May 7, 2020

75 cents

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W I N S TO N - S A L E M , N . C .

Volume 46, Number 33

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THURSDAY, May 7, 2020

Longtime City Council member and public servant Vivian Burke died late Tuesday evening.

TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Northeast Council Member Vivian H. Burke died Tuesday, May 5. The longtime public servant was 85.

In a statement released by Superior District Court Judge L. Todd Burke (Ms. Burke’s son) regarding the passing of his mother, Judge Burke said, “My mother had become an icon in this community and beyond in the way she distinguished herself through public service for over four decades.”

A native of Charlotte, Burke showed an interest in politics as early as high school when she started working as an advisor to then Charlotte City Council candidate Kelly Alexander, who would go on to serve as chair of the NAACP. After relocating to Winston-Salem in 1954 with her husband Logan (who would go on to serve two terms in the N.C. House of Representatives), Burke began her career in education.

For more than 20 years, Burke worked as a teacher and guidance counselor in the local school district. Although she has been on record many times talking about how much she loved working in education, Burke’s passion for politics was always there. She served as leader of the local Democratic Party and in 1972 she was Forsyth County manager for Rep. Shirley Chisholm’s campaign. Chisholm is the first black candidate for a major political

Vivian H. Burke party’s presidential nomination.

While still working as a guidance counselor full time, in 1977 Burke decided to run for Carl H. Russell’s vacant seat on the Board of Alderman (now City Council). With the campaign slogan “A Time for Change,” Burke went on to win the nomination to represent the Northeast Ward, becoming one of the first of two African American women to serve. She

File photo

would go on to serve for more than 40 consecutive years.

Throughout her 43 years of service on the Board of Alderman and City Council, Burke served as chair of the Public Safety Committee and led the push to bring major changes to the Winston-Salem Police Department, including establishing the Citizen’s Police Review Board. Burke also pushed to have more qualified black

people in positions of power and to have women recognized. She is credited for starting the Outstanding Women Leaders award. Burke also initiated the annual Citywide Neighborhood Conference, the East Winston Economic Development Initiative and the Burke-Jones Scholarship Award.

She was also a member of several boards and associations, including the NAACP, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, National Women of Achievement and countless others. Burke was also a founding member of the local Black Political Awareness League.

In December Burke announced that she would not be running for re-election.

When reflecting on her political career during an interview with The Chronicle for a piece on local history makers, Burke said her success was due to hard work, loyalty, dedication, not making promises she can’t keep, and working hard to do what she says she’ll do.

Mayor Joines issued a statement regarding Burke’s death, saying in part, “Councilmember Vivian Burke was a remarkable woman who leaves a legacy of accomplishment that shaped the city that is Winston-Salem today. Her death leaves a void in our civic life that cannot be easily filled, and on behalf of all city employees and the citizens of WinstonSalem, I extend to her family my deepest sympathies.”

Final grading decisions made by NCDPI and NCSBE 15% of students in WS/FCS will need methods to ‘catch up’

Last month Governor Roy Cooper announced that all North Carolina Schools will remain closed until the end of the school year. During his daily press conference to update citizens on the pandemic, Cooper said, “Classrooms may be closed but the learning is not over.

“We don’t make this decision lightly but it’s important to protect the health and safety of our students and our school staff.”

The announcement wasn’t a surprise to most, when considering the number of school days left in the 2019-2020 school year calendar, and the number of days students

have already missed. The announcement did, however, force teachers and students to resume remote learning.

The N.C. State Board of Education defines remote learning as learning that takes place outside the traditional school setting using various media and formats. To help with remote learning locally, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools distributed nearly 23,000 devices and more the 3,000 hotspots to make sure families have access to the Internet.

WS/FCS also held an informational seminar with teachers before remote learning started and there have been several “how to” videos created to help students, teachers and parents navigate software, as well as virtual tutoring sessions.

With all the changes that have occurred in education in recent weeks, school districts across the state and country have been tasked with making changes to the grading system as well. During the school board meeting last week, district leaders discussed how they plan to

administer grades for the fourth quarter.

According to Nicolette Grant, WS/FCS chief academic officer, for the fourth quarter grading period, the focus will be essential learning necessary for students to be prepared for the next school year.

“Our team really sat down and went through our fourth quarter curriculum and recognizing the amount of time students were out of class, the normal traditional setting, and knowing what will be vitally important for them to be successful when they start the next school year.

That is what the fourth quarter is focused on,” Grant said.

Before fourth quarter grades are submitted, students will have additional time to complete or re-do assignments. “We’re focusing on helping our students grow ... this is not a time to penalize a student or give them a zero for not doing something,” Grant said.

Final grades for 20192020 school year will be based on decisions made by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and the N.C. State Board of

Education. Students in elementary school (K-5) will receive a narrative report card that will access the students’ strengths and areas for growth in math, English or ELA, science, and social studies. There will also be a general comment session for encore classes.

Instead of the normal “A”, “B” or “C,” students in middle school will see “PC19” or “WC19” on their final report cards which stands for pass and withdrawal. While students who receive WC19

will not receive credit for the course, according to district officials, it does not mean that a student has failed the course; instead it means they don’t have enough information to show “mastery.” Students who receive “WC19” will be given opportunities for credit recovery courses.

High school students in grades 9-11 will have the option to receive a PC19 or WC19 that will award credit for the course but will not count toward their GPA, or receive a numeric grade that will count to-

ward their GPA. If a middle school student is taking a high school course, grading for that course will follow grading directions for high school courses. High school seniors will follow the PC19 or WC19 grading method.

While the district has tried to make “e-Learning” accessible for every student, thousands of students in the district haven’t even logged on to the system to complete assignments.

“We have approxi-

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BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

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M ay 7, 2020

The C hronicle

Virtual Village troubadours bring music and smiles to local neighborhoods

BY JUDIE HOLCOMB-PACK THE CHRONICLE

Dictionary.com defines troubadours as “wandering singers or minstrels.”

That is an apt description for Virtual Village, a small group of musicians who are serenading WinstonSalem neighborhoods, bringing music and smiles to people who have been cooped up at home for weeks now.

Tommy Priest, owner of Coffee Park Airstream on Reynolda Road, was not the least bit ashamed to admit he stole the idea from someone else after being told about it by Robert Moyer. Priest and Moyer are both well-known as community arts supporters and Moyer is a haiku poet who coordinates a group that met at Coffee Park Arts café before the coronavirus shut coffee shops down in Winston-Salem.

Moyer brought the idea to Priest, who immediately jumped on it. He connected with Dale Cole of Gypsy Soul, Joshua Shelton, and Steven Jones of Leadneck, all of whom were excited to have an opportunity to perform again. Priest said, “Musicians are locked out and looking at four walls right now,” and are open to any opportunity to share their music.

At the same time this group was thinking about putting their “show on the road,” Servpro was looking for ways to give back to the community.

April Pillery, social media

Joshua Shelton, Steven Jones and Dale Cole entertain urday, May 2. and website manager for lis agreed to drive and pull Servpro said, “We started a trailer for the musicians with the Children’s Law to sit in and perform at Fund, then added wrist- each stop. Pillery follows bands with #winstonstrong behind in another vehicle on them as a fundraiser to and takes photos and vidsupport displaced work- eos to post on Facebook.

Priest said, “It’s the ers.” The wristbands are being sold at Coffee Park most amazing thing I’ve Airstream, so it was natu- ever witnessed. People are ral for Priest to mention hanging out doors, windows, taking cell phone the idea to Pillery.

The timing was right as photos and videos … it’s Vince Willis, the sales and unadulterated joy.”

Cole added, “The marketing manager, and Brian and Tanya Carlson, smiles on people’s faces owners of Servpro, were have been amazing.”

On Saturday, May 2, ready to do more for the community. They loved Virtual Village made a the idea of the band travel- stop at Jugg Heads Growling to different neighbor- ers and Pints on Country hoods, playing and singing Club Road to the delight to bring joy to people who of their customers. Then could use some levity right they progressed up the now. Servpro volunteered street to the Harris Teeter the use of a truck and Wil- parking lot where people

Photo by Judie Holcomb-Pack

as Virtual Village on Sat-

again took photos and videos and a mom and daughter danced to the music. As they left that location and started down the street, they attracted the attention of drivers who honked and waved.

These traveling troubadours are not letting a virus get in their way as they bring music and joy to neighborhoods throughout Winston-Salem.

Follow Dale Cole & the Virtual Village on Facebook to see where they’ll be heading next. Purchase #winstonstrong wristbands at Coffee Park Airstream on Reynolda Road across from the Crossnore School & Children’s Home to support local displaced restaurant workers and others.

Piedmont Plus Senior Games/Silver Arts cancels most activities for 2020 After shuffling competitions and changing schedules over the past two months, the decision to cancel the 2020 Piedmont Plus Senior Games/ SilverArts was made this week. Chuck Vestal, Senior Games coordinator for the city’s Recreation and Parks Department, said that after consulting with public health officials, discussing options with steering committees, host facilities and state Senior Games staff, the consensus was to cancel the games for the safety

Arts competitions will be held with some adjustments. Registration to participate in these events will be accepted until May 29. Forms are available at www.cityofws.org, click on the Seniors tab and download the registration form. Participation will be handled by email or postal mail as follows: Literary Arts: Entries in the categories of poetry, memoir, essay or short story can be emailed by May 29 to cvestal@cityofws. org or mailed to Piedmont Plus Senior Games/Silver Arts, Black Phillips Smith Government Bldg., 2301 N. Patterson Ave., Win-

woodturning, woodworking and sculptures, entries can include up to six photos, one from each side and a close-up to show detail. Winners will be announced after the judging on June 3.

The Performance Arts Showcase has been canceled for this year. The traditional Opening Ceremonies has also been cancelled. T-shirts and gift items that are usually distributed during the Opening Ceremonies will be held and distributed to participants of the 2021 games.

Seniors who have already registered to partici-

of the participants. Vestal stated in an email, “This has been an agonizing decision to make, but it is the prudent and wise decision to make.”

Vestal also noted, “… that if it is safe by the dates of the N.C. Senior Games, that the statewide events will be held as scheduled.”

These events are held in late summer or early fall.

Updates will be made to the website at www.ncseniorgames.org as to schedule changes.

The SilverArts’ Literary, Visual and Heritage

ston-Salem, NC 27101.

Refer to the website for criteria. Judging will be by members of WinstonSalem Writers and winners will be announced the week of June 15.

Visual and Heritage Arts: Entries will be by photographs that will be emailed by May 29 to cvestal@cityofws. org. Winners will be announced after June 3. For all 2D artwork, an overall photo and a close-up photo that shows the detail of the work should be submitted.

For 3D artwork, such as

pate in this year’s games have the following options: 1. Transfer your registration payment to next spring.

2. F o r those who have registered for golf, bowling or minigolf, you will receive a refund for your event fees.

3.

Ask for a full refund. This option will also remove you from registration for the State Games, should they take place.

4. D o n a t e your registration to be

BY JUDIE HOLCOMB-PACK THE CHRONICLE

used for those who cannot afford to participate in the 2021 games.

Participants can notify Chuck Vestal at cvestal@ cityofws.org with their decision.

Vestal is hoping that when the coronavirus is finally under control and it’s safe to meet in groups, that some “informal” competitions and tournaments can be held, such as track and field, pickleball, chair volleyball, table tennis, bocce, shuffleboard, bowling and mini-golf. He stressed that the health and safety of all participants and volunteers will be the top priority.

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T he C hronicle

May 7, 2020

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Joe Biden’s plan for empowering Black America

BY STACY M. BROWN NNPA NEWSWIRE SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

When former Vice President Joe Biden sat for an exclusive live stream interview with National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., in February, the now presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said it was crucial to secure the black vote if he is to unseat President Donald Trump in November 2020.

Now, the two-time former second-in-command to President Barack Obama has laid out a comprehensive plan for Afri- Joe Biden can Americans. the American Dream so Biden said the plan long as entrenched disreflects many months of parities are allowed to chip work and feedback from away at opportunity quilocal elected officials, etly,” his campaign’s stateactivists, organizations, ment noted. practitioners, policy ex“He is running for perts, strategists, and president to rebuild our young people. economy in a way that His campaign called finally brings everyone the plan “a living docualong – and that starts by ment.” rooting out systemic racIt said the Biden team ism from our laws, our looks forward to hearing policies, our institutions, from everyone as they and our hearts.” continue to develop the With the novel coroDemocrat’s vision for all navirus hitting African of America.

Americans the hardest, In a news release, the Biden’s plan recognizes campaign noted that Biden the disparities long faced “knows we need a compreby the black community. hensive agenda for African In April, he called on Americans with an ambithe Centers for Disease tion that matches the scale Control and Prevention, of the challenge and with to collect more data rea recognition that racegarding how COVID-19 neutral policies are not a is affecting communities, sufficient response to raceincluding breaking down based disparities.” its impacts by race.

They said the Biden “The data we’ve seen Plan for Black America so far suggests that Afwould: rican Americans are dy*Advance the ecoing from COVID-19 at a nomic mobility of African higher rate than whites,” Americans and close the the campaign noted. racial wealth and income “Long-standing sysgaps. temic inequalities are *Expand access to contributing to this dishigh-quality education and parity – including the fact tackle racial inequity in that African Americans our education system. are more likely to be un*Make far-reaching ininsured and to live in vestments in ending health communities where they disparities by race. are exposed to high levels *Strengthen America’s of air pollution.” commitment to justice.

Biden’s campaign con*Make the right to tinued: vote and the right to equal “African Americans protection real for African also represent an especialAmericans. ly high percentage of the *Address environmenfront-line workers putting tal justice. themselves at greater risk “Joe Biden knows that to sustain the economy and African Americans can keep the rest of the country never have a fair shot at

Grading From page A1

mately 5,000 who have not logged on to this magnificent platform that we’ve created,” Woodbury continued. “I think that the board and our community would like to hear what you’re doing to accommodate these students because according to the state board of education’s definition of remote learning, we still have to make sure that we consider learning as it relates to any issues at home that may be preventing them from learning.

“We have to figure out how to go beyond that challenge to reach out to all of our students to make sure they’re able to capitalize on this new way of learning.”

To try to address Woodbury’s concerns, Grant said district leaders have asked teachers to reach out to students to find out why they aren’t engaging and counselors and social workers will follow up to find out what barriers are preventing students from logging on.

“We’re asking the teachers first to reach out and see if students aren’t engaging, if they can find out why,” Grant continued. “Is it because of connectivity, which we do have hotspots we can provide? Is it because they need a device? We have devices we can provide.

Is it because they aren’t feeling well or is there is sickness or illness in the family? Is it because the oldest student is trying to help they younger student and the older student can’t finish their work?”

During a virtual town hall meeting hosted by Action4Equity and Knollwood Baptist Church earlier the week, when discussing the students who haven’t completed E-Learning assignments, Superintendent Angela P. Hairston said a lot of the students who are not participating in E-Learning attend low performing schools. Hairston said the district will have to find ways to “catch students up” who have not completed assignments.

She mentioned several ideas that are currently being discussed to help students including Saturday school, after-school, and other methods. While there are federal dollars available for summer programs, most of those programs are virtual or a mix of virtual and face-to-face learning, so it won’t probably help the thousands of students who haven’t logged on.

“For 85% of our children, they are engaging in instruction just as we are engaging each other now. They are continuing their lessons and they are learning. For 15% of our children and mostly in our schools that are underperforming, children have not logged on, they’re not completing their packs of work, and so we will need to create some opportunities for children to catch up in the fall through Saturday school, after-school, intersessions.” Hairston continued. “There’s definitely going to have to be some time built in next year to compact what they should be learning and catch them up.”

Submitted photos

safe and fed – and are less likely to have a job they can do from home, forcing them to make the difficult choice between their health and a paycheck.

“While there’s a lot

we don’t yet know about COVID-19, we do know that equitable distribution of resources, like testing and medical equipment, can make a difference in fighting the virus. Biden

believes this should be a priority, and action must be taken now.”

Other highlights of the plan include rolling back Trump Administration policies that gutted fair lending and fair housing protections for homeowners and giving local elected officials the tools and resources they need to combat gentrification.

Biden said he plans to hold financial institutions accountable for discriminatory practices in the housing market, and he will restore the federal government’s power to enforce settlements against discriminatory lenders.

Additionally, the plan calls for Biden to strengthen and expand the Community Reinvestment Act to ensure that the nation’s bank and non-bank financial services institutions are serving all communities.

Biden plans to elimi-

nate local and state housing regulations that perpetuate discrimination and establish a $100 billion Affordable Housing Fund to construct and upgrade affordable housing, providing tax incentives for the construction of more affordable housing in communities that need it most.

Biden also plans to create a White House “Strike Force” to partner with rural communities to help them access federal funds.

“Today, we need a comprehensive agenda for African Americans with an ambition that matches the scale of the challenge and with a recognition that race-neutral policies are not a sufficient response to race-based disparities,” Biden stated.

You can view Biden’s full plan for Black America at https://joebiden.com/ blackamerica/.

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T he C hronicle

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Judie Holcomb-Pack

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Administrative Assistant

Our Mission The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth to power, standing for integrity and encouraging open communication and lively debate throughout the community

The coming new world disorder

Guest Editorial

Recognizing Teacher and School Staff Appreciation Week

Mel Gurtov

BY MARK JOHNSON

This week, we celebrate Teacher and School Staff Appreciation Week and we are encouraging everyone to show gratitude for those whose strength and dedication to their students has shown brightly during these challenging times.

Parents, students, and educators are facing obstacles unlike any we have ever faced. We had to switch to remote learning overnight, and we know the frustrations and struggles that have resulted. And our children miss their friends and are working through the difficult emotional toll of this pandemic.

But with our teachers leading the way, our communities have persevered. Now, let’s all celebrate the resilience of all our educators, both the professionals and the parents helping with remote learning. Find your own unique way to say thank you – whether that’s a car parade in your neighborhood, a gift card, or simply sending a note of gratitude.

North Carolina public schools are encouraging everyone to shine lights as a symbol of appreciation. Maybe a flashlight on your porch. Or, like me, maybe some Christmas lights in your yard. We hope you join us and share with us your creativity to celebrate the shining lights in North Carolina. You can share photos on social media with #NCed and #NCLighthouseLeaders.

Also, we want parents, students, and educators to know that we recognize the current situation is not sustainable. This will not be the new normal.

We have launched the Schools Reopening Task Force, comprised of state and local leaders, educators, parents, and students, to move us from reactive to proactive and pragmatic as we work to reopen our schools in the fall. We will also be seeking your feedback.

A few weeks ago, I began discussions with other state education chiefs in order to share best practices and closely follow steps taken in other countries where schools are already reopening. The challenges ahead are daunting. We must develop plans to socially distance in school facilities, meet students at their abilities when they return in the fall and help them catch up, and improve remote learning so it is more pragmatic for teachers, students, and parents.

We will meet these challenges and overcome the obstacles. Educators, students, and parents expect and deserve such from their leaders.

North Carolina is where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great! Working together, I firmly believe we will come out of this crisis stronger.

Thank you for your strength and resilience during these difficult times.

Mark Johnson is the elected superintendent of North Carolina’s public schools. After teaching school in Charlotte and serving on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board, he now lives in Raleigh with his wife and their daughter, who is a first-grader in public school.

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Guest Columnist

After the demise of the Soviet Union and the U.S. intervention that crushed Saddam Hussein’s attack on Kuwait in 1991, President George H. W. Bush pronounced a new world order. His exuberance carried over into academia (Frances Fukuyama’s “end of history”) and conservative punditry (Charles Krauthammer’s “unipolar moment”). The consensus among these American exceptionalists was that for the first time since the end of World War II, the U.S. had the military power and the universal ideals to sweep the world clean of illiberal forces and establish uncontested supremacy. We all know what became of that moment only a decade later with the 9/11 attacks.

Opinions about the shape of the next new world order are plentiful.

Not all are pessimistic, but most tend to extrapolate from current events and point to a future of profound disorder. The U.S. is invariably the starting point of any discussion of the future. It is not only a weakened superpower, under Trump it has retreated from the world stage, abandoned international law and institutions, embraced authoritarian rulers, and consistently displayed ignorance, corruption, and deceit in the conduct of public affairs.

Meantime, the European Union has lost Britain and is willing to accommodate autocrats; China is buying its way into global preeminence while carrying out a “cultural genocide” in Xinjiang, an anti-democratic purge in Hong Kong, and a deceptive campaign to whitewash its responsibility for COVID-19; Russia under Putin aims to restore czarist greatness while silencing its critics; and the world is convulsed by the coronavirus, with competition for protective supplies exceeding cooperation to ensure that everyone gets them.

A World in Disarray An optimist might say that once the pandemic comes under control, the world will return to normal.

Opportunities will emerge for liberal leadership in the U.S. and elsewhere. International partnership will revive. Climate change will move to the top of the political agenda as national leaders and publics appreciate how, thanks to the pandemic, air quality has improved enormously.

Perhaps. But if the trajectory of international affairs and politics continues on its present course, here’s what we might expect. *Governments will devote their resources overwhelmingly to restoring economies as they face a staggering crisis of unemployment, business bankruptcies, and falling trade.

Everything else—environmental protection, the rule of law, human rights, you name it—will be shelved.

•Serious international discussion of the two most worrisome threats to global security—nuclear weapons and climate change— will be “postponed indefinitely.” That means more nuclear weapons in more hands and failure to come even close to meeting the Paris accord’s target of limiting the increase in global warming to 2°C. *The already acute global refugee problem will explode. Our once-upon-a-time borderless world will reverse; countries will bar refugees and economic migrants as never before. Racism, and appeals to ethnically dominant groups, will continue to rise. Immigrants and religious and ethnic minorities will be blamed for causing economic dislocation and public health problems. *Democracy will suffer and authoritarianism, left and right, will rise dramatically. What Germany‘s Angela Merkel said of the pandemic—it’s “an imposition on our democracy”—will be doubly so after the pandemic is erased.

Citizens will look to strong leaders for protection against “the other,” which includes real and imagined threats, and autocrats will gleefully respond with draconian “solutions.” Impositions on personal freedom, such as surveillance technology, will be more welcome among the public, while cyberwarfare be-

tween governments will intensify. *Authoritarian regimes may be inclined to foreignpolicy adventurism, such as territorial grabs, as their leaders seek to take advantage of other states’ preoccupation with domestic order and the weakness of international institutions. *The potential for new pandemics and natural disasters will frame national policies everywhere—and disproportionately. Poor countries and poor populations within countries will fare worst, lacking access to resources for protection and treatment of diseases.

The richest countries, meanwhile, will probably miss the opportunity to forge a new cooperative framework for jointly attacking disease, though the rhetoric will resound with good intentions. *The richest countries will, of course, continue to dominate international relations, but the power order will change. China will be in a much better position than just about any other country to exploit the new global disorder for the simple reason that it has the resources to back its overseas ambitions while maintaining rigid social controls at home. China will claim leadership of a “harmonious new world,” while the U.S. will be consumed by dysfunctional government, unemployment, and racial and cultural tensions. *But there’s another, though lesser, possibility: internal upheaval in both China and the U.S. Xi Jinping may not be able to sustain his lifetime tenure if China’s economy falters, social protests get out of control, and resistance within the elite rises over his repression (Minxin Pei, “China’s Coming Upheaval,” Foreign Affairs, MayJune 2020). In the U.S., the once-united states may drift apart from Washington. As I have written elsewhere, the establishment of three regional groupings of states—incorporating seventeen states in all—to fight the virus could be the beginning of a new statefederal alignment. A world without a lead power would be unprecedented in our lifetime, dramatically adding to global disorder.

Common Security?

The obvious lesson here is that the longer the

COVID-19 pandemic goes on, and the more disruptive it is to economies, the greater the chance of national and global disorder and even collapse.

Governments everywhere will be at pains to answer the question: When is it safe to start the return to normalcy, and is that even possible? Popular and political pressures for an early, and terribly risky, return are bound to increase over time, despite great uncertainty about when the contagion is really over.

Scientists have very limited time to come up with vaccines, adding to popular impatience and possibly making them targets rather than heroes.

Writing in “The New Yorker” (February 3, 2020), the Harvard historian Jill Lepore reminds us of the crisis of democracy in the 1930s, the years bookmarked by the Great Depression and Pearl Harbor. Many well-regarded commentators wondered at the time if the rise of fascism was writing an epitaph for democracy. FDR had confident answers; “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” he said in his first inaugural.

What will it take to save democracy, not to mention social justice and the environment, today? Sure, adoption of a common (or cooperative) security approach to foreign policy and community-centered values in domestic policy.

But which governments will lead in that direction?

Where are the internationally influential individuals and organizations that can provide the incentives and ideas in support of a cooperative approach?

The so-called international community failed to deliver on climate change, nuclear arms control, and poverty before the pandemic. Is there any reason for optimism about the post-pandemic era? David Brooks, writing in the May 1 New York Times, sees the pandemic as bringing out the best in Americans.

“The job ahead is to make this unity last,” he says.

How can you and I make it so?

Mel Gurtov, syndicated

by PeaceVoice, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Portland State University and blogs at In the Human Interest.

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May 7, 2020

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When will fans be able to cheer from the stands?

Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

Guest Columnist Having fans in the stands has taken a temporary hiatus. At least I think it is only temporary. We cannot have our popcorn and soda while cheering for our home team. I miss the nachos, cheese and hot peppers. Bring them back!

At this moment, our inperson thrills are taking a backseat to the coronavirus.

Spectator sports are an American way of life. I would opine that we have taken going to a sporting event for granted. In my

lifetime, I cannot remember stopping sports. COVID-19 has put our beloved sports in drydock. We cannot see Serena serve or Federer hit a backhand. LeBron, AD and the rest of the NBA are on mute. Roger Goodell held the NFL draft from his basement.

All college spring sports were cancelled some months ago, so no champions will be crowned. However, these student-athletes will retain their eligibility.

That will be an interesting decision for some college athletes to make. If you are a senior and graduating, do you want to return and compete again?

Billions of dollars are being lost by professional and college sports. The economic impact is severe.

This was unexpected, so the plans going forward

are murky and unclear.

We the fans not only bring excitement, but we also spend money and a lot of it.

According to credit cards.com, over the past year fans spent approximately 56 billion dollars on sporting activities. As longtime sports iconic announcer Keith Jackson used to say, “Whoa, Nellie.” That’s a lot of cash, no matter how you count it.

Matt Schulz, senior industry analyst for credit cards.com said, “The fact that people are spending this amount on sporting events shows the emphasis they’re putting on experience and memories instead of just stuff.” Now with COVID-19 around for the foreseeable future, this number will go down. Yet

the American people are obsessed with attending games and the marketing of sports is at an all-time high.

Reports in 2016 said for a family of four to attend an NFL game, the price tag was $502.84.

This compares to $363.58 for an NHL game and $339.02 for an NBA game.

Going to an MLB game was only $219.53. Maybe there is something to that song, “Take me out to the ball game, buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks.”

If you are a season ticketholder to any of these sports, what will your costs be for the next season? Will social distancing play a role in fans attending the events? One of the ultimate questions will be whether owners will make

less and therefore players will make less. How will that affect fans?

The NCAA also has a billion-dollar industry.

The Division I level will surely have a decrease in revenues. What effect will this have on college scholarships? Boosters at all levels will have to give more of their money.

Already there is talk about the upcoming football season. Danny White, athletic director at the University of Central Florida, said, “There is not a model I can run to fix the problem of not having any football.” If we do not have college football in the fall, what will America do?

Manny Diaz, coach of the Miami Hurricanes football team, said, “We have to play it out and see what we can get. That is

the difference. Let’s see how good we can get it. I believe we will all be appreciative for whatever we get.” I think coach Diaz is right.

The coronavirus has us cheering at re-runs at home. No matter how hard we cheer, the outcome will still be the same. I conveyed these sentiments to my son-in-law recently.

We want the real thing.

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator and can be reached at evers. jr56@yahoo.com.

A united world must break out of prison ROBERT C. KOEHLER

Guest Columnist At a time when the president wants to reopen the economy — but not the borders! — it’s time to grab ahold of the moment and start groping in our minds beyond what’s politically possible and start envisioning serious social change.

Life is fervid chaos right now for those who are on the front lines of the pandemic, from hospital workers to grocery store clerks, not to mention those who are sick and dying — and those who are helpless and vulnerable, such as immigrants and prisoners — but for most people life has slowed down to a matter of staring out the window … or into the future.

Many of the lifeshattering issues people are facing right now are manmade, and often result from an allegiance to the worst of who we are.

How can this change? This

is certainly the time to begin asking this question — and I mean globally, not just nationally.

One place such a question can begin is with the creation of social hell, a.k.a., incarceration. This is pretty much a global phenomenon. Most governments see one of their crucial roles as defining and dehumanizing their enemies and, when possible, eliminating or, at least imprisoning the ones so defined — for the safety of the rest of us, of course.

And while it’s easy to condemn the way this process is carried out in authoritarian regimes, where many people are incarcerated (or murdered) simply for their opinions, most people probably believe in the necessity for such systems over on their own side of the border.

Come on, they’re criminals! They have to be held accountable! And indeed, the system is protected by what you might call psychological barbed wire, also known as cynicism: What’s the alternative?

Love?

The problem is that, because few countries are investing in different — more complex — forms

of social safety, the prison system is growing globally to a serious level of insanity: “At least 125 countries hold more prisoners than their correctional systems were designed for,” the New York Times recently reported, noting that at least 20 countries have double the number of inmates their prison infrastructure is equipped to handle, a problem suddenly at the core of global attention because of the pandemic. Any prison sentence is a possible death sentence.

The Times illustrated the matter by noting what things are like in Brazil.

The leader of a prisonreform movement in São Paulo told a particularly haunting story: “One woman received a handwritten note from her husband, who reported running a high fever and having body aches. Lacking enough food, he told her, had prompted him to eat clumps of toilet paper and toothpaste. ‘I’m scared I will die in prison,’ the note said. ‘I’m starving in this damn place.’”

Grotesque and unnerving as this detail of prison life is — being forced “to eat clumps of toilet paper

and toothpaste” — such horrors are not limited to Brazil. Hell is hell. What this Times story fails to address, for instance, are the conditions over on this side of the border.

“The United States locks up more people than any other country in the world, largely because of harsh and wrong-headed policies,” writes Jesse Jackson. “Fifty-five thousand are detained in jail awaiting trials, too poor to pay for their freedom under the current cash bail system that is prevalent in many states.”

And “48,000 children are incarcerated on any given day,” Jackson notes, often for such “offenses” as truancy and homelessness. Or simply for being illegal human beings.

Some 2,000 undocumented minors are sitting in detention centers for the crime of trying to get into the United States, some of whom have tested positive for COVID-19.

The pandemic, which endangers all of humanity, is throwing a spotlight on these outposts of hell, which are, according to the U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, “overcrowded and

unsanitary.” And Amnesty International, as Common Dreams reported, has stated that “detaining anyone solely for migrationrelated reasons during a global pandemic is cruel, reckless, and deadly.”

Is this really the best we can do? Surely now — as we see how the consequences of our various systems of incarceration endanger everyone, not just the poor souls trapped in its jaws — surely now is the time to open our minds, open our souls, to saner ways of maintaining social order. The prison system doesn’t work. To say this is not to shrug and advocate doing nothing at all, but to rethink the matter at a level deeper than the cynics believe is possible.

C.J. Rhodes, president of Clergy for Prison Reform, points out that April is Second Chance Month, a time to rethink the broken criminal justice systems, and goes on to say: “… I hope this particular moment grants us all a deeper understanding of the decades-long tragedy of our country’s mass incarceration crisis — and the terrible toll it takes on families and communities.

Second Chance Month calls us to extend redemption and expand opportunity to our neighbors who have been incarcerated, many of whom, in truth, never had a first chance to begin with. Mass incarceration separates and devastates millions of families every day of the year, and destabilizes communities, all while failing to make our neighborhoods any safer.”

This is time and effort utterly wasted. Why not invest in repairing the harm caused not only by crime, but by the criminal justice system?

“This kind of deep investment in neighbor-love and community-building,” Rhodes writes, “would pay dividends for our neighborhoods right now, and for generations to come.”

And the time to realize this is now.

Robert C. Koehler (koehlercw@ gmail.com), syndicated

by PeaceVoice, is a Chicago award-winning journalist and editor. He is the author of “Courage Grows Strong at the Wound.”

America’s pact with the devil Kary Love Guest Columnist

You know you are in a dark place when you must cite Adolf Hitler to support your side of the argument.

Say what you will about Mr. Hitler, he fought in World War I, in the front lines, and was awarded the Iron Cross for his “service.” Despite the infamy of his later career, he did his patriotic duty as a German citizen, and was seriously injured in combat by mustard gas—also known as a criminal chemical weapon. Poison weapons have long been criminal in the laws of war.

Mr. Hitler did not claim exemption from military service, like some we know, because of “bone spurs” in his feet. Nor did he seek “student exemptions” to avoid combat. Nor did his dad get him assigned to “service” in the National Guard at home so he could stay

in the background while others served in the front lines.

No, Mr. Hitler went in the shit and faced the reality of war. As a result, he learned some valuable lessons. One he learned, at least, we should all recall.

Late in World War II when it was clear Nazi Germany had lost, one “super weapon” remained that Hitler’s “Pentagon”— his military generals and advisors urged him to use: chemical weapons. Germany had built and stockpiled enough that some argued unleashing those satanic killers could turn the war in the Nazi’s favor. Nazi Germany reportedly had stockpiled 12,000 tons of Sarin nerve gas by the end of the war, enough to kill millions of people. Hitler had been urged by high-level military commanders to use the Sarin against their enemies.

No one knows why Hitler refused to authorize the use of these weapons when he did authorize using poison to kill millions of innocents in gas chambers. One problem with these weapons is they murder indiscrimi-

nately – killing not only combatant soldiers, but the few innocent children, women and elderly still remaining after years of killing. Maybe it was his experience of being temporarily blinded by mustard gas in WWI. Maybe it was something else, but Adolf Hitler would not countenance the use of chemical weapons.

Chemical weapons are criminal under the laws of war for the same reason biological (germ warfare) and nuclear weapons are criminal. They cannot be used in a targeted way, so that they kill only the soldiers of the enemy which is “legal,” but are indiscriminate, uncontrollable and escape and kill everything in their path. Since the purpose of legal war is not the indiscriminate slaughter of the innocent, but only of enemy combatant soldiers, such weapons are criminal. Long ago our forebears named pestilence the FIRST Horseman (in this case being First means being Worst) of the Apocalypse for a reason.

War may be hell, but the long, slow human evolution to “honorable”

soldiers from mere barbarism, has produced a law of war that makes indiscriminate slaughter of the innocent a crime carrying the death penalty. The USA hung persons guilty of such crimes following trials at Nuremberg, Germany, and Tokyo, Japan, to declare to all the world that even in war, law existed, and soldiers who followed it could be honored, those who did not were to be hung.

It is curious then, that today the USA has engaged in a great deal of research and development of germ warfare weapons. As reported in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the USA has an unknown number of bioweapons-capable labs, run in an apparently haphazard fashion, with a history of error, and is building more.

I am not sure this makes any sense. I had the experience in my prior life of representing whistleblowers who worked for the U.S. Army Command, which was “tasked” with the job of “ensuring” the viability of America’s nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. In one case involving binary

nerve gas, a nasty gem that causes instantaneous death if one molecule touches naked skin and for which there was no known antidote, I learned the U.S. had stockpiled 5,000 tons of the stuff. Now a ton is 2,000 pounds. And that is a lot of molecules: Avogadro’s number of molecules in one mole is 6.023 x 10 to the 23 power. That huge number is getting near the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. And if you do the math, you get a lot of molecules of binary nerve gas. One expert told me that six fluid ounces, one half a can of coke worth, could kill most of the folks in the USA if released and aerosolized by fire (in the case we were dealing with flying the stuff around the USA to test its “viability.”) Maybe we had too much of it?

Now we have the SARS2 virus, and people are raising the question, did it come from a biolab in China, or maybe the USA? Even if it did not, there is a high statistical probability the next pandemic will originate from a bio-lab error. Trying to contain viral particles requires perfection, techno-

logical and human, and perfection is not our forte.

It is humbling to have to cite Mr. Hitler for support, but in calling for the U.S. Government to begin to reduce its bioweapons’ stockpiles, research and development, one draws support from whence one can. With all due respect, if it was odious to Mr. Hitler to use poison as a weapon, do we really need any other expert opinion? After all, is he not the internationally recognized devil? If it was beyond the pale for the very devil, is that not enough for any rational human being to renounce it? Or did I miss something, and did Mr. Hitler win World War II and a Nobel?

Kary Love, syndicated

by PeaceVoice, is a Michigan attorney who has defended nuclear resisters, including some desperado nuns, in court for decades and will on occasion use blunt force satire or actual legal arguments to make a point.

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M ay 7, 2020

T he C hronicle

BUSTA’S EDUCATORS OF THE WEEK

Educators are also on the frontline in this war against COVID-19

BY BUSTA BROWN FOR THE CHRONICLE

In honor of Teachers Appreciation Week, I spoke with two phenomenal educators about how they’re also on the frontline during this war against COVID-19.

When Dr. Carol Montague-Davis and Dr. Michelle Johnson received the call that their schools were about to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

this transition. We made sure they had all of their passwords, and how to get on every teacher’s PowerSchool page. As a principal, you are like a parent to your students, and you feel when something wrong is coming, so my natural instinct to prepare and protect them just kicked in,� said Dr. Montague-Davis.

She’s the executive director/principal at Carver High School and has been a champion for education,

What’s Happening NOW in City Government

CityNOW

mindset beyond just testing, because scholars aren’t testing right now.

And we don’t want them to think, so why should I be learning if we’re not testing? We need them to understand that they’re learning for life,� said Dr. Johnson.

I loved that statement, because I always share with my scholars that I don’t give them homework, I give them life work.

Submitted photos

Dr. Carol Montague-Davis, executive director and principal at Carver High School. they were well prepared. “Our school was preparing for it before we got the news. We received the news on a Saturday, but on Friday I had teachers send home learning materials because we just didn’t want to be caught off guard,� said Dr. Michelle Johnson, superintendent/ owner of The Point Preparatory and Leadership Academy in Jamestown, N.C. What made my heart drop was what followed: “We haven’t seen our scholars since that Friday.

Our teachers are grieving, and I’m not sure our scholars are doing 100% OK with this.�

I teach radio and public speaking classes at The Point, so I could see the heaviness in her eyes. She sincerely loves her schol-

youth and families in Winston-Salem for years.

Dr. Michelle Johnson shared some of the concerns from parents. “The intensity of the remote learning, it seemed like everything was flying at them at once, especially if you have multiple children. We didn’t receive any complaints about it, just some very good and positive feedback about it.

I had one parent reach out to me directly and asked to slow the pace down a little and I did. That’s when I instituted that we’re not having remote learning on Wednesdays, and for parents and scholars to do what they needed to get done on that day. Take a break,� she said with a warm heart.

She also instituted that no messages going out to

Dr. Johnson continued, “We have to do some work internally in our communities about the importance of this not being a long summer break, and we cannot experience five months of learning lost with our scholars. There are already disparities in health and education, and we don’t want to pile on the disparities that already exist by not taking advantage of this time that we have now to make some changes. And it begins with the mindset of why are we doing education, and create learners for life,� said Dr. Johnson.

Both ladies shared how they’re making sure their scholars and families are safe and eating, and anything else they can provide to make this easier. Dr. Johnson displayed a very

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Dr. Michelle Johnson, superintendent/owner of The Point Preparatory and Leadership Academy. ars and their families. “I was following what was going on in other states.

And my staff, scholars and their family’s safety are first, so I made the decision to close the building before I heard the news.�

Dr. Melicia WhittGlover and I did the interview on Zoom for our radio show “Your Health Matters� on WSNC 90.5.

On the screen next to Dr. Johnson was another phenomenal woman and educator, Dr. Carol Montague-Davis. She shared how Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools was very well prepared as well. “The central office had already set a plan to put together a team of teachers to go and start an E-Learning transition. The Wednesday before the Saturday that we got the news, a group of teachers had been trained from every school to start the E-Learning transition. So that Friday I brought my staff in for planning time so they can get the platform to start this E-Learning transition, because I felt it in my heart that we weren’t going to come back to school,� she said with a heavy heart. “We are one-to-one school, so our students are learning online anyway.

So, on the Friday before we got the news about closing the schools, we wanted to make sure our students were prepared for

parents after 8 p.m. “It helped a lot and our parents really appreciated it. For the most part, our parents have been phenomenal. The staff and the parents have gotten into a groove and things are flowing very well, and we’re working hard to keep doing our very best,�

Dr. Johnson said.

Dr. Montague-Davis respectfully joined in to echo Dr. Johnson. “There have been mention of too much work and assignments, so we instituted what we called Flex Friday. Students cannot receive any assignments on that day. If the students need help, the teachers take that time to provide small tutoring, but mostly the students can do things other than E-Learning.

Like virtual field trips and other fun and exciting things,� said MontagueDavis.

She also said that a group of teachers track how many students are online daily or if students are not online or engaged in ELearning. A staff member will call those kids â€œâ€Ś because what we don’t want them to do is to think this is a long vacation. Then you come back in the fall and you’re going to be so much further behind. The positive is, it’s making the students more responsible and independent leaners.â€? “We have to get our

warm smile as she looked into the camera, and then said, “We are here for our scholars and families, both socially and emotionally.�

Dr. Montague-Davis had to fight back tears as she spoke about students that have to work fulltime jobs because their parents were fired or laid off. “Some of them have to work during E-Learning hours, so they ask for flexibility. So I make sure my teachers are very flexible and understanding with the students and we work our schedule around theirs.�

The phenomenal educators ended with some confirmation we all need as parents: “Get to know your children during these times at home. Also make a schedule for them, because kids are used to a schedule during school hours. Lastly, comfort them that this too shall pass,� said Dr. Carol Montague-Davis. “Help your scholar have one win every day, the sense that they have accomplished something they haven’t before.

One win, one victory, every day,� said Dr. Michelle Johnson.

As an educator myself, Happy Teachers Appreciation Week! I truly appreciate and respect all that you do. TEAM SCHOLARS!

ns i a m e r tice. n o i t c le ther no l o c s em ntil fur t i y k l Bu ended u susp

 � � �

SHOWING THIS MONTH • Student Human Relations Awards

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SPECTRUM Channel 13 AT&T UVERSE Channel 99 Live and on-demand: www.CityofWS.org YouTube, Facebook, Instagram: City of Winston-Salem

Question or concern about city government services? City Link 311 (336-727-8000) is open to service all non-emergency calls, 7 days a week.

The City of Winston-Salem does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, age, national origin, religion or disability in its employment opportunities, programs, services or activities.

Mayor: Allen Joines City Council: Vivian H. Burke, Mayor Pro Tempore, Northeast Ward; Denise D. Adams, North Ward; Dan Besse, Southwest Ward; Robert C. Clark, West Ward; John C. Larson, South Ward; Jeff MacIntosh, Northwest Ward; Annette Scippio, East Ward; James Taylor, Jr., Southeast Ward City Manager: Lee Garrity

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T he C hronicle

May 7, 2020

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Forsyth Technical Community College alumna shares her story of the front lines of the COVID-10 pandemic SUBMITTED ARTICLE

When you walk into the employee entrance of Novant Health Medical Center, right now, there are several chalk messages on the sidewalk. One reads, “Heroes work here.” Never in our lifetime have we seen the need for health care providers as we have now. They are truly heroes as they serve on the front lines in hospitals helping fight the coronavirus COVID-19.

Courtney Haldeman, a nursing graduate from Forsyth Technical Community College, is now a resource nurse in the Intensive Care COVID-19 Unit at Novant Health in Winston-Salem. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is back in school at UNCG to be a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. In March, like all schools, colleges and universities, all face-toface classes were moved online.

Haldeman says she was always proud to be a nurse, but now her pride runs much deeper.

“I’ve seen some wonderful things happening in spite of this very stressful time,” Haldeman said.

“Nurses have been pulled from other units to fill in on the COVID-19 unit and the teamwork is amazing.

Managers who worked in different units are coming together to manage this COVID-19 unit to be sure it is staffed appropriately and that the unit has what it needs to care for the patients and help fight this virus.”

Haldeman explains that since some surgeries have been cancelled due to the pandemic, nurses from other units can serve on the COVID-19 unit.

In addition, there are usually fewer hospitalizations during the spring. Overall, the hospital has more beds available that can be used for COVID-19 patients.

Haldeman said it was a total shock with how quickly the pandemic set in.

Treating patients is hard enough, but magnify the job with the limitation on visitors. Haldeman said. “As nurses, we care about the patients’ families too, so it’s difficult now that COVID-19 patients cannot have any visitors.

In the last moments of life,

only one family member may be with the patient.

For us, it is a moral conflict, not having the whole family there. I have tremendous respect for what the patients and families are going through.”

Nurses are also limited on visits with their own families. “I have telephone calls and video chats with my mom, but I haven’t seen her since the stayat-home orders began,” Haldeman said. “I miss seeing her, but I want to be extremely careful.” Haldeman said.

Throughout this time, Haldeman said the nurses have been amazed at the community outreach and support. “I guess it was eye-opening for the community to see what we

do each day.” Haldeman said, “Not only are the sidewalks filled with chalk messages, we get snacks and meals from churches and families and we appreciate it so much.”

In her own words, Haldeman shared what happened at Novant Health last month: “On April 3, the Police Department performed an event called the “Circle of Hope” where they drove in front of the hospital with their sirens on to salute the health care team for the upcoming battle. On April 20, all of the local fire departments performed the “Circle of Fire” where they drove through the front of the hospital with their sirens on, honking their horns in admiration,

while waving and saluting the health care team while we are fighting the battle.

They then lined up the vehicles, stepped out of the trucks, and cheered for the hospital. Watching these moments were breathtaking and uplifting. For such admirable and respected professions to support and cheer on health care professionals is a moment I will never forget. This is such a difficult time for nurses and to receive support from the community and professionals like the police department and fire department is indescribable. They risk their lives every day, and they made it a priority to show their respect and support for our profession. I have never been prouder to be a

nurse!”

“Forsyth Tech is proud of all our health technology graduates now serving on the front lines to protect us during COVID-19,” Linda Latham, dean of Health Technologies at Forsyth Tech said. “Courtney is one of many of our nurse alumni who are employed by Novant Health and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centers and who give selflessly to our community every day.”

Both the Forsyth Tech Community College associate degree in nursing and practical nursing diploma programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).

Forsyth Tech also partners with Winston-Salem State University in the dual enrollment Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) Program to encourage beginning students and licensed practical nurses to earn their bachelor of science in nursing.

For more information on a career in nursing or health technologies, visit www.forsythtech.edu.

COVID-19 crisis spawns another dangerous epidemic in NC: A spike in domestic violence JOE KILLIAN NC POLICY WATCH

It was nearly 4 a.m. and Jennifer had been pretending to sleep for two hours.

She tried to ignore the sound of her own heartbeat, which pounded faster and harder than seemed possible, so she could hear her husband next to her on the bed.

Was he sleeping? Was he sound asleep?

When she was sure he was, she quietly slipped out of the bedroom and down the hall to retrieve the garbage bag she had hidden behind the washing machine that afternoon. She had packed it with three pairs of jeans, several shirts, a few days’ worth of socks and underwear — as much as she felt she could discreetly squirrel away while doing the laundry. She also hid her car key in the bag, detached from the ring of keys she wouldn’t need anymore — the apartment, the mailbox, her husband’s SUV. She didn’t want them to jingle as she made for the parking lot.

She was miles away, on the highway headed for a friend’s place in Charlotte, when she realized she was gripping her steering wheel so hard her hands were going numb.

That made her laugh, for some reason, and suddenly she was sobbing. It went on that way — laughing and sobbing — for almost the entire hour’s drive.

When her friend opened the apartment door to let her in, her shocked look told Jennifer she looked even worse than she thought. She hadn’t looked in a mirror all week, but she could feel the swelling on the right side of her face. It was tender and hot all the time, which made it difficult to even pretend to sleep. Her friend hugged her and they cried together, and then Jennifer was laughing again.

“I guess the whole thing just seemed ridicu-

lous,” she said in an interview with Policy Watch nearly a month after that night. “I mean, it wasn’t perfect. We fought sometimes, like most people.

But the last weeks it was like it was a whole other level.

“He hit me, he shoved me, he pulled my hair, he took my phone away,” she said. “It was almost every day by the time I left.

It wasn’t until we weren’t going to work, we were just in the house together all the time, I realized how bad it was. I realized he was going to kill me. And it just felt ridiculous it took all this to make me realize that.”

Jennifer isn’t alone.

Not even close.

Police departments across the state are reporting an uptick in domestic violence calls. In Charlotte, domestic violence calls were up 17% last month over the same time last year. The High Point Police said their calls have increased 21%. For the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, it’s 30%.

“Survivors in all parts of the state face tremendous barriers to seeking and receiving help,” said Sherry Honeycutt Everett, Legal and Policy Director for the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “We are hearing story after story of victims who are isolated at home in dangerous conditions, at a time when our intervention and response infrastructures are operating at drastically reduced capacity.

“We also know that background checks and handgun permits for firearm purchases have soared to historic highs in North Carolina in recent weeks,” Everett said. “Which means that there are survivors who are at home with abusive partners who are newly armed.”

A variety of factors are likely at work in the current surge of cases, said Dr. Kelly Graves, psychologist and co-founder

of The Kellin Foundation, a Triad nonprofit that provides behavioral health services and victim advocacy. The foundation works with domestic violence victims through the Guilford County Family Justice Center, and runs the Greensboro Child Response Initiative, serving and advocating for victims of child abuse.

“With histories of violence, plus substance abuse, plus social isolation — you can create kind of a perfect storm of danger for people in their homes,” Graves said.

Jennifer’s husband had hit her before. Three or four times in the seven years since they were married, she said. His temper had always been bad when there was pressure about money or he’d had too much to drink. Those two went hand-in-hand, usually.

Their marriage went more smoothly when money was coming in. The couple would go out with friends to a nice dinner or down to the beach for a weekend getaway. He worked as a line cook in a steakhouse, sometimes picked up shifts bartending at another restaurant.

She did hair and makeup at a salon. They were never rich, but they had enough.

“When we met I was 20 and he was 24 and we have never really been out of work since then,” Jennifer said. “People have to have hair cuts. They have to eat. If the car broke down or there was a big bill, we had to go to the dentist or something, we could pick up extra hours. Maybe things were slower than other times sometimes, but we’re hard workers and we could always work.”

All that changed this year as February turned into March and people started taking the coronavirus more seriously. Clients she had seen for years began to cancel appointments. Business slowed down at the restaurant.

There were no extra shifts

to pick up. Shifts were getting cut. Then the state banned sit-down dining.

Her salon closed.

“It’s like, you don’t realize how quick you can go through what savings you have when there is nothing coming in, just zero,” she said. “The rent doesn’t stop. The bills don’t stop.”

Jennifer became cut off from her friends and family; because of the state’s stay-at-home order, she was trapped in her twobedroom apartment that rapidly turned into a pressure cooker.

Navigating unemployment claims was frustrating and humiliating. Anxiety over every sniffle and cough was amplified by the worry over their future. Small squabbles became screaming matches.

Screaming turned to shoving, slapping, throwing her to the ground. She had locked herself in the bathroom to cry for the second day in a row when she realized the virus had forced her to confront the abuse that had always existed in this relationship.

“I just felt stupid,” she said. “I just felt like, how did I not see this until I was locked at home with it like this? Was it always like this?”

“The toolbox we had to cope has disappeared.”

Many people don’t realize the statewide and local stay-at-home orders encourage people experiencing domestic violence to seek help if they need to, Graves said. The Family Justice Center is still taking walk-in clients. “We’re seeing more referrals and the referrals we’re seeing are more severe,” Graves said. “Our wait lists are substantial and we’re trying to figure out how to get people in the door and meet their needs.”

But many places where abuse is first detected — schools, local clinics, general practitioners’ offices — are shut down or encouraging people to postpone regular appointments to slow the spread of the

coronavirus.

The result: long-running domestic violence may be getting worse and new cases are going undetected and unreported.

People’s daily lives have been upended in a way many have never experienced, Graves said.

Parents are suddenly homeschooling their children. They are isolated from their friends and extended family. They are wrestling with unemployment as North Carolinians have filed more than 700,000 jobless claims in the last two months.

“And we’re all dealing with these things without many of the tools we have to cope,” Graves said.

“We don’t have those little breaks — simple things like going to work, going to school, going shopping, seeing friends. The toolbox we had to cope has disappeared.”

For some now seeking help, the breaking point has been a long time coming.

Two weeks ago Nancy, a self-described “poster mom,” went from ignoring her phone on a long road trip to turning it off completely. Her husband had been calling for hours, sending a flurry of threatening text messages and leaving enraged voicemails. She didn’t have time to deal with them now. She was tucking their eight-year old son into a motel bed.

While her husband was at work that afternoon, she packed two bags, put her son in the car and drove for nearly four hours to the coast before pulling over to find a place to sleep.

The next day she would tell her parents she was in town, that she had left her husband and needed to stay with them for a while.

She just hadn’t decided how she would tell them, exactly. She was in her early 40s — a homeowner, a mother, a member of the PTA. What would she say had happened?

“Then I thought …

maybe I’ll just roll up my sleeves and show them the bruises on my arms,” she said.

In the 12 years of their marriage, she’d left her husband twice before — each time because of violence. But the separations never lasted long. She had always hid the problem from her family and closest friends, even from her son, as much as she could.

She had called the police before, as had neighbors when they heard the fighting. But she had never pressed charges. She didn’t want him to go to jail. She had stopped working when their son was born and her husband was the family breadwinner. She didn’t know how she’d get by if the family broke up.

“I told myself that I could deal with it,” she said. “He had never hit our son. I didn’t think he would ever do that. As long as that didn’t happen, I could deal with it.”

But two days earlier, he crossed that line. Their boy hadn’t been dealing well with the switch to homeschooling during the pandemic. He missed his friends, found it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork at home. He’d been a little loud and hyperactive in the evenings, when his father came home.

“He took him and grabbed his shoulders and slammed him up against a wall in the kitchen,” she said. “Right then I knew I was leaving.”

She should have left sooner, she said. She sees that now.

“If the roof of your house has got a hole, you can ignore it for a while,” she said. “Maybe it’s not smart to ignore it. But when there’s a storm, you can’t ignore it anymore.

That problem gets urgent.

That’s what this virus and all this shutdown is doing.

It’s a storm that made me see the damage that was already there.”

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T he C hronicle

Addressing black students’ concerns about belonging in college has benefits in adulthood, research shows SUBMITTED ARTICLE

The benefits of a brief “social belonging” exercise completed by black students in their first year of college followed them into adulthood, with participants reporting greater career satisfaction, wellbeing and community involvement almost a decade later.

The long-term results of that social-belonging intervention, published in the journal Science Advances, show how important it is for colleges to help students from marginalized groups to understand that worries about belonging and experiences of social adversity are common in the transition to college, regardless of one’s background, said Wake Forest psychology professor and study author Shannon Brady.

“Belonging is a fundamental human need. Constantly feeling unsure of whether you belong can undermine your ability to perform up to your potential,” Brady said. “The question of social belonging can consume more time and mental bandwidth for people who face negative stereotypes or discrimination because of their race.

“Students from racially minoritized backgrounds enter college aware that their group is underrepresented in higher education

and that how people treat them can be shaped by negative stereotypes and discrimination. This reasonably leads students to worry about whether they belong—worries that can be exacerbated when they experience social adversities, like a bad grade on a test or getting left out of a social outing.”

The research team also included Drs. Geoffrey Cohen and Gregory Walton of Stanford University, who devised the socialbelonging intervention; and Shoshana Jarvis of the University of California, Berkeley.

During their first year of college, black and white students were invited to participate in a one-hour, in-person intensive exercise during which they heard stories from students of various backgrounds about the difficulties they experienced in their own transition to college. The

goal was to help students understand that everyday social difficulties like getting a bad grade are common and often lessen over time, especially when you reach out to professors and friends for support.

The study was a randomized experiment so students completed either the social-belonging intervention version of the exercise or a control exercise, also about the transition to college, but lacking the psychological message.

Past research by Walton and Cohen had shown that black students who participated in the socialbelonging intervention were more likely to email professors and consult them during office hours.

At the end of college, they had better grades and were happier and healthier than the students in the control group. There was no benefit of the intervention for white students.

The researchers for the current study wondered if the benefits for black participants might persist even after they left college.

So they followed up with them seven to eleven years later.

“This intervention understands and addresses the nature of worries about social belonging among students in an underrepresented group,” said Brady.

“Those worries could affect not only college experience but also life beyond college.”

In Brady’s study, conducted when participants were 27 years old on average, black participants who had completed the social-belonging intervention treatment in college reported: *Greater life satisfaction. In fact, on several different measures of wellbeing, black adults reported better outcomes in the treatment group than in the

control group. *More community involvement and leadership. Sixty-eight percent of black adults in the treatment group, but only 35 percent in the control group, reported having held at least one leadership position outside of work. *Greater satisfaction and success in their careers.

Despite its positive effects, students generally didn’t remember the intervention from college or didn’t attribute much of their success to it. Brady says this is appropriate.

Although the intervention served as a catalyst for better life outcomes, participants themselves are the ones who took the needed actions to reach out and cultivate mentor relationships. They are the ones contributing to their jobs and volunteering in their community.

The career and wellbeing gains were concentrated among black participants who reported developing mentor relationships in college, an outcome that the intervention increased. Brady, a project researcher with the College Transition Collaborative, suggested that a takeaway from this study for colleges is to examine whether their campus environment fosters mentor relationships and does so equally for students from

different backgrounds.

Colleges might find that they need to clear away structural barriers for students to find mentors, such as prioritizing and making sure faculty have enough time to connect with students and identifying people in the residence halls, religious life and academic departments who can connect with students. But it may also mean that colleges need to understand what psychological barriers hold students back from accessing the resources that exist.

“Our research shows that the intervention is not merely about the transfer of information,” she said.

“It’s about clearing a psychological hurdle so that students feel comfortable building relationships with professors and other mentors.”

The research was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

An online version of the social-belonging intervention is available for free to colleges and universities through the College Transition Collaborative and the Project for Education Research that Scales (PERTS). It has been implemented at more than 200 institutions. Versions of it have also been used in middle and high schools.

Leandro ruling could bring much needed aid to N.C. public schools

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Earlier this week, Knollwood Baptist Church and Action4Equity held a virtual gathering to discuss the recent findings in the state’s landmark constitutional education case, Leandro v. North Carolina, and how it will impact the future of K-12 education funding across the state.

The Leandro school funding case began in 1994 when five school districts (Hoke, Halifax, Robeson, Vance, and Cumberland) filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that their school districts did not have enough money to provide an equal education for their children.

Since the case was opened more than two decades ago, the N.C. Supreme Court has ruled twice that the state has a constitutional obligation to ensure all children have access to a sound education which includes competent and well trained teachers and principals, as well as equitable access to sufficient resources.

Although the rulings in the cases in 1997 and 2004 declared that the state constitution guarantees every child the right to a sound education and that the states efforts to educate children from poor families were inadequate, the N.C. Supreme Court did not put any solutions in place to fix the problem.

That is until 2016, when Superior Court Judge David Lee took over the case.

Two years after taking control of the case, Judge Lee ordered WestEd, an independent educational consultant, conduct a study and make recommenda-

tions on ways to remedy the issues. In December 2019, WestEd released their findings, along with a list of eight critical needs that the state must address to ensure every child in the state receives a sound education. Here’s a list of the recommendations made by WestEd: 1. Revise the statefunding model to provide adequate, efficient, and equitable resources.

2. Provide a qualified, well-prepared and diverse teaching staff in every school.

3. Provide a qualified and well-prepared principal in every school.

4. Provide all at-risk students with the opportunity to attend high-quality early childhood programs.

5. Direct resources, opportunities and initiatives to economically disadvantaged students.

6. Revise the student assessment system and school accountability system.

7. Build an effective regional and statewide system of support for the improvement of low-performing and high poverty schools.

8. Convene an expert panel to assist the Court in maintaining state policies, plans, programs and progress.

When discussing the Leandro ruling during the online gathering dubbed “Equity and Access: Now, More than Ever,” Matt Ellinwood, director of the N.C. Justice Center’s Education and Law Project, said although the case is very complex and has been going on forever, when you break it down it’s really pretty straightforward.

“It’s the state who has the responsibility to provide

every child with access to a sound, basic education and the state has continued to not meet that minimal standard.”

According to the WestEd report, over the past decade or so, the state has moved even further away from meeting the standards when it comes to education. While going over several charts and graphs that compared teacher pay, per pupil spending, state funding effort, and other information in North Carolina to other states, he said although we weren’t doing that well in 2009, we were moving in the right direction.

“In 2008-09 we were about 12% below the national average in teacher pay and now we’re about 14%,” Ellinwood said.

“Probably the bigger problem is our teacher pay is one of the least competitive in the nation … when

comparing teacher pay to other jobs in North Carolina with similar education and experience, North Carolina ranks 45th … with teachers earning about 27% less than their peers in other professions.”

Ellinwood said the state has also seen a major decline in resources. He said since 2009, the state has 35.6% less teacher assistance, 40% less central office employees, 17.1% less non-instructional support employees, more than 50% less textbooks, supplies, and materials.

To meet the standards outlined by the N.C. Supreme Court, WestEd recommends that the state invest about $4 billion over the next eight years into the education system.

According to Ellinwood, that could increase funding by about 36%, teacher pay by 20%, and bring an additional 220 teachers’

assistants to the district.

“If we really follow these recommendations, really huge consequences locally in Winston.”

The deadline for the state to submit recommendations for an implementation plan was originally scheduled for March, but has been pushed back to the end of May due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Ellinwood said the N.C. Justice Center’s Education and Law Project is working with a coalition of organizations to help spread the word about the findings in the Leandro case and how it can impact local school districts.

“We’re working with a really diverse coalition that represents each of these different student groups and it’s called Every Child NC and we’ll have a website coming up in a few weeks, but we’re

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really trying to come together around these findings and advocate at the state level and in the court case for actually implementing them and ensuring that they’re centered and meet the needs of the communities that are most impacted.”

The virtual town hall hosted by Knollwood Baptist Church and Action4Equity can be viewed by visiting “Action4Equity” on Facebook. The virtual gathering was part of Knollwood Baptist Church’s series of conversations entitled Faith in the City. On the first Tuesday, October through May, organizers from the church invite speakers to deepen community conversations about complex issues and find ways to work together to address injustices.

Also Religion, Community News and Classifieds

THURSDAY, May 7, 2020

Bassmaster pro Monti “coaches” Randy Moss

SUBMITTED ARTICLE

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bassmaster Elite Series angler Kyle Monti, of Okeechobee, Fla., found at least one blessing in the pandemic - forcing a break in the Elite Series season. The third-year pro was elated when “Randy,” the client he was supposed to guide on Lake Okeechobee, turned out to be NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss.

A fishing guide in his off-season, Monti agreed to help another guide with a party of four in Lakeport after a recent tournament was postponed. Monti was stunned when the record-setting wide receiver pulled up with a friend and their daughters.

“I immediately recognized him,” Monti said. “He rolled the window down and I said, ‘Holy crap. That’s Randy Moss!’”

After a morning of using shiners with the other father-daughter team, Monti took both men out in the afternoon and tried to accommodate Moss on his quest to learn how to flip for bass on Lake Okeechobee.

“He said, ‘I want you to teach me everything you know. I’m all ears. You’re my coach today.’ I got to coach Randy Moss, essentially,” Monti said. “After initially being star-struck, I realized he was listening to what I said and what I’m good at.”

Moss and his friend

landed a lot of 3- to 4-pounders, but nothing big, Monti said. His buddy lost one about 6 pounds at the side of the boat, but they didn’t go 15 minutes without a bite. Monti deemed it a successful trip.

There was some NFL talk, but Monti said he was rather coy and picked his spots during their afternoon session.

“It was hard for me not to kind of fan out,” Monti said. “I’m a huge fan of Randy Moss. I’ve always liked him. He grew up in a small town like me.

“It was hard for me to try to maintain my cool. I tried to act like his friend instead of a fan, because I’m sure he gets that all the time. It was pretty interesting.”

About four hours in, Monti said Moss made it a point that his phone hadn’t rung. Moss has a small circle he keeps in contact with. Besides his former quarterback Tom Brady, with whom he set the single season record with 23 touchdowns in 2007, Moss said he keeps in touch with Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

“We talked about coaching, the mentality of coaches,” Monti said. “I picked his brain on Belichick, what makes him so successful. He said everybody, rookies to veterans, is expected to do the same thing. That was the most eye-opening thing about Belichick.”

Moss played 14 seasons in the NFL, retiring

Submitted photo

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kyle Monti spent a day teaching NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss how to flip for bass on Lake Okeechobee after 2012 with 156 touchdowns, second only to Jerry Rice. He played with Minnesota, Oakland, New England, Tennessee and San Francisco, making the Pro Bowl six times.

While on the water, Monti asked Moss about the mental aspect of excelling in sports. Moss was all-everything coming out of high school from Rand, W.Va., a town of around 1,600 with few resources.

Monti, who has cashed checks in 17 of his 24 Bassmaster events but has not qualified for a Classic, was interested in what it takes to climb the ladder.

“I spent the last two or

three years studying sports psychology and the mindset,” Monti said. “I think that’s what separates the guys who are consistently winning from the guys who are really good fishermen but there’s just something missing. You can control your mindset, and that’s what I was digging into. He just kind of validated what I’ve already seen — you can’t let failure keep you from doing anything.”

Monti realized Moss must be bombarded with requests for autographs, so he never pushed anything, like taking photos. He just wanted to help Moss’ bass

fishing game.

“He’s pretty good. He needs some work,” Monti said. “For as much time as he’s gotten into it, he handled the rod and reel pretty good. What he was trying to learn is when, where and why, movements and patterns, everything that everybody reading Bassmaster Magazine wants to know.”

Like most Elites, Monti was disappointed to have the COVID-19 pandemic postpone several stops at places he believed he could excel.

“We had this beautiful schedule. Best schedule I’ve seen in B.A.S.S. for

a long time, the perfect times at the perfect lakes.

Now we’ll have to go places in the fall,” said Monti, changing his mindset after thinking of his best Bassmaster finishes (both fifths) at the Smith Lake Open and last year’s Elite on Lake Tenkiller. “You know what, my best tournaments have been in the fall when it’s tough. I just seem to figure out how to catch five bass, so maybe it’s a blessing for me.”

The break could end up providing a double blessing for Monti.

Steve Forbes named Wake Forest’s 23rd head men’s basketball coach SUBMITTED ARTICLE

Wake Forest Director of Athletics John Currie has named Steve Forbes the 23rd head men’s basketball coach in Demon Deacon history.

A 30-year coaching veteran, Coach Steve Forbes is a proven winner and builder of championship cultures with a 260-77 (.722) overall record in his five years as the head coach at East Tennessee State and at three previous community college head coaching stints. ETSU won 130 games and two SoCon championships during his tenure, while all 22 of his seniors earned their ETSU degrees. Forbes joined elite company in 2018-19, becoming one of just 10 active Division I head coaches who have reached the 100-win mark in their first four seasons.

“I am grateful to John Currie for the open and inclusive process that led to today’s announcement,” said Wake Forest President Nathan O. Hatch.

“The tireless efforts on behalf of his alma mater have yielded great benefits and I am pleased to welcome Steve Forbes to the Wake Forest family. I want to thank our dedicated search committee and the leadership of our board of trustees in supporting the search process. Steve, Johnetta, Elizabeth, Christopher and Johnathon Forbes will be tremendous additions to the University community.”

“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at Wake Forest University,” said Forbes.

“I’m very appreciative of President Nathan Hatch and Director of Athletics John Currie for giving me the opportunity to work

with a terrific group of young men. Coming to Wake Forest presents an opportunity to be a part of a special brand and a chance to impact our studentathletes’ lives in a positive way while competing for championships. My highest priority is spending time and developing relationships with our current student-athletes, alumni and the young men who will make up the future of Demon Deacon Basketball.

“Leaving ETSU was not an easy decision for me and for my family,” Forbes said. “I will be eternally grateful to President Dr. Brian Noland, the fans, and those student-athletes with whom I shared such special experiences. They have taught me so much and changed my life.”

“Coach Forbes has an incredible track record of success, matched only by his reputation for building strong and lasting relationships,” said Currie. “He operates with a high level of intensity and is not only an effective coach on the floor, but a great recruiter as well. We welcome him and his family to Deacon Nation and I’m looking forward to supporting him and his staff as they build a championship program both on and off the court.

“Thanks to all of the advantages of Wake Forest, WinstonSalem and the ACC, we had an incredible array of talented coaches who wanted this job. As we worked through the process, Coach Forbes emerged as the absolute right person to lead Demon Deacon basketball back to ACC and national prominence.”

Currie’s search began late Saturday night with a search committee including Provost

Steve Forbes Rogan Kersh, Dean of the College Michele Gillespie, Dean of the School of Divinity Jonathan L. Walton, Faculty Athletics Representative Pete Brubaker, Deputy Athletic Director Lindsey Babcock, Associate Counsel Pete Paukstelis, and Currie.

“It was so important to our student-athletes for us to conduct this search as thoroughly and efficiently as possible and I am grateful for our campus leaders being willing to jump in and spend Sunday and Monday meeting with candidates to find the right person to lead our program,” said Currie.

“We also want to thank our

Submitted photo

consultant Chad Chatlos of Ventura Partners. Chad was an absolute warrior throughout this process,” said Currie.

Forbes won at least 24 games in each of his five seasons as the head coach for the Buccaneers while finishing third or better in the SoCon every year.

During the 2019-20 season, ETSU was having its best season in program history before the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament. The Bucs finished with a 30-4 record and SoCon regular season and tournament titles. Forbes earned conference coach of the year along with the Hugh Durham Award, given to

the most outstanding mid-major coach in the country.

An assistant under three Final Four coaches over the course of his career, Forbes developed his coaching style under some of the best head coaches in the game.

National powers Tennessee and Wichita State both reached the pinnacle of success with Forbes on the bench.

The Vols ascended to their first No. 1 overall ranking in program history in 2008 while winning a program record 31 games.

In 2015, Wichita State won an NCAA record 35-straight games to start the season, earning the first No. 1 seed in program history.

In addition, Forbes spent two record-breaking seasons in College Station, Texas (2004-06) when Texas A&M set a program record for Big 12 Conference wins. Picked to finish last in the Big 12 prior to the 2004-05 season, the Aggies won their first 11 games and went on to a 2110 record and an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. In 2005-06, Texas A&M advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987 while recording a 22-9 record, the third-most wins in school history.

A native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a degree in secondary education in 1988. A former baseball student-athlete for the Muleriders, Forbes spent one year at his alma mater as the sports information director before embarking on a coaching career.

Forbes and his wife, Johnetta, have three children, Elizabeth, Christopher and Johnathon.

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May 7, 2020

T he C hronicle

RELIGION

Elder Richard Wayne Wood Sunday School Lesson

Peace and Justice Reign Scriptures: Zechariah 8:1-8, 11-17 By the end of this lesson, we will: *Comprehend the fact of God’s presence in a community; *Yearn for God’s perpetual presence and promise of justice it brings; *Pray for God’s presence to result in a communal sense of justice, prosperity and unity.

Background: Zechariah was a contemporary of Malachi and Haggai. They were all associated with the Persian period and were referred to as the triad of last prophets. Zechariah in our lesson speaks to a delegation from Bethel seeking favor from the Lord for the restoration of Jerusalem. He emphasizes repentance and exhorts the community Judah and Israel (Zion) to behave in accordance with the divine will, so that they don’t end up as their ancestors. Chapter 8 speaks of the coming peace and prosperity of Zion.

Lesson: Zechariah 8:1-8 has a theme of renewal as the Lord responds to the people through the prophet.

The Lord makes specific points in verse 5: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts.” He says, “I am exceedingly jealous of Zion …” Israel’s sins caused God’s jealousy (verse 2), but God’s love for Israel is so strong that He is coming back to them ... with stipulations. “I am returned unto Zion …” and they will become a city characterized by truth, both in word and deed, and Mt. Zion will be the Lord’s holy dwelling place (verse 3). Verses 4 and 5 emphasize concern for the senior citizens and the children, who are the most defenseless of society but are not to be overlooked. In verse 6 God says that there is nothing too hard for God. Man may be incapable of some things, but nothing is impossible for God. Verses 7 and 8 say that God will save the people, bring them all together again and be their God “in truth and in righteousness.” (verse 8). This must be a view to the Second Advent of Christ, since at the time this was written, Israel had not been scattered to the west, an undertaking of the Roman Empire in the first century A.D. Verses 11 – 17 emphasize the need for right living.

Unapologetically, God says that He will not deal with this generation as He did with their ancestors. Instead He promises prosperity and popularity “… and ye shall be a blessing … “ (verses 11 – 13). Because of their continued disobedience, God said He was not sorry for the captivity of the ancestors and their living conditions: “they provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not.” (verse 14). But God has had a change of heart for this new generation, “… I have thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and the house of Judah: fear not.” (verse 15). Here are the stipulations that come with promised blessings: Obedience to God’s righteous standards; simply put, teach the truth and seek peace. Be careful not to do what displeases God, which includes plotting against one another and perjury (bearing false witness) “… for all these are what I hate, declares the Lord.” (verse 17). (The Jewish Study Bible, The MacArthur Study Bible, the Oxford Bible Commentary and the UMI Annual Commentary 2019 -2020).

For Your Consideration: Do you ever feel God being jealous over other things that try to take His place in your life?

Application: UMI: We all need to know that God is with us. We are in covenant with Him and He will heal us from our sicknesses and save us from the schemes of the enemy. God does, however, ask us to trust Him with our very lives and to obey His every word. Think how different our lives would be if we trusted Him in everything. Take time this week to think and write about an area where you can give God more trust. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

RELIGION CALENDAR Thursdays and Saturdays Christ Rescue Temple Church, 1500 North Dunleith Ave., will serve hot meals as part of the People Helping People Feeding Program. Meals will be served every Tuesday and Thursday from noon until 1 p.m. at the church’s location. For more information, call 336-722-9841.

May 8 Youth Mini Message – First Waughtown Baptist Church The Flex Friday Mini Message for Youth will be offered at 12 noon, May 8 on Facebook Live -- https://www.facebook.com/FirstWaughtown/, on Instagram - @firstwaughtown, and on the First Waughtown website, https://www.firstwaughtown. org and click on MEDIA. May 9 GriefCare St. Paul United Methodist Church sponsors “GriefCare,” a support group for persons experiencing grief due to the death of someone close to them.

The sessions feature biblical teaching on grief and recovery topics. Sessions are free. CHALLENGES OF GRIEF is the topic on Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.

For information about how to participate in this virtual GriefCare session, please call 336-815-1554 or 336-817-7524 before May 9.

May 10 First Waughtown Baptist Church Live Stream Dr. Dennis W. Bishop, senior pastor of First Waughtown Baptist Church, will continue the current series with The Grace Message, part 5 -- online at 10:00 am Sunday, May 10. Please join us on Facebook Live, https://www.facebook.com/FirstWaughtown/ or the First Waughtown website, https://www. firstwaughtown.org and click on MEDIA.

The role of the black church during a pandemic

BY PASTOR JAMAL BRYANT

I recently came across an article on NewsOne.com that highlighted a furor on several social media platforms regarding whether wealthy pastors are contributing enough to COVID-19 relief efforts.

Admittedly, some of the social media memes and tropes were amusing and of course, some were outright meanspirited, sophomoric and disrespectful, but that’s the complex mosaic of the social media space and if you’re in the public square at all, you have to be able to stomach the bitter and the sweet.

As I processed the article and the dialogue it generated, my personal and pastoral PTSD was kicked into overdrive, recalling the pummeling my church (New Birth) and I took just a few weeks earlier when we announced that we’d formulated a partnership with a telemedicine firm and a community health clinic to provide coronavirus testing to our community.

Without bothering to do any due diligence, we were labeled as “opportunists,” “vultures,” “ungodly” and worse.

And while it is always painful to be insulted and castigated, it hurts even more when it’s the African American community leading the campaign of misinformation. Of course, New Birth and I were confident in our intent and execution of the testing initiative and fortunately, local affiliate CBS 46 cleared the issue up nicely and we’re moving forward.

Rather than get lost in trying to salve healing wounds, I believe our focus should turn to the larger question of what exactly the role of the church should be, not only in this season of a global pandemic, but as the core societal anchor of the African American community.

I’ve preached many times that 93% of what Jesus did was outside of the walls of the church as he healed, fed, evangelized and organized.

Admittedly, if you were to honestly assess the 21st century church, that dynamic has been completely

Submitted photo

Pastor Jamal Bryant flipped. Far too many churches and pastors are concerned with what happens inside of the building and not concerned or active enough with affecting the greater community and those who need to be ministered to beyond the opulence and comfort of gleaming wood floors and the immaculate stained glass.

We indeed have a conundrum.

Should the church be doing more?

Yes; and if you look closely, many churches are doing plenty.

I am blessed to pastor at New Birth, where we have the capacity and more importantly, an engaged and committed church family who take seriously our mandate to love, lead and live like Christ. Our goal is to be a church that does 93% or more of our ministry beyond the walls of our beautiful sanctuary.

In a little over a year, we have provided meals for furloughed federal workers; we have provided 5,000 pairs of free shoes for school-aged kids in the DeKalb/Atlanta community; we have bailed out first time, nonviolent offenders; and married 30 couples free of charge in two mass weddings.

Even as we are all in the chaos and calamity of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided that even if church has stopped, ministry doesn’t.

Consequently, we are providing free groceries to 1,000 families each week and we have entered a partnership with local hotels to provide free lodging and meals to our beleaguered doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

This is the work of the church and it is not only having a major impact in the community, it is helping to attract souls to Christ and members to our church. To God be the glory for over 300 new members who have joined New Birth since we suspended our in-person worship a month ago.

I am proud of what we are doing at New Birth but there are plenty of other churches who have stepped up in a major way, even if they are less heralded, barely noticed and never celebrated.

It is disheartening to see so much misinformation gain momentum and to see the church chastised and rebuked in haste and seemingly at will.

The church is needed now more than ever and as we emerge from this recent Easter holiday, I am praying for my comrades of the gospel and I am hopeful that we as a people will be less antagonistic toward the body of Christ and that God will resurrect our hopes, restore our compassion, and revive our love and interdependency on one another.

These times are challenging, stressful and unprecedented; it calls for all of us to raise our game and our consciousness in the hopes that we will emerge as a stronger, betterconnected community.

Jamal Bryant is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia.

Winning in the waiting: Fellowship of Christian Athletes offers 10 home activities for competitors SUBMITTED ARTICLE

Coaches and athletes around the country are in a period of waiting, but competitors can still find ways to win, says the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Seasons may be cut short, playoffs may be paused, but ministry is never cancelled With the exception of online schoolwork, what will student-athletes do during this time? How will they make the most of their days while at home?

God has given us this time in history. Each day is a gift. Therefore, FCA is offering 10 ways to be “Winning in the Waiting.”

This list is just one of many resources within FCA Virtual, an online and social media initiative to rally coaches, athletes and staff around the incredible stories of what God is doing through virtual FCA ministry, because FCA knows that ministry work is never cancelled. FCA Virtual also helps coaches, athletes and teams to keep up with evolving ministry and training events in the field, as they unify leaders around a common rallying cry during a time of increased isolation.

1. Set Goals All season long you have set goals for yourself.

Continue the process. Successful athletes always set goals, not only for their athletic careers, but also for many other important areas of life (e.g., faith, family, friendship, finances, hobbies and interests, and more). Set some big goals and put in the effort to make progress toward

achievement.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”—Proverbs 3:5-6 2. Create a Daily Schedule Failing to plan is planning to fail. Make a daily schedule for yourself that aligns with your goals and responsibilities. Chart each half-hour or hour of your day; this process will give structure and help you hold yourself accountable. Research time management and productivity to make the most of your days.

“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.”—Ephesians 5:15 3. Work Out and Eat Healthy This one is simple.

Work out. Exercise. Continue to maintain the athlete lifestyle. Put in the work each day. Whatever workout you choose, take initiative and put in the work. You will be thankful for the time you invested.

Eating healthy will help you maintain your fitness level and it will also help your body build up your immune system to help prevent the chances of contracting the virus or illness.

“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.

Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”—1 Corinthians 9:27 4. Read Biographies and Autobiographies The benefit of reading biographies and autobi-

ographies of our favorite athletes is we learn more about the faith, values, family, work, and challenges that helped them achieve success. And there are so many great men and women to learn from, including: Benjamin Watson (NFL), Gabby Douglas (gymnastics), Kyle Maynard (wrestling), Allyson Felix (track), Bethany Hamilton (surfing) and Ryan Neiswender (wheelchair basketball), just to name a few. Additionally, the FCA website features stories of faith and perseverance from today’s top Christian competitors. Use this time to read about the lives of Christian athletes and learn from their example.

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”—1 Corinthians 11:1 5. Fast Traditionally, fasting is abstaining from all or some kind of food or drink for a period of time so you can focus on God. Use the time you’d be eating to pray.

Fasting is a powerful tradition we see all throughout the Bible. If you’re not in strenuous competition right now, fasting can be a great way to engage deeply with God while you wait.

“But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”—Matthew 6:17-18 6. Journal One of the most powerful daily habits you can

adopt is journaling. Journaling can be a collection of your goals, dreams, prayers, to-do lists, memories and more. Another powerful journaling practice is evaluation. At the conclusion of each day, take a moment to reflect on the accomplishment of your goals, highlights, use of time, prayers answered and lessons God taught you. Journaling can help you become more effective and productive in your athletic pursuits and in your daily walk with the Lord. Additionally, you may find you’ll greatly value your journals as you look through the content later in life.

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah.’”—Jeremiah 30:2 7. Pray Prayer is simply communicating with God. You can talk to God like you talk to a friend; the key is knowing and believing He hears our voices and prayers. Praying and talking with God through Jesus will fill your heart and mind with a peace, love and joy that you cannot experience anywhere else in this life. Once you experience God through prayer, there will not be any challenge in life you cannot face.

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”—Matthew 6:6 See Athletes on B6

T he C hronicle

May 7, 2020

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Community Calendar Please call ahead to make sure your event is still happening. We will post cancellations/postponements announcements when received.

NOW – Volunteer Center of the Triad The Volunteer Center of the Triad is responding to COVID-19 by bringing the volunteer community together. We have designated a portion of our website www.volunteercentertriad.org to assist our non-profit community as their needs arise around the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are interested in volunteering, visit www. volunteercentertriad.org, click COVID-19 Response and search volunteer opportunities available.

NOW – Girl Scouts on Facebook Live Every Monday through Friday at 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on Saturdays at 11 a.m., Girl Scouts and anyone who is interested can tune into Facebook Live workshops with topics ranging anywhere from STEM and gardening to life skills and family game night. They even host a weekly campfire on Thursday evenings.

To receive information for these newly forming troops, families can visit www.BeAGirlScout.org/ connect. There will be specific troop times for each girl grade level.

For more information about virtual Girl Scout opportunities or to learn more about Girl Scouting in your community, please visit www.girlscoutsp2p. org. Questions about virtual programming can also be directed to info@ girlscoutsp2p.org or 800672-2148.

NOW – May 31 – Literary competition Flying South, the annual literary competition sponsored by Winston-Salem Writers, is accepting entries through May 31.

There will be $2,000 in prizes awarded. Best in category winners will be

published in Flying South magazine and will receive $500 each. The WinstonSalem Writers President’s Favorite will also receive $500. Entry fee is $25 ($15 for members of Winston-Salem Writers). Multiple entries are accepted.

Submit entries and fees to flyingsouth.submittable. com.

For complete rules and submission details, go to www.wswriters.org and click on the contest tab. Winners will be announced on July 1, 2019.

NOW – June 9 – Free virtual information sessions at Forsyth Tech Forsyth Tech is offering free real-time, online comprehensive information sessions now through June. All events include an opportunity for you to send in questions during the sessions. You may sign for sessions at eventbrite. com. For more information, please contact Victoria Burgos atvburgos@ forsythtech.edu.

Topics and dates are: May 7, 3 p.m. and June 8, 7 p.m.– How do I fill out my Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?

May 11, 3 p.m. and June 9, 7 p.m. – How do I apply to Forsyth Tech?

May 11, 3 p.m. May 18, 7 p.m. – What Do I Do After COVID-19?

May 19, 7 p.m. – How Do I Pay for College?

May 11, 3 p.m., May 20, 7 p.m. and June 1, 7 p.m. – How Can I Take College Classes While I’m Still in High School?

May 26, 7 p.m. – How Can I Start at Forsyth Tech and Transfer to a FourYear College?

May 27, 7 p.m. – Can Forsyth Tech help me get into healthcare?

May 28, 7 p.m. – What programs are available online?

June 2, 7 p.m.– What short-term training is available?

June 3, 7 p.m. – How can I take summer classes at Forsyth Tech?

June 4, 7 p.m. – What is the Hope and Opportunity Grant?

May 13-June 3 – Farmer’s workshop N.C. Cooperative Extension is offering a free, online workshop series for Beginning Farmers, Tuesdays at 10 a.m., May 13 - June 3. If you are considering starting a farming operation and are not sure where to begin, this Beginner Farmer Online Series is just for you. Topics include what can be grown, where’s the money, where and how to sell your product, and who can help. There is no registration fee, but registration is required. Learn more by visiting http://forsyth.cc/ CES/Livestock.aspx, or by emailing April Bowman at awbowman@ncsu.edu or by calling 336-703-2855.

May 17 – “Writing Your Manuscript” series “Finishing Your Manuscript: Revising, Rewriting, Beta-reading, and Reaching Your Goal,” part 4 of the public series on Writing Your Manuscript from Triad Sisters in Crime, with Rase McCray, MFA, at High Point Library, 1:45-4 p.m., 901 N. Main St., High Point.

Stay to 5 p.m. to chat with authors.

June 21- Aug. 29 – 2020 Summer Parks Concert Series The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County has announced the lineup for the 2020 Summer Parks Concert Series with three performances at Tanglewood Park and two at Triad Park.

Here’s the schedule:

*6/21, 5 p.m. – West End Mambo @ Tanglewood Park *July 4, 7 p.m. – N.C. Army National Guard 440th Army Band @ Triad Park *July 24, 7 p.m. – The Plaids @ Tanglewood Park *Aug. 8, 7 p.m. – Possum Jenkins @ Tanglewood Park *Aug. 29, 6 p.m. – Martha Bassett, Dan River Girls & Laurelyn Dossett @ Triad Park Aug. 27-29 – Used book sale The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem will hold its 33rd Annual Used Book Sale on Thursday, Aug. 27, and Friday, Aug. 28, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Half price on all items!). The book sale is one of the largest in our state! Parking and admission are free. The event will take place at the fairgrounds.

Here are online Bookmarks events for the month of May Contact: info@bookmarksnc.org URL for info on all events: https://www.bookmarksnc.org/calendar May 7 - 27 -- Reader Meet Writer series This is a series sponsored and run by SIBA - the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.

Bookmarks is hosting five of these author events. All events are scheduled for 3 p.m. *5/7 - Kaitlin Curtice - Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God *5/12 - Mary Kay Andrews - Hello, Summer *5/20 - Carter Sickels The Prettiest Star *5/21 - Yaffa S. Santos

- A Taste of Sage *5/27 - Edward A. Farmer - Pale May 14 at 6:30 pm on Zoom Book Buzz Book Club Join us to discuss The Vacationers by Emma Straub. All are welcome to join. E-mail info@bookmarksnc.org to register.

May 15 at 12 p.m. on Zoom Book Discussion: The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett Join us to discuss The Lost Book of the Grail with author Charlie Lovett. Email info@bookmarksnc. org to register.

May 17 at 3 p.m. on Zoom Lines of Zen: A Drawing Workshop with Kyle Webster Join author and illustrator, Kyle Webster, for a relaxing session of drawing exercises designed to calm the mind and open a pathway to creative expression. With only a pen and some paper, you’ll discover the meditative power of drawing, with no special talent or experience required. Ages 12+.

May 17 at 4 p.m.

LGBTQ Book Club Join us to discuss Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison. All are welcome to join.

May 18 at 7 p.m. on YouTube Live Book Trivia Live with Caleb Join us for Book Trivia with Bookmarks’ Inventory Manager, Caleb Masters. Free and open to the public. E-mail caleb@ bookmarksnc.org to register.

May 19 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom Romance Book Club

Join us to discuss Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean. Email info@bookmarksnc. org to register.

May 23 at 3 p.m. on Zoom New Adventures Book Club Want to try something new, but aren’t sure where to start? Many readers are looking for a comfortable book to help them ease into a new genre or new type of reading. Sometimes it is hard to make that choice on your own.

Our New Adventures Book Club will help introduce readers to new genres each month by selecting welcoming “first reads” into new genres. This will be a virtual book club and following the initial meetings, the books will be selected by the whole group.

This book club will be led

by Bookmarks’ Bookseller Cat. May’s book is Gods of Jade & Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

May 26 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom Bookmarks Book Club Join us to discuss Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. All are welcome. Questions or to register: email Jamie@ bookmarksnc.org.

May 28 at 7 p.m.

Neil Shubin & Some Assembly Required Join us to hear from the bestselling author of Your Inner Fish, Neil Shubin, about his latest book, Some Assembly Required.

Shubin gives us a lively and accessible account of the great transformations in the history of life on Earth — a new view of the evolution of human and animal life that explains how the incredible diversity of life on our planet came to be. This is a paywhat-you-can event.

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CLASSIFIEDS May 7, 2020

T CHhronicle T HheE C R ON I C LE

OCTOBER 25, 2018 B7

DEADLINE: MONDAY 5:30 PM • CALL CLASSIFIEDS AT (336) 722-8624

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UW of Davie County is seeking an Executive Director of Resource Development. Individual must be able to provide professional staff-leadership to manage and grow portfolio of key corporate and individual partners which will contribute to the achievement of United Way’s annual fund-raising goals. Bachelor’s degree required along with 5 to 8 years of proven fundraising, sales, or relevant experience. A complete job description can be viewed at www.davieunitedway.org. Please send required cover letter and resume to hr@uwforsyth.org. Posting will close on 05/22/2020. EOE

Sealed proposals will be received until 2:00 PM on Thursday, May 28, 2020, on the campus of Winston-Salem State University 1604-C Lowery Street, WinstonSalem, NC 27110, for the renovation of the WSSU Rams Commons Residence Hall, including 150 student suites, incorporating general construction, and HVAC system & fire alarm replacement. Bids will be opened and read at 3:00 PM on May 28, 2020 at the WSSU Albert Anderson Center.

A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Thursday May 14, 2020 at 2:00 PM at the WSSU Albert Anderson Center. The pre-bid will discuss the project, bidding procedures and incorporate a public meeting for owner preferred brand alternates as per GS 133-3.

Complete plans and specifications for this project including instructions for attending the pre-bid and bid opening can be obtained from: Ian Patrict, AIA, Biloba Architecture, PLLC, Tel: 704.773.4766 Email: ianpatrick@biloba.co after May 4, 2020.

Plan Deposit $250 for paper copies. The state reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all proposals. Should the project need to be re-bid, the re-bid will take place at 3:00 PM on Thursday, June 4, 2020 at the WSSU Albert Anderson Center.

Attendance at the pre-bid meeting and bid opening(s) will optionally be available through internet video conferencing in lieu of physical attendance The Chronicle May 7, 2020

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA FORSYTH COUNTY The undersigned, having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of MARGUERITE D. COLE, deceased, late of ROCKDALE COUNTY, GEORGIA, with property in Forsyth County, North Carolina, hereby notifies all parties having claims against said estate to present them to the attorney for the undersigned at 3735 Memorial Drive, Suite 100, Decatur, Georgia 30032 on or before July 17, 2020 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the above address.

This the 20th day of Deccember 2019 Rose F. Outlaw, Administrator Boykin Edwards Jr. Attorney At Law 3735 Memorial Drive Suite 100 Decatur, GA 30032 The Chronicle April 16, 23, 30 and May 7, 2020

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The ‘Internet Pastor’ helps save Sunday morning Covid-19 forced churches to close doors across America, one Pastor is helping them sustain, online

ATLANTA, Ga.: COVID-19 has closed the doors of churches across America and sadly, many will not reopen. As millions of people are encouraged to stay home, churches and small businesses are fighting to survive. Statistics prove that our nation’s churches were not financially prepared for the economic downturn and they do not have the technocapitalism to thrive in this new ‘virtual reality.’

Weeks before COVID-19 struck, Kervance Ross was named the Pastor of Internet and Innovation at one of the country’s most notable, prolific, megachurches, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. Famed pastor and leader Jamal H. Bryant announced this newly-created position in December, not knowing it would be the most critical position in the church, and for churches around the world.

“I would not have ever thought that within 60 days of being introduced to the world with a title that made most people scratch their heads on December 31, that my position would now be the most essential role in church culture,” says Pastor Ross.

COVID-19 is hitting churches hard. According to a 2018-2019 National Congregations Study, a third of all congregations do not have any savings.

Only 20% of churches were streaming their services online and only 48% had the financial infrastructure to accept donations electronically. With parishioners facing layoffs and furloughs, churches are seeing a decline in of-

May 7, 2020

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Community Briefs Free leaf mulch is back

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities has rescheduled the annual leaf mulch giveaway. Postponed due to stay-at-home orders, free leaf mulch will only be available while supplies last on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday, May 16, 23 and 30. Operators will load your vehicle from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Forum 52 Yard Waste Facility, 180 Northstar Drive in the Forum 52 Business Park off Forum Parkway in Rural Hall.

All citizens and employees must practice safe distancing. Only staff can load vehicles. To avoid close contact, citizens will not be allowed to exit vehicles to load mulch themselves.

All loads must be fully covered before leaving the site. Before departing, citizens will be directed to a safe area to exit the vehicle and secure their load with a tarp. If you do not bring a tarp or cover, your vehicle will not be loaded.

No mulch will be available before May 16. Free mulch is only for homeowners in cars and pickup trucks with or without trailers. Large vehicles over one ton will not be allowed to receive mulch under any circumstances. Homeowners who hire contractors to haul mulch for residential use must follow all vehicle guidelines listed above.

More information can be found at cityofws.org/1334/Leaf-Yard-Waste-Disposal or call City Link 311 or 336-727-8000.

No wipes in pipes

Pastor Kervance Rose ferings, donations and tithes. Churches are failing to pay staff, utilities and mortgages. “The reality is that this digital ‘shift’ has been happening for almost a decade. Yet, many churches rejected its reality. Therefore, when doors are closed because of a pandemic, many of them cannot have ‘church,’ but with technology everyone can still have a ‘worship service’ online,” adds Ross.

Pastors and church leaders are lining up to consult with Pastor Ross. His daily calendar is filled with appointments and consultations in trying to help save our nation’s churches.

His goal is to transform their ‘Sunday Morning’ experience into digital platforms. “The Internet

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is no longer an option for churches, It’s A NECESSITY! I am coaching and developing a mindset shift in ministry to migrate from what has been comfortable to what is most impactful,” says the ordained minister. “If the church doesn’t go where the people are, then the people will never value coming to where we are.”

Pastor Ross, who is also an entrepreneur, has led his company, KDR Consulting, in the areas of marketing, branding and strategic development for more than a decade.

Ross’ team has consulted with top corporations, city governments, small businesses and organizations in restructuring and/or rebranding.

Stephanie Dance-Barnes named dean of the College of Science and Health at DePaul University

Dr. Stephanie Dance-Barnes

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SUBMITTED ARTICLE

Stephanie Dance-Barnes, interim associate provost, dean of the University College of Lifelong Learning and associate professor of cell and molecular biology at Winston Salem State University, has been named dean of the College of Science and Health at DePaul University in Chicago. She begins her appointment July 1.

Dance-Barnes has degrees from Elizabeth City State, North Carolina A&T, and was the first African American female to receive her doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in the area of cancer biology and toxicology. She previously worked at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Toilet paper shortages have exposed the growing problem of wipes clogging our sewer system. As people run out of toilet tissue, they may turn to other products. Unfortunately, “flushable” wipes are falsely labeled and are part of multiple lawsuits throughout the country. Technically you can flush them, but you and your neighbors will eventually regret it. They do not disintegrate and are increasingly causing sewers and septic systems to back up here in Forsyth County and all around the world. Since March 1, a third of all sewer spills in Forsyth County have been caused by wipes.

What is the solution? You should only flush the four Ps: Pee, Poop, Puke & (toilet) Paper.

It doesn’t matter if you are on a municipal wastewater system or have your own septic; so-called flushable wipes along with paper towels, diaper wipes, tampons, sanitary pads, makeup towelettes and even facial tissues (aka: Kleenex) can all cause sewage backups if flushed down the toilet. They also cause expensive damage to pumps in the wastewater system. That cost trickles down to customers as rates increase on your water bill.

Sewer backups are caused by tree roots, fats, oils, grease, wipes, personal hygiene products and other debris. Wipes can get caught on roots and when fats, oils and grease are mixed in, you get “fatbergs” in your pipes. Contrary to popular belief, hot water and soap just moves the clog a bit until it cools.

Visit cityofws.org/NoWipes to learn more. You can watch a short animation and download an English/Spanish flyer to post by toilets in your home, school or business.

For blockages on your property, you will need to hire a plumber. If the problem is beyond your connection to WSFC Utilities service lines, please call City Link 311 or 336-727-8000.

English professor’s poems weave couplets with quantum physics SUBMITTED ARTICLE

“To think like a poet, you have to follow your curiosities,” Wake Forest English professor and poet-in-residence Amy Catanzano tells her students.

Catanzano, whose interest in physics inspires her poetry, has been featured in the online magazine Symmetry, which describes itself as the place where readers can “get the latest news, meet people behind the scenes, and get the background information you need to gain fluency in the language of particle physics.”

Catanzano began bringing science into her poetry after exploring poetry as a ‘philosophical investigation,’ a step that she says drew her into thinking about how poems negotiate time. That brought her to physics.

Following her curiosity, she connected with Wake Forest physics faculty to exchange ideas about poetry and science.

Though she took only one physics class in high school, she reads extensively and widely about physics. Catanzano has traveled the world conducting research for her work, including visits to the Dark Energy Survey (DES) at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, the Green Bank Telescope in West

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Amy Catanzano Virginia, and CERN. This is not the first time Catazano’s work has been featured in the news.

In 2018, “World Lines: A Quantum Supercomputer Poem,” was featured in Physics magazine in the article “Poetry Takes on Quantum Physics.” The poem translates the quantum theory behind a topological quantum computer in both its word choices and its visual structure, a practice Catanzano calls quantum poetics.

Another article about the poem, “Artist Explains Quantum Physics Through Poetry,” appeared in The

Next Web. Last year, Catanzano convened a conference on the Intersections of Poetry, Science, and the Arts. The event brought together poets, scholars, scientists and artists from all over the world to Wake Forest for three days of programming and performances.

Articles on Catanzano’s poems have been shared widely on social media by a range of individuals and institutions including scientists; physics departments at colleges and universities; writers and poets; and literary portals such as Poetry Daily.

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May 7, 2020

T he C hronicle

IFB Solutions to make 10,000 masks for U.S. Air Force SUBMITTED ARTICLE

Local nonprofit IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country, has started production on 10,000 masks for the U.S. Air Force at its Winston-Salem facility. IFB, which already makes a variety of apparel products for the government, including apparel, mattresses and office supplies, quickly ramped up a mask production line and employee training.

“We’ve got an amazing team of experienced sewing operators, so we were able to jump on this order within a matter of days,” said Silas Martin, IFB Solutions chief operating officer. “It’s a significant order that will keep the team busy for several weeks and even longer if we receive additional orders.”

IFB Solutions has been deemed essential to the security of the nation and a critical manufacturer for the Armed Forces by the U.S. Dept. of Defense, therefore certain lines of business have remained open and operating during the coronavirus pandemic.

Twelve IFB employees work on the mask production line, including Winter

Robinson, 25 years old, who is visually impaired and deaf in one ear. Winter previously worked in IFB’s optical lab before being retrained to join the mask production team.

“I have family in the Navy and Army and several who have served in combat. I can’t see, so I can’t serve, but I can help out by making these masks.

I love knowing I can do my part,” says Robinson.

“This job gives me an opportunity to keep working, earn a paycheck and support my community.”

IFB’s mask production team will ramp up to 1,000 masks per day with capacity for more should additional orders come in.

IFB is hiring experienced sewing operators to work on these masks and several other product lines.

IFB’s order for the Air Force masks is part of a larger agreement for up to 576,000 masks managed by fellow AbilityOne agency LCI, based in Durham. IFB, along with five other agencies, are all producing masks to fulfill the entire contract. All of the participating agencies and LCI provide employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.

“IFB Solutions is incredibly excited to partner with another not-for-profit agency like LCI on this Air Force contract,” says Martin. “This opportunity provides employment for people who are blind at a time when unemployment is sweeping the nation.

We’re also proud of this work because it keeps our troops safe.”

“When the Air Force reached out to us about supplying masks for the bases, we were honored to answer the call,” said DuWayne Gilbertson, vice president, business development at LCI. “As our country navigates its way through unchartered territory in the face of COVID-19, we feel it’s extremely important to help protect those who protect us and keep us safe every day.”

Mask production at IFB is now underway and LCI expects to make its first shipment to the U.S. Air Force by mid-May. IFB is hiring experienced sewing operators to work on these masks and several other product lines. Job information can be found at www.ifbsolutions.org/careers or by calling (336) 245-5665.

Athletes From page B2

8. Dig Into God’s Word During these times of uncertainty, it is very important to press into God. One way God speaks to us is through His Word.

When you open the Bible, you allow God the opportunity to speak to you.

Any one of the Gospels is a perfect place to start (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John).

His Word offers greater peace, purpose, hope and clarity during these times. We can’t lose sight of what is most important. Learn more through these FCA resources.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”—Psalm 119:105 9. Spend Time with Your Community Connect with your family. Play board games.

Watch sports clips. Watch

movies. Have fun and be thankful for them. Additionally, take some time to connect with teammates and friends through phone, email, text, social media and more. Give them encouragement during these challenging times.

Or, take initiative to organize and launch an online FCA Huddle through Facebook Live, Google Hangouts or Zoom. Use this time to connect with and encourage others.

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”—Hebrews 10:25 10. Find Ways to Give to Others As student-athletes, you step up on the field, mat or court to lead your team to victory. God has given you this moment to step up and lead your community. You have time and

influence. How are you going to make a positive impact on those around you?

Consider writing encouraging words to the elderly, organizing a box of food to be donated, or researching a local nonprofit or ministry and beginning the volunteer process by completing an online application.

As a student-athlete, God has given you this moment to shine off the field. Step up. This is your chance.

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?

Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”—Matthew 25:37-40

Local school organization awards scholarships SUBMITTED ARTICLE

The Winston Salem/ Forsyth County Retired School Personnel organization is awarding $1000 scholarships to four students who are graduating from high school this year and plan to continue their education in the fall.

Nathan Bailey and Allen Choyce are receiving the Rita Taylor Memorial Scholarship. Nathan is a senior at Atkins Academic & Technology High

School and plans to attend North Carolina A & T State University. His professional goal is to become an architect. His parents are Tim and Victoria Bailey.

Allen, a senior at Ronald W. Reagan High School, is planning to attend The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Allen’s goal is to attend medical school and become a pediatric hematologist. His parents are Charles and Caren Choyce.

Hailee Walker and Ta-

tum Ward are the recipients of the Dorothy Vernon Memorial Scholarship.

Hailee, the daughter of Melissa and Darrell Walker, is a senior at East Forsyth High School. She plans to attend East Carolina University and major in education. Tatum, a senior at RJ Reynolds High School, is looking forward to attending Appalachian State University and becoming an elementary school teacher.

Stop excluding people of color in environmental policies

BY DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. PRESIDENT AND CEO, NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

The deadly destruction wrought by the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the harsh inequities in American society, disproportionately ravaging Black America and other communities of color, as well as individuals who were on the social margins long before the crisis.

The inequities have surfaced in obvious ways, including early data released by states showing that the virus is killing African Americans at disproportionately high rates, a disturbing trend that illustrates the substandard availability of health care in Black America.

The inequities have also surfaced in subtle ways, such as policy decisions that fail to reflect the needs and day-to-day realities of low-income communities and communities of color. The irony is that many of these policies are well-meaning.

But in some cases, they also have had troubling unintended consequences.

Consider the area of environmental policy. Protecting the environment should be about protecting people, regardless of the color of their skin, ethnicity or race, or where they live or how much money they make. The fight to save our planet should be about ensuring a long and successful sustainable future – for everyone.

Yet, there are many in the mainstream environmental movement who continuously overlook the needs and realities faced by some of our most underserved and vulnerable communities. That includes the mainstream environmental advocacy community’s push to enforce plastic bags bans in favor of reusables, despite the fact that cardboard paper and other reusables pose a clear public health risk – especially for workers on the front

lines of the pandemic response.

Why, for example, is it smart public policy to insist that grocery workers be exposed to reusable bags, when research shows these bags can be repositories of the COVID-19 virus? The majority of these essential workers are low-income people of color who are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis, dying from the deadly disease at twice the rate of white people.

Additionally, in New York, it is welldocumented that a statewide plastic bag ban also disproportionately hurts black and Latino-owned businesses and shoppers. Though there is an exemption in this ban for recipients of benefits like WIC and food stamps from paying the five-cent tax on paper bags, working-class people of color and low-income New Yorkers still must pay.

Some stores have been charging for both plastic and paper, and in some cases, more than five cents a bag. Five cents might not seem like much. But five cents (or more) per bag adds up, especially when one is living paycheck-to-paycheck, or, as is more likely at this moment, not working at all due to the financial toll of the COVID-19 crisis.

Some environmentalists have argued that opponents of the bag ban are trying to capitalize on the COVID-19 crisis by recommending a suspension of any bag regulations. Again, it appears that some mainstream environmentalists only use research data to support policies that reflect their privileged vantage point without respect to the impact of those policies on the underprivileged.

I coined the term environmental racism in 1982 while involved in the Warren County, N.C. protests against the digging of a PCB landfill in the heart of a poor black agricultural community. At that

time there were some who thought that environmental issues should not be considered as civil rights or as racial justice issues. There was in the past, and it continues in the current public discourse, a kind of arrogance by the privileged who think they know what is best for the underprivileged.

Today as the environmental justice movement has grown into a global campaign for change led by grassroots activists and leaders from people of color communities throughout the world, we all now know much more about the intersection between the issues of racial justice and environmental justice.

I recall vividly back in the late 1980s when I co-authored and published the landmark study for the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice: Toxic Waste and Race in the United States, the established environmental movement was unnerved that people of color would dare to do empirical research and define our own reality with respect to exposures to environmental hazards. Our national study proved that there was a deliberate link between race and the placement of toxic waste facilities in America.

In adherence to a blind devotion to a privileged ideology, some who call themselves environmentalists often neglect to take into consideration the day-to-day concerns of millions of low-income and Americans of color living in urban centers that are also communities that house hazardous sanitation sites, incinerators, rail yards, power plants and other environmental threats.

Some mainstream environmental groups consistently insist on pushing for policies that make life harder for people of color and poor communities, arguing that the hardship – if they recognize it at all – is a necessary price to pay in order

to achieve their overall goals that those of privilege have exclusively envisioned as the standard for all others to obey.

As the pandemic continues, we need to let go of high-minded ideological arguments and do everything possible to protect workers on the front lines – including grocery clerks and those who make deliveries. Some states have temporarily lifted their bans or eradicated them altogether. A number of grocery stores are bringing back plastic bags and telling customers not to bring their own reusable bags.

Due to the crisis, New York has twice extended non-enforcement of its plastic bag ban in the face of a lawsuit that challenges its constitutionality. This is not enough. The state should give essential workers and shoppers alike a sense of protection during the pandemic and bag the plastic ban altogether.

More often than not, these life-changing decisions are being made without the consultation or input from the affected communities of color. Close to 40 years later we still remain on the outside of these conversations, continuously overlooked by many in the mainstream environmental movement as well as in local and state governments.

There is an obvious divide between the members of the mainstream environmentalism movement and the environmental justice community, primarily made up of urban black and brown people. Until both parties can come together and pay the necessary attention to the pervasive environmental concerns that our communities endure on a daily basis, the rift will only deepen, if not completely fracture. Exclusion of people of color will not solve the nation’s or the world’s environmental challenges.

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