation to work with young people, especially those having difficulty in their personal lives, came early in his life.

“I didn’t get to where I am today by myself. Don Moore, for example, the executive director of the old Salvation Boys Club, taught me the value of working with young people. But my first mentor was the legendary Moses Lucas of the YMCA, he was the man who taught me how to be a man, how to be disciplined and how to meet and treat people”, said McClain.

He is quick to give credit for the success of the YEA program to its dedicated and committed staff, including four site coordinators, Velma Terry, Hazeline Neely, Andre Russell and April Brown are responsible for program operations at their respective sites. The site coordinators work directly in targeted areas while providing after-school activities with a heavy focus on remedial training in math and literary skills.

The program employs certified public school teachers who provide tutorial services and assist with other academic needs.

The Academy also takes a holistic approach in helping to inspire and build self-esteem. This is the role assigned to Antonio Wilson who serves as the Arts, Fitness and Leadership Coordinator and program assistants, Alicia Malone and Xavier Griffin.

The Youth Education Academy operates in four targeted areas, primarily in East Winston. The sites include the Rollings Hills Apartment, Parkland High School and surrounding area, and two public housing communi-

October 2012 The AC Phoenix 11

LOWE’S ANNOUNCES $100,000 GRANT TO BENEFIT THE CHILDREN’S HOME

a new hot water heater as well as an industrial dishwasher in the cafeteria. These upgrades will be used year-round, not just when school is in session, because of the many programs offered at The Children’s Home.

“Lowe’s is committed to recognizing and supporting efforts that enrich the lives of our neighbors and customers,” said Marshall Croom, chairman of Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “By supporting organizations like The Children’s Home, we believe we are contributing to a cause that’s important to our customers and employees and helping build stronger foundation comLowe’s donates funds to renovate Kingmunities.” swood School’s technology, gymnasium, Since its inception in 1957, Lowe’s Charitacafeteria and auditorium ble and Educational Foundation has helped communities nationwide through employWinston-Salem, N.C. – Lowe’s Charitable ee volunteerism and financial contributions. and Educational Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to Kingswood School at The Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed Children’s Home. Funding will be used to more than $25 million to support communiupgrade Kingswood School’s technology ty and education projects across the United resources as well as for much needed imStates and Canada in 2008. provements in core areas of the school.

Kingswood School will use the grant to expand the school’s technology resources with the addition of a wireless computer lab, smart board and sound system. Funds will also be used to improve the school’s gymnasium by adding shower stalls and

ABOUT KINGSWOOD SCHOOL AT THE CHILDREN’S HOME Kingswood School is a unique public/private partnership between the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and The Children’s Home. The school, which opened in

Black Panther Historic Marker Unveiled A local historic marker commemorating the contributions of the Winston-Salem chapter of the Black Panther Party was unveiled at 3 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 14, at the corner of Fifth Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. In 1969, Winston-Salem became the first Southern city with a chapter of the Black Panther Party. The chapter offered community service programs, including free breakfasts for school children, sickle cell anemia testing, and the Joseph Waddell People’s Free Ambulance Service, which received national acclaim. Speakers included Mayor Allen Joines, Council members Vivian H. Burke and Derwin L. Montgomery, former Council Member Nelson Malloy, and former Alderman Larry D. Little.

America in Denial [Continued from page 2]

Jeffrey Sachs said to me on my PBS television program.

We are in a state of denial about our past -- how we really got here.

As kids, we used to equality and freedom joke that denial is not for their spirits.” just a river in Egypt. Indeed, it is not. But this Do you believe? is no laughing matter.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once famously said, “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity,

Tavis Smiley PBS talk show host, PRI radio host

August 2010, currently serves children in middle and high school. The WS/FC schools provide the teachers and The Children’s Home provides the facilities as well as counselors who work in the classrooms with children who have had difficulty succeeding in a more typical classroom. The Children’s Home’s 212-acre campus is an additional resource used to expose children to a working farm, farm animals, a vegetable garden, and a variety of other recreational opportunities.

ABOUT LOWE’S Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company’s signature education grant program, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006. Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. In 2010, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

12 The AC Phoenix October 2012

A WSTA Super Soldier Steps Down for the Last Time [Continue from page 1] Now, for the second time in her 84 years, Martha Jones is retiring again. Sixteen years ago, in 1996, she retired from the North Carolina State University Expanded Food and Nutrition Service, a position she held for some 25 years.

All total, she served the state of North Carolina for 36 years and became the first African-American to serve in the expanded-food and nutrition program at the NC State Cooperative Extension Service.

Widely known and admired for her voluminous volunteer work, compassionate spirit and legendary community service, Jones was first appointed to the WSTA board in 1987.

massive, right-brain stroke in 2009 sent her back to the hospital for a third time, with another life threatening condition. “ I didn’t know I was having a stroke until I went back to the hospital for the second time after feeling dizzy and seeing my mouth twisted. They kept me for several days, then sent me back home, saying they found no evidence of a stroke.

However, a short while later, the symptoms came back while I was home. I fell and was on the floor for four hours before I managed to get some help and went back to the hospital again”, she said.

“Someone dropped my name in the hat”, she said with a chuckle, responding to a question about how she ended up on the board.

This time the evidence of a serious stroke was obvious as her left side is now paralyzed, a condition which has severely limited her mobility, but not her “I’ve always wanted to help, to make a difference wherever I could”, she said, spirit. With the assistance of a walking cane, she is still able to walk, and to exuding the warm, self-confident manner that has endeared her to a gener- even drive her own car. ation of area residents, young and old alike. Some call her Martha “Helper” Jones because of her willingness to serve and help so many people who “She’s a rare human being. I’ve never seen anyone like her. She’s a true role called when they had no other place to go. For many, “Helper” Jones was model, an inspiration to everyone”, said Tina Carson-Wilkins, WSTA Marketthe, last resort, the person to call in time or trouble, need or disaster. ing /Community Relations Director.

“I just do the best I can wherever I can especially when it comes to working Even with the death of two husbands, the loss of both parents, two triple with all of these young people”, she said. heart by-pass surgeries, a debilitating right-brain stroke and raising five children, Jones somehow found a way to continue her role as a public Though responsible for leadership and policy implementation, WSTA board servant. members do not get paid. They serve at the pleasure of the manager and mayor where the average tenure is two-year terms. But it’s safe to say when “She’s just super special, just one of a kind. And she does not get paid for any Martha Jones speaks, everyone listens. of this volunteer work. You just don’t find too many people like her these days,” Carson-Wilkins said. Jones extensive work didn’t stop when she went “I kept getting re-appointed year after year, so I guess they just didn’t want on the WSTA board 25 years ago. In her so called, “spare time”, she volunme to leave”, said Jones, whose youthful appearance belies her 84 years. De- teered her service at: fiantly old school in mannerism and appearance , she could very well be, “Ma Jones”, she said, all because of her willingness to share, serve, and help • Meals on Wheels for 33 years those in need without looking or expecting any kind of monetary consider• Crisis Control ation.

• United Negro College Fund • Paisley Democratic Prescient, 12 years as Chair Her stewardship at WSTA is all the more remarkable considering the many • Wake Forest Infant Mortality Coalition personal challenges she has endured. Jones married twice, has been wid• Goodwill Industries owed twice, her last husband passed in 1989, then later in the same year, her • After School Tutoring father passed.

• Winston-Salem Urban League Two years later, in 1991, she lost her mother, and then her own health began to fail.

“Someone said they thought they were looking at a dead person”, Jones said, referring to the first of two triple by-pass heart surgeries and later, a stroke that nearly took her life. Her first triple by-pass surgery occurred in 1995. Earlier, in 1993, she underwent major back surgery.

In between all of this volunteer service, Jones found time to attend and graduate from a course of Instructions in Municipal Government, offered by the city at Winston-Salem State University. She also found time to work on numerous political campaigns including those of President Obama and State Representative Larry Womble.

Jones steady leadership has long been aWSTA trademark, so long that she will be nearly impossible to replace, said Carson-Wilkens.

Four years ago, in 2008, she was back in the ICU again; her second triple bypass heart surgery. One time during open heart surgery, she stayed in the “We are simply in awe of her. She will be greatly missed. We’ll probably never ICU for a mind-numbing 17 days. get another Martha Jones unless the good Lord sends down one of his angels”, she said. “I’ve been here 21 years, and I’ve never seen anyone like “They thought I was gone, that I wouldn’t make it”, she said, as a confident, her”, she said. relaxed smile creeps across her face.

This description of a servant-leader like Jones becomes obvious the moBut this giving and sharing mother of five children, and now a blessed ment you enter her well-kept, tastefully decorated Thurmond Street home; grandmother of 16, a great-grandmother of 33 and a great-great grandwhere an entire room has been re-constructed to display an ever-growing mother of 10, did make it, and continues to reach out to others, despite her list of awards, plaques, citations, photos , trophies, and portraits. Already, own physical limitations. she has run out of display space.

Losing two husbands, a mother and father, then twice being hospitalized for triple by-pass heart surgery would probably cause the average person to stop or at least cut back on outside activities.

But Jones continued her public service role, still active in public life until a

The room, which resembles a mini-museum of sorts, reflects the dedicated mission of a woman who seemingly, early on, discovered her purpose. It is dotted with citations, plaques, commendations, and awards from numerous local, state and national organizations. [Continue on page 13]

October 2012 The AC Phoenix 13

A WSTA Super Soldier Steps Down for the Last Time [Continue from page 12] Her former membership reads like a who’s who: • National Council of Negro Women • National Women of Achievement • Black Political League • Sigma Gamma Rho Society • Skyland Senior Citizens Club • Red Hat Women Association

She cites present membership of 32 years in the American Legion Auxiliary, 27 years in Order of the Eastern Stars, and Board of Directors for the Forsyth County Emancipation “They said I’ve done a lot, but I’ve just done my best to help people, but now its time for someone else to take over. Time for some young people to come in here and help”, she said.

An active member of Union Chapel Baptist Church, Jones is leaving the WSTA board and much of the work that she has done for over half a century. However, don’t look for her to go home and sit down.

“I guess I put too much on myself, probably too much stress… just took on everyone’s problem, tried to help everyone” she recalled. “But I’m going to take it easy now, just work on getting my health better’, she said. “I just want to stay here as long as I can”.

On Thursday, July 26 at 4pm, the WSTA board members and others will gather at 100 West 5th Street to honor a woman described by some as a, “super public servant”, and a shining example of the popular expression: “things will grow and come to pass, but only those things done with love, will last”. Martha “Helper” Jones’ legacy remains a legacy of total commitment inspired by a legacy of total love for community. The work she has done, speaks for itself, much like the fruit that does not fall too far from the tree.

by John Raye

14 The AC Phoenix October 2012

Friends & Neighbors, We want to take this opportunity to make you aware of a wonderful opportunity to help your community. Mount Sinai makes immeasurable contributions to the community through food, clothing, tutorial, counseling efforts, and much more throughout the year. With the holidays upon us and numerous requests for assistance, we consider the opportunity to participate in the Belk Charity Sale a blessing.

This is a wonderful way to help us help others! Saturday, November 3, Belk stores across the country will hold the annual Charity Sale, slashing 20-75% off of rarely discounted brands. This event is open to those who have a $5.00 ticket and will run from 6:00am to 10:00am! You can get MAJOR discounts on all items including cosmetics and fragrances! This event will also include free Belk gift cards to participants. This is a great time to get your Christmas shopping done and help those in need at the same time.

We are grateful for the chance to partner with Belk stores to assist our community in tough times. We hope you will join us in this effort and purchase your Charity Sale tickets. Tickets are available in the church office today through Friday.

Contact us at 336.722.2624 or via email, and thanks so much for your support.

Mt. Sinai FGDC Rev. Yvonne H. Hines, et al Mount Sinai Full Gospel Deliverance Center 2721 Manchester Street Winston-Salem, NC 27105 336.722.2624 mountsinaifullgospel.org

Dick Gregory Celebrates a Milestone [Continued from page 1]

that dealt frankly with racism led to his involvement in civil rights. Gregory ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Chicago in 1967 and President of the United States in 1968 to draw attention to the problems of African-Americans. He’s supported feminism and the anti-apartheid movement as well as healthy living.

Gregory was diagnosed with lymphoma but has kept it at bay for over a decade with he says, his regimen of fruits, vegetables, supplements and exercise. His book “Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat: Cookin’ With Mother Nature” was published in 1973, putting him at the forefront of the early healthy living movement. Gregory is the author of several other books including a few memoirs, one entitled “Ni—er,” which details the hardships of his life growing up poor, black and without a father.

Gregory continues to be a force, speaking around the world and performing. He’s still keenly interested in politics and the state of the world.

In his 80 years, he’s seen a lot of changes but says he believe actions are always better than ideals.

“I don’t believe in hope,” he told Democracynow.org earlier this year. “We got in outer space; there wasn’t hope. We made rockets; there wasn’t hope. You bring in the hardcore scientists and shine a light on it and say, “We have to do this.” If I had a brain tumor, I don’t hope it’s going to get

out; I’m going to ask you who’s the best brain surgeon here, and I’ll go to him. And that’s what’s going to happen. You shift the mindset of young folks that says, what you’re doing here goes out there. This don’t have to happen, that it’s not all right. I come up in a black community when a cop beat up you and your brother, they say, “Well, thank God they didn’t kill you.” That’s no more. That’s no more.”

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