January 19, 2017

Inside:

Obama!

MLK

Ellison to MLK crowd: ‘Be encouraged’

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

Keith Ellison, the front runner for DNC chairperson, speaks

BY DONNA ROGERS THE CHRONICLE

More than 1,000 people gathered for the annual breakfast on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Monday, Jan. 16, in the Embassy Suites Pavilion downtown to hear what appeared to be a blueprint for success for the Democrats in 2018.

“If you and I are going to succeed in this era, we must go to the people.” said Minnesota U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, the front runner for the Democratic National Committee chairperson.

He was the keynote speaker at this year’s breakfast. He is vying to lead the Democrats as they reorganize to win elections in 2018.

JANUARY 19, 2017

MLK JR. DAY HOLIDAY COVERAGE

SPECIAL SECTION

• See Opinion/Forum pages on A6&7 •

Volume 43, Number 20

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“This movement is not about one person, but it is about our common struggle to elevate dignity and Photo by Timothy Ramsey humanity, and if we will Keith Ellison, front runner for the Democratic National Committee chairperdedicate ourselves and son, delivered the keynote address during the prayer breakfast. never quit and never stop, than Trump but lost the Electoral College vote. The and always move forward, never back away … then we College decides the president of the United States under will win. So be encouraged.” the U.S. Constitution.

The Chronicle and the Ministers’ Conference of Ellison praised Dr. King and civil rights icons such as Winston-Salem and Vicinity sponsored the Dr. Martin Georgia U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who said in a recent interLuther King Jr. Day Breakfast Forum, also known as the view that he doesn’t consider President-elect Donald Prayer Breakfast.

Trump a legitimate president and he will not attend his This year was seen as significant because of the chalinauguration. lenges 2016 brought for African-Americans.

Dozens of Democrats in the U.S. House of District Judge Denise Hartsfield, the mistress of cereRepresentatives have said they will join Lewis by not monies, mentioned the hard truths that came about in attending the inauguration ceremony that will transfer 2016, such as the attack on rights in North Carolina and presidential power to Donald Trump tomorrow, Jan. 20. the election of Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who received about 3 million more votes See Ellison on A2

N. Carolinians hail Obama, but dread

MLK HOLIDAY

Pres. Trump

BY CASH MICHAELS FOR THE CHRONICLE

There are ‘two Americas,’ ministers’ group says Following the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast sponsored by The Chronicle and the Minsters' Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, nearly 100 people marched from the Embassy Suites to Union Baptist Church.

Submitted photo

CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT

To commemorate the holiday to remember civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity (MCWSV) sponsored a one-mile march on Monday, Jan. 16, after the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Day Breakfast. The annual King Day march started at the Embassy Suites on Cherry Street downtown and proceeded to Sixth Street and headed north onto Trade Street. The march ended at Union Baptist Church at 1200 Trade St., the site of the Noon Hour MLK Jr. Day celebration this year. As people marched, they held signs, including one promoting the theme the Conference had for its nighttime service on Monday. The Rev. Dr. Lamonte Williams, president of the MCWSV, said the theme for the evening service was to be “Two America's divided and struggling for genuine equality.” He says the Conference decided to choose this particular theme for the service because America is divided. “Now we find ourselves in this moment in history where we have basically two classes of citizens, the haves and the have nots,” Williams said last week.

On Friday, Jan. 20, at the stroke of 12 noon, as Barack Hussein Obama officially steps down from power as the nation’s two-term elected president of the United States, controversial businessman Donald J. Trump will be sworn-in as the 45th president, and his four-year term will begin.

As elsewhere in America, North Carolina is virtually split between those sorry to see the nation’s first AfricanAmerican go, and those who are happy to see a new Republican president take office, promising to “Make America Great Again.”

In the black community, though, while there is generally pride in Obama’s historic tenure, there is also trepidation about what the Trump presidency will mean for the nation, and the world.

Speakers across the country, See the commemoraand across the state at Dr. tive page from The Martin Luther King Holiday Chronicle on President commemorations, addressed Barack Obama as he what was most on people’s leaves office. Page A8 minds and hearts.

“If we confront the era of Donald Trump, then you don’t need to get all scared,” U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, Democrat of Minnesota, and leading candidate to chair the Democratic National Committee, said Monday in Winston-Salem. “People before you stood up.”

He spoke at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast Forum, also known as the Prayer Breakfast, which was sponsored by The Chronicle and the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity.

“President Obama should be penned among America’s best in our history,” state Rep. Evelyn Terry of WinstonSee Obama on A2

People on the Street

Trump and the future

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 20, Donald J. Trump will officially be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. After arguably the

most controversial election of all time, The Chronicle wanted to know how the people of the city felt about the immediate future of the country. To find out, we hit the streets, and here’s what the people had to say.

We Reent U-HHaul Trucks!

Question: With President Elect Donald Trump set to be sworn in tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 20), what are your thoughts on the immediate future of the country?

Trump

See Street on A2

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Keith Ellison looks to build from the ground up T h e C h R on i C le

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By Tevin STinSon The ChRoniCle

During a brief interview with The Chronicle on Monday after the Prayer Breakfast held at the embassy Suites in downtown Winston-Salem, U.S. Rep. Keith ellison said it’s time for a culture change within the Democratic national Committee (DnC). ellison is vying for DnC chairperson. he earlier spoke to more than 1,000 people at the Dr. Martin luther King Jr. Day Breakfast Forum, also known as the Prayer Breakfast, which was sponsored by The Chronicle and the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and vicinity.

“We have to create a culture of reaching out to the voter,” continued ellison, “not to win over voters but to create a sense of community. We can literally create community through politics, and i think that has to be the goal.”

Along with more community engagement, ellison said if elected to the top DnC position, he will also look to de-emphasize television. At a place in time where technology can be used to talk directly to voters, ellison said that could be a tool that can help build community. “you can do a live stream video on Facebook and jump right over CBS, ABC, nBC, and Cnn and talk directly to people. We can get local leaders on a national live stream telling people about the history of the Democratic Party and we wouldn’t have to worry about the filter of network television.” on the weekend of Feb. 24, members of the Democratic national Committee will meet and vote to determine its new chairperson. With just over a month left before the decision is made, ellison said, “i’m going to

Obama

from page A1

Salem told The Chronicle. “here in north Carolina, as across the nation, when this president entered office, the economy was tanking fast: housing market meltdown due to systemic greed throughout the banking industry without consumer safeguards, among other things; unemployment reaching double digits and trending higher; inherited chaos in almost every category of our society that made this country exceptional. As President obama leaves the White house, America’s corner stone is on square. What follows his brilliant leadership against all odds by a hostile Congress, heaven only knows.” irving Joyner, law professor at north Carolina Central University’s School of law in Durham, and chair of the n.C. nAACP’s legal Redress Committee, laments that President obama’s historic governance has come to an end.

“At the same time, i am filled with pride that President obama was able to make a significant contribution to the goodness of the United States as its president,” Professor Joyner said. “his accomplishments, which are too numerous to list here, were achieved in the face of the most concentrated and race-based efforts by the Republican Party political leadership that

Ellison

from page A1

ellison announced on Monday away from the prayer breakfast that he will be one of the lawmakers who will not attend. on Monday at the breakfast, he talked about how despite racism in the United States, there are ways to overcome. he said in the new movement, people have to return to the grassroots of the Civil Rights Movement, support each other and form lasting relationships; promote inclusive action and reject racial division, such as when working for common causes, like social justice regarding wages; tell stories about health care issues to encourage each other and work toward

Street

Sean Whitley (at right) “i don’t follow politics too much because i feel like all politicians are corrupt, so once i saw that he won, i felt like it really didn’t matter anymore. everybody thought hillary would win, but when she didn’t, that really showed me the mentality of this country.”

Joy Wall “honestly, i don’t have any thoughts right now. My main concern is finishing school. i am concerned about what he may do to hBCUs (historically black colleges and universities), but right now i’m just worried about graduating.”

State,” and raise voting turnout by 5 percent in his district could have the same impact on the national level if all 50 states buy-in.

ellison spoke about how north Carolina’s Moral Monday protests have been effective. “you should take heart, because John lewis got hit on the head, but John lewis got up again,” he said. ellison told audience members they should “thank God almighty that you have been born to a moment when you have been put to the test. And you can either fail the test or you can step up and pass the test, and to win the test all you got to do is be brave and have faith.” ellison referenced a chant that Mayor Pro Tempore vivian Burke had the audience recite: “America, America, my country. We move forward.

We don’t step back.”

Winston-Salem attorney Eric Ellison introduces his brother, Keith Ellison, as the keynote speaker during the prayer breakfast. which will partly be conMore details about nected to the Department the Prayer Breakfast can of Communication and be found in the MLK Jr. Media Studies at Winston- Day insert in today’s Salem State University.

Chronicle.

was determined that he would not succeed. in spite of everything that they threw at him, he made America great and moved this country to another level and political reality. At the end of the day, he made us proud.”

State Sen. Paul lowe (D-Forsyth) agrees.

“Basically i think President obama was good, there’s no question about that,” Sen. lowe told The Chronicle Monday, adding that obama was also good for north Carolina. “i think he did some good things with the economy, i think the [bank] bailout was good, he got [osama bin laden]. [But] more translation [last] election season could have been done to talk about that with Joe Blow regular America.

Those things could have been talked about. now we have people saying, ‘Get rid of obamacare…’ and that’s why [they] voted for Trump, [but will they also say] that Affordable Care Act, you can’t beat it, it’s great stuff.“i mean this is what we’re getting!”

“That means somewhere in translation, something was lost,” Sen. lowe concludes, agreeing that Republicans certainly worked hard to successfully corrupt the message of how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could help millions of Americans in need of health care. lowe laments that Gov. Pat McCrory would not support

action; ask workers to help fund campaigns, not just the people with money; and “Most of all what we’ve got to do: We’ve got to reorient our thinking back toward love.” he said that government “tells us that ‘there’s not enough, we’d like to help you, but there’s not enough, and because there’s not enough, we’re looking out for us, not you.’ They argue scarcity, but we have to argue abundance. We have to argue there is enough.” “if we will organize, if we will unify … to rely on the small donors to fuel our campaigns so our accountability will run to the small donor, not just the big guy, but to the small one then that should lead to success.”

from page A1

put what i have to offer in front of the people and they’re going to vote for me or they aren’t. “i’m not ego-invested in this. i’m going to help whoever does win and if i win, i’m going to ask them to help me.” ellison said that to bring about real change when it comes to social justice and economic uplift, those who believe in democracy must take a page from Dr. King’s book and build from the ground up. ellison reminded those in attendance that although Dr. King was one of the driving forces behind the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the movement started from humble beginnings in Montgomery, Alabama with the bus boycott.

“We have to start with our grass root organizations. yes, Dr. King met with lyndon Bates Johnson and other people who had power, but the real work he was doing was in the community. he was in the barbershops, the churches, he was knocking on doors,” ellison said.

“Back then politics didn’t happen in Washington, D.C. politics happened on the local level, and if you and i are going to succeed in this era we must go to the people. it’s hard to get change if you don’t get people to consent to change.”

The older brother of local lawyer and Forsyth County Democratic Party Chairman eric ellison, Keith became the first Muslim elected to Congress when he was picked by voters to represent Minnesota’s 5th District in 2006. late last year, ellison officially put his name in the hat to become the next DnC Chairperson. With the race for the position heating up in recent months, ellison said the same grassroots work that helped keep Minnesota a “Blue

Kalin Stevens (Right) “i’m slightly optimistic. i don’t think he is a real representation of the people, so it will be interesting to see if he can bring people together.”

Keith Ellison, U.S. 5th District representative of the state of Minnesota, is interviewed by Tevin Stinson of The Chronicle.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

Medicaid expansion when he was in office, though Gov. Roy Cooper does now.

Thousands of north Carolinians did sign up for the ACA, however.

When it comes to predicting what the future holds in a Trump Administration, Rep. Terry was resolute.

“Puppetry comes to mind as the transfer of power approaches,” Terry said. “We must do our job as good citizens and remain hopeful and vigilant because the things that mattered to a strong America still do matter: the economy, climate change/environment/the planet; criminal justice system and affordable health care … ad infinitum. Remember this – America is a democracy and not an authoritarian government. As such peaceful dissent and voting by the people can change anything, even purveyors of the seven deadly sins.”

“Along the way to President obama's many successes and contributions, a new and more strident campaign of racism has developed,” Joyner said. “This development produced, in large part, the surprising election of Donald Trump as the incoming president who was voted into office by a decided minority of voters.

“As a result of the Trump brand and caustic style of campaigning, his election has done much to divide America and to create a heighted fear for the surShe introduced elected officials at the breakfast. ellison’s younger brother, attorney eric ellison, introduced him. eric ellison is president of the Forsyth County Democratic Party.

Mayor Allen Joines brought greetings to the crowd.

The Rev. Dr. lamonte Williams, president of the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and vicinity, gave a charge to the community. ernie Pitt, publisher emeritus of The Chronicle, Winston-Salem’s oldest continually published weekly, earlier welcomed the audience and thanked readers and sponsors. he announced the formation of the ernie Pitt Scholarship Foundation,

vival of the democracy to which we are entitled. Following his election, Trump now has the lowest approval rating of any president in U.S. history. The next four years promise to be very challenging and stressful for African-Americans, poor people and other racial minorities. “in response, we need to be vigilant, organized, politically educated and committed to elevating the fight to secure and protect the democracy,” said Joyner, “which we are entitled to in this country.”

Sen. lowe, who is also a minister, admitted that a special prayer maybe in order as Donald Trump takes over. he notes how a President Trump “lashes out” on Twitter at those he perceives to be enemies, and is assembling an administration that apparently cares little for the poor. “you wonder, with the Trump election, is this some kind of backlash to the obama presidency,” lowe asked rhetorically, noting how the obama years brought north Carolinians of all backgrounds together, even though their efforts to elect hillary Clinton fell short last year. “in terms of President-elect Trump, the jury is still out,” Sen. lowe continued.

“For some of my Republican colleagues, the election of Trump might be the mandate for some of the far-right, extreme conservative activity that we see happening in the n.C. General Assembly.”

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

George Mathis “i feel like things will be a lot more honest. i’m not a negative person so i’m not going to say Trump is going to run everything in the ground because one person can’t control the government.”

Zabadria Clark “honestly i believe at this moment it’s all in God hands. At first i was heartbroken, but things will turn around.”

Bryanna Tanner “i’m not really into politics, but honestly, i feel like we’re doomed. i just watched a movie the other day, ‘The Purge,’ and i feel Darnella Moore “At times like this all you like with Trump as president, that could be a reality.” can do is pray.”

The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by ernest h. Pitt and ndubisi egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. inc., 617 n. liberty Street, Winston-Salem, n.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, n.C. Annual subscription price is $30.72.

PoSTMASTeR: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.o. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, nC 27102-1636

T H E C H R ON I C LE

Stanley Jones, a Realtor with Allen Tate talks about the importance of working with a Realtor you trust during the homeownership seminar on Saturday, Jan. 14.

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Organizations host homeownership seminars More than 70 people attended the first of three homeownership seminars hosted by the Winston-Salem Urban League, The Center for Home Ownership, and the alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

Photos by Tevin Stinson

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Last Saturday, the Winston-Salem Urban League (WSUL) headquarters was transformed into a one-stop for homeownership.

As part of a National Homeowner Initiative, the Urban League has joined forces with the Center for Homeownership and the Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. to host a series of home buyer seminars that cover everything from how to get prequalified, to getting your home inspected.

To begin the first of three seminars, city planning and development senior project supervisor Mellin Parker discussed programs that the city has in place to help qualified residents find affordable homes.

Parker, who has nearly 35 years of housing and community development experience, discussed the method the city uses when awarding financial and technical assistance. She said the city can award up to $11,000 but buyers will only get what they need to get into a home.

“We only give you what you need. Although we can award up to $11,000 you may only get $5,000 or $2,000 based on the formula we use.” Parker said.

Bianca Green, loan officer and housing counselor with the Forsyth County Housing and Development Department who is a licensed real estate broker and housing counselor, discussed the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the duties of the county’s housing and development department. She also discussed how she became a homeowner herself.

Green, who is a single mother of two, said although it wasn’t easy, if you’re willing to put in the work anyone can be a homeowner.

“Buying a home is one of the greatest investments you can make for yourself and your family. Asset building is about acquiring those assets but you are an important asset as well,” continued Green. “That means minding your money, minding your spending. It takes self-discipline.”

Phyllis CaldwellGeorge, director of the Center of Home Ownership, program director at Experiment in Self Reliance Inc.; Barbara Johnson; and DaRhonda Morgan, who specializes in residential real estate, made presentations during the opening seminar as well.

To wrap up the seminar, Allen Tate Realtor broker Stanley Jones discussed the buying process and the current state of the housing market. Jones mentioned that although it is a seller’s market right now, if you go through the right steps to get prequalified, he will do everything in his power to get you in Last Saturday the Winston-Salem Urban League turned into a one-stop-shop for a home. While most peo- homeownership. The event featured presentations on every aspect of the home ple believe you should be buying process. ready to buy before you “This is a major purchase so it’s important that you contact a realtor, Jones mentioned that isn’t the case. He said his job is to take all the information you have a put it work with someone you trust,” he continued. “When you are making the decision on a Realtor, you want someone together.

“I’ve had three or four people come to me a say I’m who is loyal and knows people in the business.”

Part two of the seminar is tentatively scheduled for going to come talk to you when I get myself together but you don’t have to do that,” said Jones. “I don’t mind giv- Feb. 18. For more information, contact the Winstoning you my time. I love what I do in terms of getting peo- Salem Urban League. Event coordinator Patricia Sadler said it was fitting the seminar kicked off on what would ple into homes. I will give you my time.”

Jones also provided those in attendance with a step- have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 88th birthday.

“What better time to hold the first seminar than on the by-step list of what you need to get into a home. He said birthday of a great leader like Dr. King,” said Sadler. the first thing you need to do is find someone you trust.

Jones said, “This is a person that you’re going to be “One of the things he fought for was fair and equal housing for all, so it just felt right.” calling every week if not every day.

Lamard Smith poses for a photo with his mother, Katricia Smith, who has hit by a car while attempting to cross the street on Wednesday, Jan. 11.

Submitted Photo

Son of hit-and-run victim reflects on his mother’s life

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

When Lamard Smith first got the call last Wednesday night, he couldn’t believe it. Less than an hour earlier he was video chatting with his mother so just the pure thought of his mother being dead was something he just couldn’t believe.

“When they first called me I hung up,” said Smith.

“Then I called her phone and I didn’t get an answer.

It didn’t really sink in until they gave me her phone.”

Smith’s mother, 43year old Katricia Smith, was hit by a car while attempting to cross University Parkway near Northwest Boulevard around 7 p.m. According to police reports, Smith was struck by a MercedesBenz driven by Christian Burke from Durham, who fled the scene but was later arrested on felony hit-andrun charges.

Exactly a week to the day she was killed, a candlelight vigil was held

near the intersection of University Parkway and Northwest Boulevard in remembrance of Katricia Smith. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses. To make a donation visit the GoFundMe website and type “Katricia Smith” into the search bar.

Earlier this week during an exclusive interview with The Chronicle, Smith said his mother was an humble, kindhearted person, who was known to have a smile and personality that could light up any room. He said no matter what she would be going through, she would always be smiling.

“I’m glad I got her personality,” said Smith. “She taught me to remain humble and just smile through the pain.”

Although Smith was raised by his grandmother, he knew his mother loved him and his younger brother and sister. As he thought back on his childhood, Smith said he respects his mother for the

tough decision she had to make to let someone else raise her children.

“I respect her for what she did. I don’t know where I would be if she didn’t let my grandmother raise me,” said Smith. “I could be dead, in jail, or anything. It takes a strong person to make that decision.”

Smith admits the past week has been hard, but he also knows that he must stay strong for his younger siblings. As for Burke, 18, who is scheduled to appear in court next month, Smith said he forgives him.

“We all make mistakes, just some are worse than others. I know he didn’t intentionally do it,” he said. “He probably took off because he was scared, he’s only 18, so he probably didn’t know what to do.”

“I’m looking at it from both sides. My family is hurting but I know his family is hurting, too.”

Pickleball tournament rescheduled

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

The Pickleball tournament originally scheduled on Saturday, Jan. 7 at the Gateway YMCA has been rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 10. The tournament was canceled due to the inclement weather that shut down the Triad recently.

Event coordinator Michele Todd Davis said she wanted to thank everyone who entered the first annual Greentree Pickleball 4 Peers Tournament fundraiser.

After much consideration and consulting, the tournament was able to come up with the new date in February that avoids con-

flict with other North Carolina tournaments.

Todd Davis went on to say for those individuals who are not able to play on the new date, their original payment will be returned via U.S. Postal Service to the address listed on the entry form unless they wish to donate it. Those who do not respond to the email by Jan. 25 will be contacted by phone.

The tournament will be accepting applicants for play through Feb. 7 and the event is open to the public. Organizers want to apologize for any inconvenience and thank everyone for their support.

www.wschronicle.com

Why isn’t there an early or middle college at WSSU ?

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Emory

BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE

County Commissioner Everette Witherspoon wants an Early or Middle College at Winston-Salem State University.

This has been something Witherspoon isn’t afraid to tell people. A briefing on Jan. 5 in which county commissioners got to ask Superintendent Beverly Emory questions about local schools was no exception.

“We go to do it,” said Witherspoon. “We have to have one at Winston-Salem State.”

Middle and early colleges are high schools on college campuses. A middle college lets students take college or technical transfer courses while earning their high school diploma. An early college lets them earn an associates degree at the same time as their high school diploma.

The county school system currently has two: Early College of Forsyth County and Middle College of Forsyth County, which are both located at Forsyth Technical Community College.

Witherspoon said such schools have high graduation rates and orient students to college campuses, so they’re more likely to succeed in higher education. He believes having one at WSSU would reach struggling minority students. He gave Guilford County, which has nine early/middle colleges, as an example of a county that successfully started them at multiple colleges.

Emory responded the reason there hasn’t been a school like that at WSSU because there are no state funds for it.

“The big factor is the dollars are not there to pay that tuition cost,” said Emory.

She said state funds are only currently available for starting early/middle colleges at community colleges. She said state lawmakers need to pass legislation to change this.

Witherspoon said that if state money isn't available, they should turn to private funds. He suggested going to the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, which is headed by Maurice “Mo“ Green, a former Guilford County superin-

Witherspoon

tendent.

Commissioner Walter Marshall said there have been efforts to try to get an early/middle college at WSSU for a long time. He said when he was on the school board, he couldn’t get one there because of lack of funds and space.

Emory later said that she’d had several conversation with WSSU Chancellor Elwood Robinson on an early college, and they’d both like to do it but they lack the money to cover student tuition.

Guilford County actually turned to private funding for two of their schools. Guilford County Schools Chief of Staff Nora Carr said that the STEM Early College at N.C. A&T State University raised about $1 million in private funding to open during a state moratorium on early/middle college funding. The Health Sciences Middle College at UNC Greensboro raised a lesser amount along with significant in-kind donations from healthcare providers and hospitals. She said if a school qualifies for state money, it receives around $300,000 annually.

A Spring House staff member serves a resident of the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope.

‘12 Suppers at The Center of Hope’ starts on MLK Day of Service

Lynette Matthews-Murphy, the founder/co-owner of Spring House, who is in the white top, back row right, is part of a group that prepares food for the homeless.

Photos by Ashlea Howard Jomes

BY ASHLEA HOWARD JONES FOR THE CHRONICLE

Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen and Bar inaugurates the second year of The Salvation Army of Winston-Salem’s “12 Suppers at The Center of Hope” program by preparing and serving dinner to the residents on MLK’s Day of Service.

This is the second consecutive year that Spring House has provided the initial dinner for the year-long program.

“Last year was the perfect accident that this program launched on MLK’s Day of Service,” said Bob Campbell, the director of marketing and public relations at the Salvation Army of Winston-Salem. “This year, we were more intentional with the start date.”

The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, President Obama’s national service

initiative. “It was an honor for our Spring House team to provide the inaugural supper at The Center of Hope last year,” said Lynette Matthews-Murphy, founder/co-owner of Spring House. “To have the opportunity to provide a ‘meal with a smile’ and connect with the residents on this day of service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is especially meaningful for our staff” The “12 Suppers at The Center of Hope” program is a partnership between The Salvation Army of Greater Winston-Salem and local restaurants.

Jeffrey Adams, Bibs Downtown Barbeque, Zoe’s Kitchen, and Quanto Basta are among the restaurants scheduled to provide the evening meal for The Center of Hope Family Residence this year.

“At the Spring House, we say that we feed bodies

and nourish souls,” says Matthews-Murphy. “This means more because it’s something that’s a real need.”

The “12 Suppers at The Center of Hope” program aims to achieve more than just feeding the center’s residents. “Through this program, residence receive a great meal and are given a look into the culinary field,” says Campbell.

“This could lead to job opportunities and inspire kids to want to be chefs.”

The Center of Hope is the only family emergency shelter in Forsyth County.

It currently houses between 90 to 100 residents, with 55 of them being children under the age of 12.

“The Salvation Army is so grateful to these restaurants,” Campbell said.

“They serve more than food; they serve hope.”

Democratic leader hall to head n.C. military affairs department T h e C h r on i C le

By Cash MiChaels For The ChroniCle

Just three weeks into his new administration, and there seems to be little question about Gov. roy Cooper’s commitment to diversity in his Cabinet, the most recent addition being District 29 state rep. larry hall (D-Durham), who recently stepped down as house minority leader for the Democrats in the nC. house after two sessions, as secretary of veterans and military affairs. secretary hall, who took the oath of office Monday evening, administered by U.s. rep. G. K. Butterfield at Peace Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, succeeds Cornell Wilson, who was appointed by former Gov. Pat McCrory as that department’s first secretary in 2015. hall’s appointment is subject to state senate confirmation after it convenes the long session beginning

Jan. 25, although Cooper has filed a lawsuit challenging senate confirmation.

The General assembly passed laws, including mandating that lawmakers must approve Cooper’s Cabinet picks, as it closed its session in December. Cooper challenges what it calls the “unprecedented” provision making the governor’s Cabinet appointments subject to senate confirmation, the news and observer reports.

Cooper made the announcement last week at the executive Mansion, saying that hall, who served in the U.s. Marine Corps from 1976 to 1995, “…will be working closely with people in Washington concerning our military bases, and he will be working to make sure that north Carolina veterans are treated like they should be because of their courageous service on behalf of our country."

hall, 61, was gratified to serve the new Democratic governor in a new role. “i am honored to continue my service to the people of this state in another capacity,” the Durham Democrat told reporters. “i come from a multiple military family – the Marines, the army, and the air Force – and i have an inherent love, appreciation, and respect for the military and our veterans.

Understanding what we owe our military and veterans in this state and understanding the impact of the military and veterans on this state, we will be working to ensure that not only our military and veterans, but their families as well, receive the best care and the best access.” hall continued, “We will do all we can to ensure their position is recognized as an economic leader in the state, and to ensure that position is preserved and advanced. i am happy to

Walser and Juan small – are represented by Winston-salem attorneys harvey Kennedy and harold Kennedy iii.

The suit accuses Gerald of publishing “false and slanderous” statements about the five lha employees to the lha Board of Commissioners in august–september 2011, accusing them of stealing property, and taking two weeks to renovate a one-bedroom apartment, labeling them “dishonest” and ‘incompetent.” “…[T]hese false and slanderous statements

the Forsyth County superior Court to dismiss the suit, or move the proceedings to Davidson County. in published reports, Gerald has previously stated that the five plaintiffs were actually laid off in november 2011 because the U.s. Dept. of housing and Urban Development was reducing its housing authority budget by $1 billion, this the lha cuts were made in its maintenance division.

By contracting out its maintenance needs to private companies, Gerald

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him, and think he’ll do a fine job.”

“Congratulations sir, looking forward to your leadership in this important role,” wrote Durham’s african-american female Police Chief Cerelyn Davis on hall’s Facebook page. hall, who has served in the n.C. house of representatives since 2006, once served as vice chairman of the Veteran affairs Committee. he is also credited with leading the state house Democratic Caucus in gaining the most seats under a republicancontrolled legislature in 2014. a native of Durham, secretary hall grew up at Fort Bragg during his father’s services in the U.s. army. he later graduated from Johnson C. smith University in Charlotte with a B.s. degree with honors in political science and business, and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of north Carolina at Chapel hill

Hall

be on the team to move north Carolina forward with our new governor.” hall’s former legislative colleague, sen. Paul lowe (D-Forsyth), was elated. “i think it’s fantastic,” lowe told The Chronicle Monday. “larry is a fine person, and a veteran. he’s worked in the legislature for years, and he brings certainly some wisdom to that office. i’m excited for

school of law.

During his 16 years in the Us Marine Corps and Marine reserves, hall has been awarded the navy achievement Medal, the Marine Corps reserve Medal, the armed Forces reserve Medal, and a Meritorious Unit Citation from the United states Marine Corps. he later returned to north Carolina Central University in Durham to teach at the school of law and the school of Public administration. in september 2016, hall was named legislator of the year by equality n.C. because of his “steadfast advocacy of human rights and dignity” when he vigorously opposed the republican-sponsored house Bill 2, which critics said discriminates against gay an transgender citizens.

Gerald, Housing Authority lawsuit case set for trial

a $25 million lawsuit against the lexington housing authority and its former executive director will finally go to trial on Jan. 23 in Davidson County. The suit by five former lha maintenance employees alleges that they were terminated unjustly by then executive Director Terrance alexander Gerald, further accusing him of libel, slander and negligence.

The lha, a public housing agency helping low-income residents affil-

“The suit accuses Gerald of publishing “false and slanderous” statements about the five LHA employees to the LHA Board of Commissioners in August–September 2011, accusing them of stealing property, and taking two weeks to renovate a one-bedroom apartment, labeling them “dishonest” and ‘incompetent.” iated with the U.s. Dept. of housing and Urban Development (hUD), and Gerald, have denied any wrongdoing Gerald lives in Kernersville, and stepped down as lha executive director in May 2016. The suit was originally filed in Forsyth superior Court in april 2012, but then involuntarily dismissed there in september 2012.

The suit was later moved to Davidson County, where the trial begins next week. The lawsuit seeks $5 million in compensatory damages for each of the five plaintiffs, in addition to $10,000 each in punitive damages.

The plaintiffs – Clifton Craven, robert Moore, Thomas Wall, Jeremy

were published in the minutes of the lha, and constitute libel per quod in that plaintiffs suffered special damages … including termination of their employment from lha as well as loss of earnings and benefits,” the lawsuit continued. attorneys for the lha and Gerald, in a July 2012 answer to the lawsuit filed in court, denied the allegations. according to attorneys Patrick Flanagan and Kelly Beth smith of Charlotte, the plaintiffs’ accusations have little weight because lha, and Gerald by extension, have special immunities as governmental and public officials.

Flanagan and smith asked

said the lha saved approximately $200,000 to $300,000 annually. he maintains that the contractors were selected through a formal bidding process, though the lawsuit alleges that a friend was actually hired. interestingly, the suit also claims negligence on the lexington housing authority’s part for hiring Terrance Gerald in the first place.

The lawsuit alleges Gerald, who had over 10 years experience working for housing authorities in Winston-salem, Wilson and Durham, was fired by the Durham housing authority in april 2009 over alleged improper usage of an agency credit

Have a Story Idea? let us Know news@wschronicle.com

card for “personal items.” in published reports, Gerald said the items returned were actually books. his case was dismissed in May 2010 after he appealed his termination. When the lha Board hired him in november 2010, Gerald said a thor-

ough background check was done, as required by federal regulations, and he was cleared. Gerald said no credit card fraud was involved, and he was chosen unanimously over 30 other applicants for the job.

Plaintiffs attorneys

have subpoenaed Gerald’s personnel records from the Durham housing authority, but its lawyers have resisted certain materials.

Calls to some of the attorneys mentioned in this story were not returned by press time Tuesday.

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OPINION T H E C H R ON I C LE

E RNEST H. P ITT Publisher Emeritus 1974-2015

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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.

Obama legacy builds on MLK’s dream

So many people couldn’t believe that a black man could be elected president of the United States of America ever, let alone in their lifetimes. But it happened in November 2008, in the 21st century.

Barack Obama brought hope to a country on the brink of economic catastrophe and weary of their soldiers fighting on false pretenses. He had bared his soul in the books he had written before coming president. He talked about hope all through his presidential campaign. We were elated that other Americans wanted them to be their president, too.

We had heard another man talk about hope and a dream. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the iconic civil rights leader, told us in the 20th century, on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., during the March on Washington, that he had a dream: “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

“I have a dream today!

“I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of ‘interposition’ and ‘nullification’ – one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

“I have a dream today!

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; ‘and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.’

“This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.” (From Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Intellectual Properties Management) Dr. King probably could not imagine that a black man would become the most powerful man on earth as president of the United States of America.

President Obama has helped some of Dr. King’s dream move forward. But as we all know, some of the same things Dr. King talked about in the 20th century are still around in this new century. They are just dressed in new clothing.

The “vicious racists” are still in Alabama, but they now use different means of voter suppression, such as closing voter registration sites in black areas.

The “vicious racists” are here in North Carolina, too, using tactics such as a voter ID law and restricting early voting sites and days. (A federal court struck down the voter ID law.)

President Obama has implemented policies, trying to get Dr. King’s dream going, such as Obamacare. He formed My Brother’s Keeper to help develop young black men into men such as Dr. King and himself. Winston-Salem has a chapter of the organization. We need to start nurturing the next Barack Obama to help us really overcome, even though it might not be until the 22nd century.

As President Obama leaves office tomorrow, Jan. 20, let us thank him, as the Rev. Jesse Jackson says, and be encouraged, because President Obama says he is not fading away. He is only 55 years old, so he has a lot of youth in him to keep working.

But we must do our part. President Obama says it has been the American people who propelled him and made constructive changes over the years. We need to take that to heart and press on toward the high mark of real freedom.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Conn’s should apologize for MLK Jr. Day sales, promotions To the Editor,

Having spent many years prior to my retirement in marketing and advertising, including stints in the retail sector, I was shocked to see the MLK Sale ad for Conn’s HomePlus store this weekend.

It immediately brought back a conversation I had with my husband many years ago when I worked in the marketing department at Hanes Mall and he was in sales at Sears.

We were discussing the various seasonal sales promotions and he said, “At least we’ll never see a Martin Luther King sale.”

Looks like he was wrong.

Yes, there are Easter sales and after-Christmas sales, and even President’s Day sales, but Martin Luther King Jr. is a Civil Rights icon who gave his life fighting for peace and justice.

To try to drive sales on a day when many people who have the day off are using the time to honor and celebrate his life by attending prayer breakfasts, marches or volunteering to help others in honor of Dr. King, is retail crassness at its worst. I can’t help but wonder who their target market is with the sale, the AfricanAmerican community … or not.

Conn’s HomePlus should offer an apology to the African-American community for this incredible lack of judgment. I am sure I am not the only public relations professional who will cringe at this lack of sensitivity.

Judie Holcomb-Pack, APR Winston-Salem

North Carolina media showing coverage bias toward Sen. Tillis To the Editor:

The media has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism lately, particularly for chasing shiny objects designed to attract viewers and page clicks, rather than focusing on the important policies that actually have a meaningful impact on the lives of the American people.

Reflecting this, a recent Gallup poll found that the nation’s trust in

the mass media is at an all-time low.

I know many good journalists who are incredibly frustrated by this development, and this memo is not meant to be an attack on North Carolina’s media outlets or reporters.

It’s simply a presentation of enlightening data points that I hope all reporters and editors in North Carolina will take to heart when they consider what to cover and how they cover it.

Yesterday [Jan. 11], many television stations in North Carolina provided air time to Rev. William Barber for a protest he held at Senator Tillis’ constituent services office in Raleigh.

Barber was protesting the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, demanding that Tillis oppose his confirmation.

In total, 14 television stations covering North Carolina devoted air time yesterday to Rev. Barber’s protest at Senator Tillis’ office regarding Senator Sessions. And of those 14 television stations, only 1 reached out to Senator Tillis’ office to give the Senator an opportunity to share his thoughts.

Consider what this television coverage was about: a partisan political activist opining on what a duly-elected statewide official’s position should be.

Then consider how few media outlets in North Carolina actually covered Senator Tillis when he publicly declared his position on Jeff Sessions’ nomination back in November, through a press release that was sent to the news desk of every single television station in North Carolina.

In total, only 4 television stations devoted air time to Senator Tillis’ statement on Jeff Sessions’ nomination during the November 18, 2016 news cycle. None of the 14 stations covering Rev. Barber’s protest yesterday included Tillis’ original statement in their story.

This poses an important question: Why did media outlets believe it was newsworthy to cover a partisan political activist’s opinion on what Senator Tillis’ position should be, even though they previously made the decision not to run a story when Senator Tillis publicly expressed his position months earlier?

Or, more simply put: Why are views of a partisan political activist deemed newsworthy, but the views of a statewide elected official are not, even though they are in a direct position to influence the subject matter?

Whether this type of coverage bias is intentional or not, it’s bias nonetheless, and it’s a disservice to North Carolinians.

Daniel Keylin Communications Director N.C. U.S. Senator Thom Tillis Washington, D.C.

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confirmation would be tantamount to negligence To the Editor:

For decades, America’s working families and communities of color have struggled to build a better life in an economic and political system that favors greedy corporations and selfinterested politicians over everyday people. Through loopholes and by rigging our system, corporations go unchecked while families are kept in poverty and communities of color can’t get ahead, regardless of how hard or long they work.

Confirming Sen. Jeff Sessions, who has a history of anti-immigrant and anti-Black sentiments and proposals, as the chief law enforcement official and lawyer of the U.S. government would be tantamount to congressional negligence of the people it is elected to serve, particularly working families, immigrants, and communities of color.

America’s Attorney General is in charge of giving legal counsel to our federal government and enforcing our laws, but Sen. Sessions’ record shows he is unfit to protect the American people from illegal acts of racism, sexism, Islamophobia and xenophobia—an essential component of the Department of Justice’s role.

He has already been rejected for a federal judgeship due to racist comments, has called the Voting Rights Act a ‘piece of intrusive legislation’ and has proven to be the most antiimmigrant member of the U.S. Senate by working hand-in-hand with antiimmigrant extremists, associating with a known hate group, and making divisive and bigoted comments against immigrants.

Senator Sessions is grossly unfit to lead the U.S. Department of Justice and carry out its core mission to promote and establish justice and the appearance of justice through vigorous and fair representation of all citizens in all matters.

Mary Kay Henry SEIU International President Washington

Note: The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) unites 2 million diverse members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. SEIU members working in the healthcare industry, in the public sector and in property services believe in the power of joining together on the job to win higher wages and benefits.

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Imam’s letter to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Salaam Imam Dr. King: Griggs It’s been almost 50 years since Guest Columnist your fateful appointment with destiny on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

Time and willful intent have conspired to transform the public perception of you from a transcendent prophetic voice for the voiceless and oppressed to a dreaming romantic who assuaged the anxieties of the privileged by prognosticating about a distant social utopian America.

Since your abrupt departure, the movement has too often adopted as a functional operational modality capitulation to selfrighteous suppressors of basic human, social, and economic rights in exchange for advance payments for our souls and a convoluted sense of access to power rather than influence.

You were not around to witness the shrewd social manipulation implemented by the federal government to deny tangible material benefits to the masses of AfricanAmerican people after the passage of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and other ancil-

lary legislation. You have more intimate information than I of the known and unknown martyrs and other victims of racial terrorism from the ranks of the civil and human rights armies.

But, with the passage of the 1965 Immigration Act, legions of highly educated, professionals and tradesmen entered the United States from nations previously denied significant entry to this country.

After decades of struggles for human and civil rights, African-Americans were tragically reduced to being spectators as immigrants from the Indian sub-continent, North, West, and East Africa, and the Middle East were greeted into the American labor market.

Easily available business loans, mortgages, and the privileges afforded those classified as “White” by the government facilitated a relatively smooth, comfortable transition for most of these new Americans. Even though America was forced by domestic civil unrest and foreign scrutiny to legislate civil rights, AfricanAmericans were arguably not the primary beneficiaries of access to an upwardly mobile class.

Not since the times of the transAtlantic slave trade, when one out of every third enslaved African was Muslim, had so many millions of Muslims entered the United States. However, even to this day,

African-American Muslims represent onethird of the Muslim population in this country. Animus against Muslims in this nation was primarily directed against the Nation of Islam, a heterodox, ultra nationalist Black organization, during the 1960s and 1970s.

Even though your greatest foil during the mid-1950’s to the early 1960’s was Malcolm X, at least before he embraced the orthodox teachings of Islam, you never condemned Muslims or the religion of Islam. You showed us how to respectfully disagree without being disagreeable. Yet, as massive numbers of African-Americans embraced the religion of Islam, the most virulent expressions of racism, once reserved for African- Americans, began to become conflated with all Muslim Americans.

Who could have envisioned that a day would come in post-civil rights America when Muslims would be so despised and Islamophobia so pervasive in the United States that only 26 percent of Americans have a positive view of Islam and Muslims, or that Muslim houses of worship would suffer over 200 random attacks annually, or that a Muslim Imam and his assistant would be murdered, shot in the head, in broad daylight, on a crowed street in Queens, New York for no apparent reason other than just being Muslim, or that

three, universally-loved Muslim college students would be murdered, executionstyle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by a racist bigot, or that in 2016 the people of the United States would elect a xenophobic, Islamophobic, bigoted racist as the 45th President of the country?

There is probably no reference that I can give you for you to understand the collective madness that must have gone into his election. Martin, you showed us how to sacrifice for our beliefs. Unfortunately, too many Muslims have not understood your sage pronouncement in your “Letter from Birmingham Jail” when you wrote, “Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes from the tireless efforts of man willing to be coworkers with God.” Muslims are sadly finding comfort in historical references to the trials of previous faith communities in the United States and how they eventually overcame adversity. Islam teaches us that human beings were created in toil and struggle. You showed us the direction, Martin. But, somehow I think we got lost along the way.

Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs has served as the Associate Chaplain for Muslim Life since January 2010 at Wake Forest University.

Here is MLK’s legacy for Black America in 2017 Ben Chavis

Guest Columnist

As the United States of America and the global community salutes, recognizes and commemorates the 88th birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is a providential time to reassess the meaning and challenges of Dr. King’s legacy for Black America in this year of profound change, anxiety, and hope.

As we witness the transfer of presidential power from President Barack H. Obama to President Donald J. Trump on Friday, Jan. 20, it is quite appropriate to apply some the long-lasting and enduring tenets of Martin Luther King’s leadership, teachings, and perspectives.

Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) prophetically stood strong for freedom, justice, and equality for Black Americans and for all people who cried out for a better quality of life throughout the world.

Dr. King was more than one of the greatest orators and preachers of the 20th century. He was one of the most effective intellectual theologians whose moral genius and courage helped irreversibly to change the course of American history for civil and human rights.

No man or woman is perfect. Yet Dr. King’s leadership inspired and motivated millions of Black Americans and others to strive toward the perfection equal justice for all through nonviolent social change and transformation.

As a young teenage staff worker for SCLC in North Carolina in the early 1960s, I witnessed firsthand how Martin Luther King, Jr. would stir the consciousness of the masses. We overcame the fear of standing up for righteousness in the presence of evil powers and unjust systems of oppression and suppression.

Legacy is about establishing in one’s life and work, that which will endure and last for generations to come. Dr. King’s life and work exemplified intellectual honesty, activism, and courage. At a time when the misguided phenomena of so-called “fake news” is gaining momentum in the body politic of the nation, we all

should be reminded that Dr. King would always cautioned that only “The truth will set us free.”

This is the reason we are determined to maintain and to sustain the viability of the Black Press of America as the truthful, accurate, and trusted voice of Black America. This year marks the 190th year of the Black Press in the United States. During the height of the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. King and other leaders, the mainstream press would often attempt to undermine the legitimacy and purpose of the movement for change. But the Black

Press always chronicled the news of freedom movement with strategic visibility and editorial support.

In Dr. King’s last address in Memphis, Tennessee on the night before his assassination on April 4, 1968, he made statements that still apply and endure today in 2017.

Dr. King emphasized that when society appears polarized and deeply divided, we must strive to overcome divisiveness and hopelessness.

Dr. King in his final sermon stated, “Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is

sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around.

That's a strange statement.

But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding.”

Thus, what may appear to some to be a “dark” hour is in fact a God-given time to reassert that justice and freedom are still possible and very probable if we unify, organize, mobilize, and speak truth to power.

We cannot afford to engage in the cynicism that is now popular.

significance for the National Urban League. In recognition of Barack Obama’s unique place in American history, we set out to create a comprehensive analysis of his two terms, which we released earlier this week to great national interest.

Any evaluation of the Obama administration must first recognize that he inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression, and was faced with Congressional opposition unprecedented in its intensity and sinister nature. Both his accomplishments and his failures must be evaluated against those conditions.

In creating our scorecard, the National Urban League harkened back to the famous question Ronald Reagan asked the nation during his sole debate against President Jimmy Carter: “Are you

better off than you were four years ago?” In this instance, the question is, “Is the nation better off than it was eight years ago?” And, “Is Black America better off than it was eight years ago?” The answer to both questions is, unequivocally, “Yes.” President Obama is leaving office with an approval rating even higher than Reagan’s, exceeded only by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton. During Obama’s presidency, the economy has added 15 million new jobs, and the jobless rate has dropped from 7.6 percent to 4.7 percent — and from 12.7 percent to 7.8 percent for African Americans. The high school graduation rate for African Americans has increased from 66.1 percent to 75 percent. There are 614,000 fewer long-

term unemployed. Wages are up 3.4 percent. More than 16 million Americans who were uninsured now have health care coverage, with the uninsured rate for African Americans cut by more than half.

Barack Obama’s passion and steady hand made a huge difference in charting a progressive course and positively impacted the lives of ordinary Americans.

Black Americans felt both the pride of his accomplishments and the pain when it was clear his opponents sought to diminish a great American. I am confident the long arc of history will judge him favorably.

While we scored many of the administration’s achievements with our highest rating, “Superior,” President Obama’s tenure as a whole had shortcomings, due to some notable

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s living legacy beacons us to not give in to hopelessness and selfdefeatism. We have had difficult times before and each generation is called to stand up with the principles, values, and commitments that we have inherited from so many of our sisters and brothers who sacrificed for us to be where we are today.

King stated, “Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history? It means that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity.” While race is still a defining factor in American society, we must not allow racial discrimination or racism in any form to divide us or to prevent us from moving forward as families and communities steadfast in our unified actions to improve our quality of life.

Black America will overcome. We have come too far to stand still or go backwards.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.

President Obama earns ‘excellent’ rating Marc Morial

Guest Columnist

“That faith that I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change, that faith has been rewarded in ways I could not have possibly imagined.”

– President Barack Obama, Farewell Address, January 10, 2017 Throughout our history, the National Urban League has taken seriously our responsibility to hold the President of the United States accountable to the needs of urban America and communities of color.

During the Great

Depression, Executive Secretary Eugene Kinckle Jones served on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet.”

Lester Granger, who headed the League during World War II, is among those credited with persuading President Harry Truman to desegregate the Armed Forces. Whitney M. Young advised presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson and was instrumental in the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act. Urban League Presidents Vernon Jordan, John Jacob and Hugh Price continued our engagement with the Presidents with whom they served to further the work of civil rights and secure support for Urban League programs.

The first AfricanAmerican Presidency quite naturally has held special

missed opportunities and outright failures, such as the economic development of urban centers, gun violence and the foreclosure rate and bank closure rate in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. On these and other issues, we rated the Obama administration “Fair” or “Poor.” Our evaluation springs from a consideration of his accomplishments balanced against the conditions under which he served. The National Urban League has given the Obama Administration an overall rating of “Excellent,” our secondhighest rating.

Marc Morial is the President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @marcmorial.

OBAMA THANK YOU, PRESIDENT T H E C H R ON I C LE

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The Obama Legacy through the eyes of W-S

BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE

On Friday, Barack Obama will no longer be president. Last week, he gave a farewell speech in Chicago, outlining many of the things that have happened during his eight years in office, ranging from U.S. Navy Seals killing Osama Bin Laden to the Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage.

Obama struck a hopeful tone, saying that even when the country takes steps back, it still tends to move forward toward embracing all Americans.

“So that’s what we mean when we say America is exceptional, not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow,” said Obama.

The last eight years have been a tumultuous time, with challenges and accomplishments felt nationally and locally.

years. But now the city is expanding its workforce again and is making strides to increase its wages for city employees, said Joines.

Issues of poverty and

Health insurance enrollment has continued to increase, as more than 11.5 million people signed up for marketplace coverage as of Dec. 24. Of the people who signed up, 534,293 are

sign the repeal. It’s unknown what Republicans will replace it with.

Beyond the ACA, the U.S. Health Department has played a major role in

The Economy

Obama became president during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, which was also followed by the weakest economic recovery since that era. Soon after he took office, Congress passed a stimulus package that included tax breaks and infrastructure spending.

But after that, a Republican Congress blocked Obama’s further infrastructure initiatives.

Due to Congress’s inability to agree on budget cuts in 2013, the across-the-board spending cuts of the sequester were triggered that are still in place today.

During the Great Recession, national unemployment reached a 10 percent peak in October 2009, but has fallen drastically to just 4.7 percent in December 2016. Locally, Winston-Salem has seen similar numbers, with a high of 11 percent employment during the recession that’s now down to just 4.6 percent.

“Our economy has bounced back and we’ve replaced the jobs we’ve lost, and I think we’ve seen a great resurgence in parts of our city: the downtown community, Innovation Quarter,” said WinstonSalem Mayor Allen Joines.

During the recession, the city saw a drastic drop in revenue, especially from sales taxes. The city relied on eliminating vacant positions rather than layoffs to get through the period and city workers experienced a pay freeze for several

criminatory against transgender individuals.

“The Justice Department certainly affirmed its commitment to civil rights for everybody, not just a few,” said the

Illustration ©2008 Ron Rogers collection

Joines

income inequality still persist nationally and locally.

Winston-Salem has a 22.5 percent poverty rate. The poverty rate for residents over 18 years old in Forsyth County is 14.6 percent, which is down nearly 3 percent from last year.

Donald Trump, who will become president on Friday, campaigned on infrastructure spending, but has yet to release a detailed plan.

Health Care

The Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) was Obama’s major initiative to reform health insurance. It provides a variety of protections to consumers, such as ending the practice of denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It set up a mandate, with a tax penalty, that citizens with enough income must have health insurance.

It also provides tax subsidies through an online marketplace to help consumers who earn between 100 percent and 400 percent of the poverty level buy health insurance.

Atkinson

in North Carolina.

The ACA has been controversial, with harsh opposition from Republicans, who gave it the name Obamacare. Though the number of insured Americans has never been higher, there’re still millions who remain uninsured. Many of these people would’ve been helped

by Medicaid expansion, paid for by the ACA, but many states, including North Carolina, have refused to do that. Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who took office in January, wants to expand Medicaid, even though the Republican dominated N.C. General Assembly passed a law to prevent that.

Insurance rates continue to increase. Some insurers, like Blue Cross Blue Shield of N.C., have considered pulling out of the marketplaces since they’re not making as much money covering costumers with pre-existing conditions.

The Republican-controlled Congress is taking actions to repeal the ACA, with Trump promising to

Mendez

Hunter

protecting public health by preventing outbreaks of diseases, including Ebola and Zika. It also helps fund county health departments, which provide numerous education and prevention services that increase public health, that don’t always make headlines.

“It’s one that people may not necessarily think about, but we’re out working to keep the community safe every day, and that’s why I describe it as the invisible profession,” said Marlon Hunter, director of the Forsyth County Department of Health.

Social Justice

The U.S. Justice Department under Obama regularly found itself allied with civil rights groups in court. This was the case with North Carolina’s controversial Voter ID law, which a court eventually overturned after finding its measures targeted black voters with “almost surgical precision.” The Justice Department also opposed the state’s HB 2 law, that many consider to be dis-

Obama State Department has also struck a deal with Iran to halt its nuclear program. Mendez praised those peaceful efforts, but was unsure if they’ll last.

Trump opposes Obama’s Cuba policy and promised to do away with the Iran agreement.

Mendez said he wished Obama had dealt with and understood some of the particulars of the black community more, but said the black community benefited all the same from his economic and health care policies.

He said that he believes Obama’s opponents inflamed racial passions against him that eventually led to the election of Trump. He said he shared Obama’s optimism in the future because a new, more tolerant generation is creating multi-racial movements like Black Lives Matter that strive for equality.

Mendez said that Obama did an amazing job under difficult circumstances.

“We had a president and an administration that really tried to do the right thing,” said Mendez.

My Brother’s Keeper

Rev. Dr. John Mendez, a longtime activist and Emmanuel Baptist Church pastor.

Mendez was concerned how the Justice Department would be under Jeff Sessions, a Trump nominee who prosecuted three AfricanAmerican voting advocates when he was a U.S. attorney in Alabama.

Under Obama, the country still continues to be involved in multiple wars, but the protests against them aren’t as prominent as they were under President George W. Bush, who invaded and occupied Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. The main war is currently against ISIS, which holds parts of Syria and Iraq and is an inspiration to extremists and terrorists globally. Obama has used air power to support allies in their fight against ISIS, instead of ground troops.

Obama has also made diplomatic strides, including lifting the travel ban to Cuba and reestablishing diplomatic ties to the Communist country. The

In September 2014, Obama issued a challenge for cities and counties nationwide to help young people of color and all youth succeed through mentoring and support networks. So far, 250 communities have accepted his My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) challenge. The Ministers’ Conference of WinstonSalem and Vicinity approached Mayor Allen Joines about adopting the challenge in 2015. It’s now under Winston-Salem State University and will be working to help local mentoring groups recruit volunteers.

The goals of My Brother’s Keeper include children being healthy, reading on grade level by the third grade, graduating from high school and college, successfully entering the workforce and being given second chances when needed.

Alvin Atkinson, director of WSSU’s Initiative for Just and Sustainable Communities, compared Obama’s commitment to MBK to Jimmy Carter’s work with Habitat for Humanity. He expects MBK to be helping youth for many years after Obama leaves the White House.

“My Brother’s Keeper is his legacy,” said Atkinson.

A young ex-president, Obama poised for a busy retirement

BY JOSH LEDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — For Barack Obama, there's a presidential library to build, hundreds of millions of dollars to raise, causes to champion and a book to write. And don't forget that long-promised vacation with his wife.

Looming retirement is looking like anything but for the 44th president.

Obama's next chapter starts Friday when he becomes an ex-president. He'll be freer to speak his mind, set his own schedule and make some money.

Already, Obama is looking ahead to the book he wants to write, and has had talks with Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel

about arrangements that could include speaking gigs.

At 55, Obama will be a relatively young ex-president, with plenty of time for a second act. He's ruled out running another campaign for political office – so has his wife – but he has pledged to stay an active in the national conversation.

With President-elect Donald Trump headed to the White House, Democrats are eager for Obama to play the role of shadow-president, offering direction to those Americans who feel they lost their political compass the day Trump was elected.

Obama has said he has plenty of ideas for how his party can revive itself, but after eight years as president, his role will be to offer guidance, not to micromanage.

``I think it's appropriate for me to give advice, because I need some sleep,'' Obama told NPR last month. ``And I've promised Michelle a nice vacation. My girls are getting old enough now where I'm clinging to those very last moments before they are out of the house.''

Obama is expected to keep a low profile for the first few months after Trump's swearing-in.

Following some relaxation time with his wife and daughters in an unnamed location, the family will return to Washington, where they've rented a mansion in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood.

President Obama

SPORTSWEEK Also More Stories, Religion and Classifieds

JANUARY 19, 2017

West Forsyth two-sport athlete speaks to The Chronicle ONE ON ONE

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

Jalen Ferguson is a dynamic two-sport athlete for the Titans of West Forsyth. Not only was he the starting quarterback for the 9-1 JV football team, he is also a starting guard for the basketball team as well.

As a freshman, he has already made a name for himself on the West

Forsyth campus.

Jalen was introduced to football and basketball by his father, Lawrence, who was a star football player at East Forsyth High School.

He was also a standout football player at North Carolina Central University. Jalen started out playing basketball at the W.R. Anderson recreation center and with his former Amateur Athletic

Union (AAU) team, Team Winston.

“When I was young, my dad worked with me a lot and I just had fun with it,” Jalen said of his love for basketball. “I love scoring the ball and my teammates are fun and push me to the limit of my abilities.”

During the Lash/Chronicle tournament, Jalen says he noticed some things he and his

teammates need to work on to become a better cohesive unit. The Titans had a great showing at the Lash/Chronicle tournament, but inconsistencies led to an early exit by their standards.

For Jalen, he said he is constantly working on his game to get better. He says he has some holes in his game but knows what he needs to do to get better.

West Forsyth pulls away late to defeat North Davidson

He thinks playing football gave him some toughness that can translate onto the basketball court.

“One of my best assets is my shooting ability but some things I need to work on are my defense and attacking the basket,” he said.

Jalen says his basketball idols are Lebron James and Allen Iverson. He would love to attend col-

Jalen Ferguson is a freshman guard for the West Forsyth Titans who also is the starting quarterback for the JV football team. lege at the University of Photo by Timothy Ramsey

See Ferguson on B2

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

Every coach says basketball is a game of runs. Each time West Forsyth looked to pull away from North Davidson in their game last Friday, the Knights did just that, made a run. Even though the Titans were cold from outside most of the night, they pulled out a close one, 5449 against the Knights.

North Davidson opened the game in a 2-3 zone, which caused a lot of problems for the Titans as they are a streaky outside shooting team. To counteract the zone the Titans got out in transition early in the first to get easy

See West Forsyth on B2

Lady Titans edge North Davidson in final minutes

E. Vanmeter of North Davidson, No. 44 in black, shoots a runner in the lane while being defended by C.J. Smith, No. 23, and Jalen Ferguson, No. 11.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

Haleigh Norris, No. 40 in black, shoots a jumper while being defended by West Forsyth guard Molly Patella, No. 20.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

When two evenly matched teams step onto the court and give maximum effort, it’s a treat for everyone in attendance.

That is what the crowd was blessed with when the lady Titans of West Forsyth took on the Lady Knights from North Davidson last Friday evening. After relenting the lead for the first time all night late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Titans overcame adversity and won 38-36.

Early on in the first quarter defense held the upper hand for both teams.

Neither offense could establish any consistency.

The full court press implemented by North Davidson was giving West Forsyth fits leading to a number of turnovers.

The lady Knights failed to convert many of the chances they

were handed as they did not score until five minutes into the game.

Throughout the first half, North Davidson had some great looks at the basket but failed to make many of those shots. They also failed to convert from the free throw line, which eventually hurt them in the end.

“We hustled very hard and we missed some free throws that we should have made that would have kept us in the ballgame early on,” said North Davidson head coach Shaundee Woosley. “The other team played great but I think we put in some great hustle tonight and you can’t ask for much more than hustle.”

Gwen Onumah, Layla Walker and Madison Dwiggins all played well for West Forsyth in the first half. They were major conSee Titans on B2

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JA NUARY 1 9 , 2 0 1 7

Ferguson from page B1

North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His favorite subjects in school are math and Spanish. He is an honor roll student as well.

Jalen's father says he saw potential in his son in both sports at a young age.

Jalen was a tall child, so his father played him against older players in order to develop his guard skills and not get stuck playing in the paint. Lawrence says Jalen needs to work on his mid-range game in order to be more effective on the next level.

“What I tell him all the time is that you don't have to be an upperclassmen to be a leader, Mr. Ferguson said of his son. “A

lot of times if you get out there and work hard and other players on the team see that they will follow your lead. He is doing great in school, so if he continues to work he could possibly have a chance to play on the next level, which would be a blessing.”

Jalen's JV football coach, Jared Eure, said “He is a great kid on the field and in the classroom.” Eure said it's rare to have a freshman start at quarterback and have the total comprehension of the offense as Jalen has. He thinks Jalen has a great chance to start at quarterback on the varsity level next season.

“Jalen is just a winner. I love his attitude and he always wants the ball in his hands during crunch time. The other kids like him and they trust him just like I trust him.”

T H E C H R ON I C LE

The Ferguson family: Front row, Jalen, second row, Jada, left; and Justin, back row, Lawrence, left, and Selena.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

North Davidson's G. Swicegood, No. 22 in black, shoots a jumper over the West Forsyth defender.

West Forsyth from page B1

West buckets. North Davidson stayed close and only trailed by three points after one.

“The big lesson for us was on a night where you can’t shoot well, defense is key,” said West Forsyth head coach Jeffrey Williams. “They did a great job playing that 2-3 zone and I don't think at any point our guys figured it out or shot better, it was that they were able to make stops and then make plays in transition and that ended up being the difference in the game.”

The game stayed close throughout the remainder of the second quarter. North Davidson's defense held the Titans score-

Photos by Timothy Ramsey

less until two minutes left in the half, which allowed them to tie the game at 15.

The Knights even took a short-lived lead late in the quarter but quickly surrendered it when Titan point guard Lamont McNeill hit a clutch three-point shot, giving them a slim 23-22 lead at the half.

As the third quarter started, both teams came out playing very aggressively on the defensive end of the floor. Neither squad was able to consistently mount any offense. Missed shots by West Forsyth and turnovers from North Davidson contributed to the low scoring quarter.

With the game close to heading into the final frame, the lead switched hands multiple times. At the five-minute mark, the Titans took the lead for good. They even went on a run that put the score at 43-

West Forsyth’s Madison Dwiggins, No. 12 in white, surveys the defense in the game against North Davidson.

Photos by Timothy Ramsey

Titans from page B1

tributors to the 16-12 lead at the half for the Titans.

Troubles from the free throw line continued into the third quarter for the Knights. They routinely missed shots from the charity stripe that could have opened up a sizable lead for them. Even though the Knights were having trouble from the line, it did not affect their defensive intensity as they only trailed by one at the end of the third.

Heading into the fourth, North Davidson was in the double bonus early on, meaning any foul committed on them would result in two shots from the line. To counteract their foul trouble and maintain the lead, the Titans went to a stall offense to run some clock. This strategy did not prove effective, as the Knights were able to close to within 1 at 27-26.

Later in the fourth quarter, the Knights were able to take their first lead in the game when Jordan Holt hit a layup with under five minutes left in the game. The Titans quickly answered with a layup of their own from Onumah. With less than two minutes to go and trailing by one,

Have an Idea?

Jordan Taylor of West Forsyth grabbed a rebound and went coast to coast to score a basket, giving the Titans the lead once again.

The Titans would not relinquish the lead and held on to win 38-36. West Forsyth head coach Bill Rudert said with the lack of practice time his team had recently, he knew this would be a messy game, but was happy with their effort.

“We had a lot of turnovers and there were time when we played very well,” Rudert said. “I'm glad we won but there is a lot of things we have to work on but a win is a win. This is how it’s going to be in conference season. Every game is going to be a dog fight. My team needs to know that every game is going to be tooth and nail and we need to fight for every possession and we did just enough of that to come through tonight.”

Woosley said she told her team during halftime that they had to continue to hustle and run their plays correctly to have a chance to win in the end. She says not boxing out and missing free throws really hurt her team. Going forward she thinks if a few things go their way they will come out on top more often than not.

Let us Know news@wschronicle.com

Elijah Scales, No. 25 in white, shoots a jumper in the lane over two North Davidson defenders.

34, which seemingly put the game out of reach with less than three minutes to go.

North Davidson did not give up and closed to within three at 45-42.

West Forsyth closed out the game by nailing their free throws and converting easy fast break opportunities. Coach Williams said his team was having such a tough time shooting from the outside all game, their only advantage seemed to be getting out in transition.

“Luckily we have enough guys that can handle the ball and whoever got the rebound was to just look up and go,” Williams continued.

Williams thinks his team has improved steadily throughout the course of the season. He wants to keep the momentum going for the remainder of the year.

North Davidson head coach Rob Creason said his team played hard and had a chance in the end. He says that's all he asks of his team.

“I thought we played with good effort but a couple shots did not go our way and that kind of thing happens,” Creason said of the game. “We wanted to pack it in and force them to shoot it and we definitely hang our hat on defense.”

“We want to play with a winning effort as far as playing hard and doing the little things. That's what we preach every day and it gives us a chance to win most games. We are not the most skilled guys but we play hard. We will build off of this and try to win the rest of them.”

North Davidson point guard, Jordan Holt, No. 11 in black, blows past the West Forsyth defense for an uncontested layup.

White House honors Livingstone College, others for health effort

T H E C H R ON I C LE

JA N UA RY

Dr. Orlando Lewis, vice president for student affairs at Livingstone College and Anthony Brown, director of student activities, are shown on the left in the crowd during a White House ceremony honoring colleges and universities that participated in the Healthy Campus Challenge.

19, 2017 B3

Submitted photos

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

SALISBURY, N.C. – The Obama administration in a White House ceremony honored Livingstone College as one of more than 350 colleges and universities that participated in the Healthy Campus Challenge that began in the fall of 2016.

Livingstone received a certificate is being lauded for its success in helping students become healthier as part of the Challenge.

Long before Livingstone students joined the challenge, however, they were encouraged to become healthier and to be more cognizant of the importance of health and wellness in their daily lives. That’s because

President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins Sr. emphasized health and wellness when he took over the institution’s top administrative post in February 2006. In fact, health and wellness is one of the 10 tenets listed in contracts signed by students when they arrive on campus.

Regarding Friday’s recognition ceremony, Dr. Orlando Lewis, vice president for student affairs, and Anthony Brown, director of student activities who led the college's effort, attended.

“We have worked to help students understand the positive consequence of making good little decisions and the direct connection between good health and a good life,” Jenkins said. “We also

want to impact some of the major health problems from which too many people suffer, like obesity.

"Education is a great part of the solution to resolving this national issue, and I am excited that we will send staff to Washington for national recognition.”

Brown said, “It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to work with the White House initiative on the Healthy Campus Challenge.

Promoting affordable coverage for everyone seeking it is a great opportunity that can make a significant difference in the community and on our campus. I am so proud of the fact that because of our hard work, Livingstone College has been deemed as a Healthy

profit that looks to exonerate innocent people across the state.

That same year, Chris Mumma joined the team fighting for Taylor’s freedom, and in 2010 Taylor was released from prison.

While appearing before a panel of three judges, Mumma and her team of lawyers proved Taylor’s innocence by revealing that a stain found on Taylor’s truck was not blood, as the prosecutor had argued dur-

With the seventh anniversary to the day he was set free quickly approaching, Taylor said he is truly humbled by everyone who fought for his freedom.

“I’m grateful for everything they’ve done for me,” he said. They’ve led me to this place I’m at today. It’s just amazing how my life has changed since February 2010 and truly humbled by it all.”

Following the viewing

ing the original trial.

When discussing the film with the audience, Huss said she and Jamback felt it was important to document the story.

“What’s important to us is not just Greg’s story but, the process that we have only here in North Carolina,” said Huss. “For all the things we don’t have going right, we do have this right.”

According to Huss, North Carolina leads the country in criminal justice reform. She mentioned the Innocence Inquiry Commission has helped free 13 innocent men, including Taylor and the late Darryl Hunt, a Winston-Salem man who spent 19 years in jail for the stabbing death of Deborah Sykes.

“This process is something the entire country needs to know about,” Huss said.

of the film on Jan. 5, several people said they were happy to see that N.C. is leading the way when it comes freeing innocent people. According to the film, since the late 1990s, 26 states have adopted programs similar to the Innocence Inquiry Commission.

“It feels good to know that there are people fighting against injustice here in North Carolina,” said Robin Simmons of Winston-Salem.

“I’m happy for Mr. Taylor and I hope this program can help free others in the future.

Although Jamback and Huss are touring the state showing the documentary to received feedback from viewers, “In Pursuit of Justice” is only 85 percent complete.

For more information on the documentary, visit inpursuitofjusticefilm.com.

Documentary sheds light on N.C. innocence panel

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

More than 100 people gathered inside the Hanesbrands Theatre to watch a documentary on the trials and triumphs of Greg Taylor, a North Carolina man who spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

The film titled “In Pursuit of Justice” documents the night of September 29, 1991, when Taylor got his Nissan

“What’s important to us is not just Greg’s story but, the process that we have only here in North Carolina.”

Pathfinder stuck in a ditch less than 100 yards away from the lifeless body of Jacquetta Thomas, who was brutally murdered earlier that night. Despite having no physical evidence tying him to the crime in 1993, Taylor was sentenced to life in prison.

Through one-on-one interviews with Taylor, family members, attorneys and others involved in the case the film directed by Gregg Jamback and Jamie Huss gives viewers an inside look at what it takes to overturn a life sentence here in North Carolina.

After spending more than a decade behind bars and after three appeals had been turned down, in 2004 Taylor reached out to the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission (NCIIC), which then connected him with the N.C. Center on Actual Innocence, a non-

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Campus and was selected to participate in today’s event at The White House.”

Brown’s supervisor echoed his sentiments.

“Participating in the challenge through social media and face-to-face meetings with students regarding health insurance through the Affordable Care Act has generated education and awareness of healthy choices,” Lewis said. “The fact that Livingstone College is being honored in this way is a testament to the vision of our president, Dr. Jenkins, and to how diligently we’re working as a campus on many fronts.

Today is a very big day for Livingstone College.”

Jenkins and Dr. Dari Caldwell, president of

Dr. Orlando Lewis, vice president for student affairs at Livingstone College, left, and Anthony Brown, director of student activities who led the college's health effort, accept a certificate from Kristie Canegallo, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Implementation.

Novant Health Rowan Medical Center, collaborated to get a Duke Endowment grant to learn about health problems faced by Livingstone students. The grant allowed students to work with a Novant health coach to help them make healthy eating choices, to exercise more and to set a goal of making better lifestyle decisions.

Livingstone applied to participate in the Challenge to make healthcare more affordable and to ensure its students’ education didn’t get sidetracked by health problems. Livingstone’s initiative revolved around Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, which added some 20 million people to the nation’s

healthcare rolls – many of whom had previously lacked access to healthcare.

The Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, was signed into law in March 2009.

Most of its provisions became effective in January 2014. The U.S. Congress is debating repeal and replacement of the ACA. Livingstone College emphasized enrolling students under the Affordable Care Act by hosting in-person, on-campus enrollment opportunities and by using social media to remind students, faculty, alumni and the community about the ACA’s open-enrollment period.

(L to R) Attorney Chris Mumma, Greg Taylor, and co-director Gregg Jamback discuss the documentary “In Pursuit of Justice” following a viewing session at the Hanesbrands Theatre.

Photo by Tevin Stinson

All locations. One membership.

Now when you join the Y, you can visit any YMCA in North Carolina and Virginia as part of your membership, as well as the Gateway YWCA in Winston-Salem.

• More than 16 locations locally across northwest North Carolina • More pool and gym space, as well as indoor and outdoor water parks • Hundreds of group exercise classes, hot yoga, Les Mills GRIT, CrossFit, and state-of-the-art training centers with personal training and boot camps • Financial Assistance available.

$0 JOINING FEE* FOR A LIMITED TIME JOIN ONLINE TODAY

or come into your nearest branch for a tour! *Monthly prorated rates apply.

Visit www.ymcanwnc.org/MyYisEveryY for more details.

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Community Briefs JAN UA RY 1 9 , 2 0 1 7

The Rotary Club of Clemmons gives to local charities The Rotary Club of Clemmons recently donated a total of $10,000 to local charities. The recipients were Boy Scouts of America, Mental Health Association, Cancer Services, Hospice, Clemmons Food Pantry, Sister2Sister International Outreach Ministry, and the Guiding Institute for Developmental Education (GIDE). Clemmons Rotary works very hard in our community holding various fund raising campaigns and tackling service projects. The monies raised are used to support local charities. Clemmons Rotary embraces the Rotary Motto of Service Above Self. The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Bennett College receives grant to help students in three key ways GREENSBORO – Bennett College has been awarded a grant that will help shoulder some financial burdens for several of the institution’s academically strong but economically challenged students, the College announced. The Mary Lynn Richardson Fund has given Bennett $12,000 – money that was requested in a grant application by Sylvia Nicholson, director of sponsored programs and Title III. Bennett College has received money from The Mary Lynn Richardson Fund in the past; however, the current grant represents the largest amount the College has been awarded by the organization. The money will be used in three key areas: scholarships for books, financial assistance for Education majors who are completing their state Praxis Licensure and help with the cost of federally mandated student health insurance for students not covered under their parents’ plans.

United Health Centers receives $1.4M grant to expand healthcare for homeless United Health Centers (UHC) was awarded a New Access Point (NAP) grant in the amount of $1.4M, from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). UHC is the only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Forsyth County, and now, the organization boasts the distinction of being only one of six health centers in North Carolina, and one of seventy-nine in the entire country, to be awarded the highly competitive NAP federal grant funding. The grant will be used to expand primary care and behavioral health services to underserved residents of Forsyth County. The organization will also create more jobs in the community by hiring staff to fill a number of positions that will provide care to the community.

WSSU celebrates 125 years of growth, academic excellence Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is celebrating 125 years of transforming the lives of graduates and impacting the community with a yearlong celebration in 2017. The anniversary also comes as the university has welcomed its largest freshman class in nearly a decade, has received an increasing number of regional and national accolades, and is embarking on more than $100 million in new construction and renovations.

“As we celebrate our rich legacy of excellence and positive impact on the lives of our graduates and the community, we also are looking to our future and the important role historically Black colleges and universities like ours play in improving the lives of graduates in the 21st century," said WSSU Chancellor Elwood L. Robinson. "This yearlong celebration is our opportunity to share the university's historic milestones and achievements since its founding in 1892." Events will get under way on Feb. 3 with a salute to the 1967 men’s basketball team. Fifty years ago, the Rams – led by legendary Coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines – won the NCAA Division II National Championship. Hall of Famer Earl “The Pearl” Monroe – who led the team in scoring – and retired CBS college basketball analyst Bill Packer will headline celebrations that weekend.

New members appointed to United Way of Forsyth County Board Four new members have been elected to the United Way of Forsyth County’s Board of Directors.

Ollie Chandhok, Catrina Thompson, Betty Lou Vontsolos, have been appointed to serve three-years terms and LaDonna Wilson will serve a two-year term. Chandhok has been market president and publisher of the Triad Business Journal since 2015. Prior to that, he served in positions as regional audience director and sales executive positions at American City Business Journals, the parent of Triad Business Journal. Chandhok is a graduate of Queens University in Charlotte, NC. Thompson is City of Winston-Salem assistant police chief and a 22-year-veteran of the WinstonSalem police department. She previously served as the commander of Criminal Investigations Division of the Investigative Services Bureau. Thompson received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wayne State University in Detroit and a master’s degree in public administration from Appalachian State University. She also is a graduate of the West Point Leadership Academy.

Vontsolos is vice president of client services and operations at Inmar in Winston-Salem. She serves as chair of United Way of Forsyth County’s Women’s Leadership Council, an initiative designed to educate, engage and empower women in across Forsyth County to make a difference. Vontsolos earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Longwood University in Farmville, VA. Wilson serves as financial analyst at Pepsico.

Prior to her current position, she served in roles as operations manager and marketing specialist at Pepsico.

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Community Calendar

Today, Jan. 19 – Delta Arts Center/RAW EDGES Delta Arts Center presents RAW EDGES an exhibition of Textile Art

by African-American Quilters Opening Reception 6 p.m. Featured quilt is Big Daddy by Roslyn Spiener-Jones. Delta Arts Center is located at 2611 New Walkertown road and is open Tuesday-Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturdays from 11am-3pm. The Center is closed every third Saturday of the month.

Tours of the exhibition can be arranged by calling (336) 722-2625.

Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts is a funded partner of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County and receives support from the NC Arts Council Department of Cultural Resources.

Today, Jan. 19 – Free Pap test and HPV screening Women in the Triad who are uninsured and over the age of 30 are invited to receive a free cervical cancer screening on Thursday, Jan. 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Space is limited. To register, call Robin Atkinson at 336-718-8585.

Today, Jan. 19 – Suicide Prevention Dr. Robert Rominger, President of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will lead a discussion, “Talk Saves Lives,” about preventing suicide, the tenth leading cause of death in the US. The Foundation seeks to reverse this trend by supporting research, education, and advocacy, and works to make local communities aware of suicide issues.

The event is sponsored by Humanism with Heart, a program of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem, 4055 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem 27106. For more information email humanism@uufws.org Now-February – Diabetes prevention program sign-up A diabetes prevention program called PreventT2, a year-long evidence based diabetes prevention program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be featured in February.

Throughout the program participants will learn healthy eating, meal planning, exercise and living an active lifestyle, and overcoming barriers. If you would like to know your risks or already diagnosed with prediabetes, and want to learn more about the program contact the Forsyth County Department of Public Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program Coordinator at 336-703-3219.

Classes will begin in February.

Enroll today and find a class nearest to you.

Now-Jan. 28 – Writing workshops Winston-Salem Writers is presenting workshops on three consecutive Saturdays in Jan. to encourage both new and experienced writers to “Kick off the New Year on the write foot.” The cost is $15 per workshop for nonmembers and free to members of Winston-Salem Writers.

Attendees can register for all three workshops or for individual sessions.

Jan. 14, “The art of the personal essay,” will be presented by Dr. Lee Zacharias, who teaches courses in the structure of fiction and in the contemporary novel. She is the author of a novel, a book of short stories and a book of essays. Jan. 21, “Character development and setting description within the novel,” will be presented by New York Times bestselling author Charlie Lovett. Lovett has written several books, including the best seller, “The Bookman’s Tale.” His latest novel is due out in February. Jan. 28, “The nitty gritty work of craft development,” will be presented by Pamela Henderson, who teaches English at R. J. Reynolds Arts Magnet High School.

All workshops will be held at Milton Rhodes Center, 251 N. Spruce St., 10 a.m. until noon. Seating is limited.

To register, email programs@wswriters.org.

Jan. 20 – Local Arts Community A group of local artists, performers, and arts organizations (Authoring Action!, Delta Arts, Twin City Stage, Sawtooth School for Visual Art and Associated Artists) are holding a festival on Jan. 20, 2017 titled “ARTISTS UNITE! A Celebration of Peace and Diversity.” The event will be held at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts and will include spoken word, poetry, singersongwriters, drama and dance performances, an art auction, and family-friendly activities designed to celebrate the rich and diverse arts community. The event will run from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the HanesBrands theatre and surrounding spaces. Food

trucks will be set up in the adjacent parking lot and refreshments will be available at Coffee Park ARTS, the café inside the building.

Jan. 22-29 – Theater Alliance to perform Zanna Don’t Tickets to Zanna, Don’t are priced at $18 for Adults and $16 for students/seniors. There is also a $2 per ticket discount available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets to Zanna Don’t may be purchased in person at the Theatre Alliance Box Office (Fridays from 12:30-3:00 p.m.), online at www.wstheatrealliance.org or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006. PERFORMANCE DATES: Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 at 8 pm, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017 at 8 pm, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017 at 2 pm, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 at 8 pm, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 at 8 pm, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 at 8 pm, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 at 2 pm.

Jan. 22 – Chamber Music Society The renowned Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center returns to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) this month to perform music by Johannes Brahms and Gabriel Fauré. The concert will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22, in Watson Hall. Tickets are $25 regular and $20 student (with valid ID) and are available at UNCSA.edu/performances or by calling the box office at 336-721-1945. Watson Hall is located in the School of Music Complex on the UNCSA campus, 1533 South Main St. in Winston-Salem.

Jan. 26 – New Winston Museum Salon Series Program The first quarter Salon Series, “Nature through New Eyes: Rethinking Our Relationship with the Environment,” consists of three programs offering a look at our local relationship with ecology and how we interact with green space. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 28 – Blacksmith demonstration High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave. High Point NC, will hold a blacksmith demonstration on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The demonstration will present a costumed blacksmith crafting various iron pieces. The demonstration is free and open to all ages. For more information, call 336-885-1859 or visit www.highpointmuseum.org.

50

Jan. 29 – 2nd annual Feed Our

The Second Annual Feed Our 50 fundraiser sponsored by Diamondback Grill in support of Forsyth Backpack Program will be held Sunday, Jan. 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. A $50 donation to the Forsyth Backpack Program gets you in the door to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and great music. This is a very fun way to help feed 50 students who might not have food on the weekends during the school year without us.

Tickets can be purchased on the Donate Now page on the FBP website. All proceeds go to benefit Forsyth Backpack Program; last year more than $10,000 was raised, enough to feed 50 school children on weekends for a year.

Jan. 30 – Resource Fair High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave. High Point, will hold a resource fair on Monday, Jan. 30.

The fair is free and will have various community representatives available to answer questions regarding school-choice, pre-K options, transportation, school health & nutrition, after-school options and kindergarten curriculums. The fair will also have representatives from local libraries, Family & Health Services, Reading Connections and other important community resources that support transitioning into kindergarten. For more information, call 336-885-1859 or visit www.highpointmuseum.org.

Jan. 30 – Arts Council of Winston-Salem The Arts Council of WinstonSalem and Forsyth County will kick off its 2017 Annual Campaign on Monday, Jan. 30, at 5:30 p.m. at The Barn at Reynolda Village. The event is free, and the public is invited.

Feb. 1 – March of Dimes The March of Dimes will hold a breakfast event to kick off the March for Babies fundraising campaign on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 7:30-9:00am at the Hawthorne Inn. Attendees must RSVP to Jamie at jsouthern@marchofdimes.org. The March for Babies event will take place on April 22, 2017 at Corpening Plaza.

Feb. 2 – Film screening and book signing

RiverRun International Film Festival’s RiverRun Retro presents a film screening of “Stella Dallas,” starring Barbara Stanwyck, and a discussion with Stanwyck’s biographer, Victoria Wilson, followed by a book signing of her biography, “A Life of Barbara Stanwyck Steel – True: 1907 – 1940.” The event will take place on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:00 p.m., at Hanesbrands Theatre, located at 209 W. Spruce St. The 1937 version of “Stella Dallas” is the second of three screen versions of the story based on a novel by Olive Higgins Prouty. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the conversation with Victoria Wilson will begin at 7:00 p.m., followed by the screening of “Stella Dallas.” BookMarks will have copies of Wilson’s book available for purchase prior to the event and during the reception and book signing following the screening. The reception will feature light hors d’oeuvres from Mooney’s Mediterranean Café, craft beer from Hoots Beer Co. and wine from McRitchie Winery. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for students with a valid student ID. Tickets will be available online at http://www.rhodesartscenter.org/ Feb. 3 – Become a Community Garden Mentor Please apply by February 3, 2017. The training will be held on two Saturdays: February 18 & 25, 2017 from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm both days. Please contact Megan Gregory Community Gardening Coordinator at Phone: 336-705-8823 or Email: gregormm@forsyth.cc.

Feb. 3, 5 &7 – UNCA’s Fletcher Opera Institute NCSA’s A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute presents Florencia en el Amazonas. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, and Tuesday, Feb. 7, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, in the Stevens Center at 405 West Fourth St. in downtown Winston-Salem. Tickets are $25 regular and $20 student with valid ID, and are available online at www.uncsa.edu/performances or by calling the box office at 336-7211945.

Feb. 7 – Open Mic Night Winston-Salem Writers has changed the date of the monthly Open Mic to the first Tuesday of each month. The next Open Mic will be held on Feb. 7 from 7-9 p.m. in the conference room at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St. Open Mic is open to the public and writers are allowed five minutes to read their work before a friendly audience. For more information, visit www.wswriters.org.

Feb. 7 – Salem Band Salem Band, directed by Eileen Young, will present its Winter Concert on Tuesday, February 7, 7:30 pm in Hanes Auditorium in the Elberson Fine Arts Center on the Salem College campus, free. The program includes “Slavonic Dances”

by Dvorak, “Pageant” by Vincent Persichetti, “First Suite in F” by Holst, “From the Delta” by William Grant Still, and other classics by Mozart, Grainger, Rogers & Hammerstein, and more. Featuring Salem Band Principal Trumpeter Chip Seiler performing the slow movement of Rodrigo’s “Concierto Aranjuez” for Flugel Horn and band.

Established in 1771, Salem Band is the oldest, continuous mixed wind ensemble in the nation.

Feb. 9 – Around the World Concert The Piedmont Wind Symphony presents the Cabaret Around the World concert in RJ Reynolds Auditorium, 301 Hawthorne Road NW. The concert will be held on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature works by composers like Kurt Weill, Django Reinhart and students. Tickets are available at the door, online or by contacting the Stevens Center Box Office at 336-721-1945. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at http://piedmontwindsymphony.com/t ickets.

Feb. 10 – Winston-Salem Symphony The Winston-Salem Symphony, Robert Moody, Music Director, joined by the Jeans ‘n Classics Band featuring singer Gavin Hope, will present an evening honoring the life and music of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. The Music of Michael Jackson will take place at Reynolds Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Road in WinstonSalem. Tickets range from $20– $67 and are available in advance by calling the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145 or online at WSsymphony.org.

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CALENDAR

Jan. 22 Presidential Inauguration Prayer Vigil A multi-faith prayer vigil will be held Sunday, Jan. 22, 4 p.m. at Parkway United Church of Christ, 2151 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, in light of the presidential inauguration. This vigil joins similar vigils organized around the U.S. within the first 100 hours of the inauguration through a coalition of organizations, including Interfaith Power & Light and GreenFaith. This 40-minute gathering will include song, sacred text, silence, and prayers for the new administration. It will also include prayers for the courage and persistence of each of us as citizens to continue the work for change in the areas of climate change, racial justice, sustainable energy policy, economic justice, immigrant rights, LGBT rights, and the dignity of all faith traditions.

Jan. 22 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of WinstonSalem UUFWS will have worship service, 10:30 a.m., The Rev. David Calhoun, the Sabbatical Support Minister, will speak on “Why I Love Atheists.” At the Forum, 9:15 a.m., Ken Ostberg will review “God’s Bankers,” by Gerald Posner. At Explorations, 9:15 a.m., Dr. Gloria Fitzgerald will speak on “History Hurts: Necessity and the Longing for Redemption.”

For more details, see UUFWS.org.

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MLK Noon Hour Commemoration celebrates its 37th year

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

The newly freed Kalvin Michael Smith is overcome with emotion as Bishop Todd Fulton speaks about his wrongful conviction at the Noon Hour Commemoration.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Noon Hour Commemoration has been a staple in the WinstonSalem community for nearly four decades. The theme for this year’s event was “When evil men plot, good men must plan...”

Event coordinator Mutter D. Evans says she

Johnson put the first commemoration together in just two days. She says she wanted to put together a public cel-

Bishop Fulton ebration for Dr. King because there were none being done in the city at the See 37th year on B6

February 2 Temple Emanuel TEEM movies presents “Just Eat It” from 7 to 9 p.m. Speakers will include Robert Schwartz, MD of the Moore Food Pantry and Marcus Hill of the Forsyth Community Food Consortium. For more details, contact Gayle Tuch at 336-766-2767.

Ongoing

4th Thursday Worship at Winston-Salem Rescue Mission The Evangelism Ministry of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church located at 1905 N. Jackson Ave. will worship the 4th Thursday of the month at the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission at 7 p.m. Pilgrim Rest’s pastor is Paul W. Hart.

2nd Saturday Food, clothes available Every second Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Calvary Hill Church of Greater Deliverance Inc. invites anyone who is in need of food and clothes. The food pantry and clothes closet is at 4951 Manning St. Direct all questions to Missionary Tammy Orr at 336-744-3012.

2nd, 4th and 4th Saturdays Community clothes closet The St. James Community Clothes Closet opens at 10 a.m. the 2nd, 4th and 5th Saturday of each month. St. James is located at the corner of Patterson Avenue and 15th Street across from the U.S. Post Office. For more information, contact Myrna Williams, coordinator, at 336-923-5881 or 410-2453306. Clothing donations and accessories accepted.

Every Wednesday Medicaid and Medicare Discussion St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 810 Highland Ave., will hold a series of panel discussions every Wednesday at 6 p.m. beginning on Nov. 30. The discussions will discuss funeral arrangements, extended living arrangements along with Medicaid and Medicare.

Sundays and Wednesdays Clothes closet The Ambassador Cathedral Clothes Closet will be open on Sundays from noon to 2 p.m., and Wednesdays from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 1500 Harriet Tubman Drive. Free to the public. For more information, call 336-725-0901.

4th Tuesday Providing hope through teaching Join Calvary Hill Church of Greater Deliverance Inc., from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Bethesda Center, 930 North Patterson Ave., where we provide hope through teaching and preaching presented by Calvary Hill’s ministerial staff. For more information contact the church at 336-744-3012.

Food program First Baptist Church Children’s Center, 501 West Fifth St., is participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded Child and Adult Care Food Program. Meals will be available at no separate charge to enrolled participants. Children who are TANF recipients or who are members of SNAP or FDPIR households or are Head Start participants are automatically eligible to receive free meal benefits.

Adult participants who are members of food stamp or FDPIR households or who are SSI or Medicaid participants are automatically eligible to receive free meal benefits. For more information, call 336-7237071.

Tuesdays Men Helping Men Be Men All men young and old are invited to fellowship with Calvary Hill Church of Greater Deliverance Inc., 4951 Manning St., during Men Helping Men Be Men every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For more information, contact 336-744-3012.

GospelFest reminds audience about the need for God

Wake Forest University Gospel Choir performs at GospelFest on Jan. 15.

Photos by Bridget Elam

BY BRIDGET ELAM FOR THE CHRONICLE

Wake Forrest University (WFU) promoted its annual GospelFest celebration as part of its Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday offerings. The concert was held on Jan. 15. It featured the Wake Forest University Gospel Choir and gospelrecording artist Kierra “KiKi” Sheard.

The Wake Forest University Gospel Choir rendered two selections: “In the Sanctuary” and a lively rendition of “Do Not Pass Me By.” The WFU Gospel Choir was founded in March 1975 and

continues to focus on community service efforts. It has sung in front of Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama.

Emceed by Michaiah Hines, a secondyear divinity student at WFU, the concert displayed a common theme: This world’s need of God and our dependence on Him. Sheard began her performance with her hit song “You Are” and then belted out a melody of her most popular hits. She even sang a crowd favorite, “You Brought the Sunshine,” that was originally recorded by the Clark Sisters, a gospel group

Gospel star Kierra "KiKi" Sheard performs Jan. 15 at the GospelFest in Brendle Recital Hall at Wake Forest University.

Local church celebrates its 34th anniversary See GospelFest on B6

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

The Greater Tabernacle Worship Center located at 1410 Attucks St. in Winston-Salem is celebrating its 34th anniversary this month. On Jan. 28, senior pastor Apostle B.J. McCloud will also celebrate her birthday which is also the founding day of the church, so that day is twice as special for her.

The guest speaker for Sunday night’s service was Bishop Jeannette

Apostle B.J. McCloud

loaded month that will include guest speakers for the next two Sundays.

McCloud said she feels so blessed to have been able to stay around long enough to be able to celebrate 34 years as a congregation. Her late husband A.W. McCloud was the founder of the church. When he passed, she stepped right into the role of senior pastor and has done so for the past 17 years.

“God has been so good to us and

Praise God the Creator

Lesson Scripture: Psalm 104: 1-4, 24-30

Vaughan of Covenant of Hope Church. This was the first event in a

See Anniversary on B6

creator is to be praised rather than the creation.

He is worthy who created By the end of this light and wrapped Himself Elder lesson, we will in it, the God who created Richard Wayne heavens and stretched * Understand that them over all the earth Wood God’s wisdom is better (verse 2). He is present for us than our own. everywhere in the water, * Honor God by Sunday in the sky and in the wind working to preserve the School Lesson that blows over the earth world’s magnificent natural diversity. (verse 3). He created angels to minister His Background: The judgments (verse 4) (see time for this psalm is Heb 1:7). Verses 24-30 unknown, but the place are an account of God’s is Palestine. The psalm has a correlation to the creation providence, upon which life itself depends. The number story in Genesis. It focuses on God’s handiwork and the of creatures on earth is impossible to know. New creaintelligence of God as creator. tures insects, plants, sea life are discovered daily (verses 25-26). With all that God has created, He keeps everyLesson: Psalm 104 first four verses are an introductoSee Lesson on B6 ry self-exhortation of praise. God is a great creator and the

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37th Year from page B5

time. Her initial program brought out over 100 people and the event has grown from there. “The biggest pleasure is 37 years later people are still coming despite there being many things that are going on in lots of places,� said Evans. “But hundreds still come to this program and I'd like to think that is because we have given and continue to give substance so when people come they may not know the details but when they leave they are going to feel that they have been spiritually, educationally and morally fed.�

During the event Ms. Joycelyn V. Johnson was celebrated as the “Dare to Make a Difference� honoree. There was also a special tribute to President and Mrs. Barack H. Obama. “We try and identify the people in the community who are involved, doing positive things and who have something to say that others may not have heard,� Evans continued. “The challenge every year

is, what is the state of affairs and what do people need to hear, what do they need to be challenged with and what do they need to be reminded of.�

Bishop Todd Fulton, Pastor of Mt. Moriah Outreach Center in Kernersville, was the keynote speaker for the event. Fulton touched on the struggle of the civil rights movement and how blacks “did not allow evil men to stop them.� His theme for his message was “What’s the plan?� He says African-Americans cannot be discouraged because of the presidentelect because we have been in worse situations in the past.

Fulton laid out three points on how he feels the African-American community can move forward with a plan which centered on education, economy/politics and empowerment. He says we don't need to beg others but instead become more self-empowered as a community. Fulton also acknowledged the newly freed Kalvin Michael Smith who was in attendance. He says we need to continue the fight for Smith

The Audiencemembers at the Noon Hour Commemoration hold hands as they sing We Shall Overcome before the conclusion of the service. to exonerate him. together like this it gives us up with an agenda as far as use our money and spend“We have to learn to the opportunity to convey what we want from politi- ing power as consumers, help ourselves and it’s the message and organize.� cians, what we want local- compiling that together so important because people “Our next move as a ly, what we want statewide we can put demands on want to see Winston-Salem community is to organize and even what we want companies and businesses be better,� Fulton contin- ourselves and once we from congress and our and say if you don't support ued. “When we come organize ourselves come president. We also need to us we won’t support you.�

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

The audience sings along with Kierra "KiKi" Sheard as she performs "You Brought the Sunshine."

Photos by Bridget Elam

GospelFest

Kierra "KiKi" Sheard raises her hands in worship during her concert on Jan. 15.

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that consists of Sheard’s mother and aunts.

In addition to being a Grammy nominee for her album “I Owe You�, Sheard heads a youth empowerment organization named the BRL (Bold Right Life) and owns a plussize clothing line called Eleven 60. “We should remember to take care of the things that God has given us� Sheard said during her concert. “God has given us so much we take for granted.�

The event opened up with a selection by Anonymous, The Band who performed jazz selections to prepare the audience for worship.

This was the 12th annual GospelFest held by Wake Forest University.

Anniversary from page B5

we are so thankful for 34 years,� McCloud said. “We are looking forward to the great things that God is doing for us and we are looking forward to people coming out and enjoy the services. We just thank God for all he has done for us during these 34 years.� “I feel blessed because God didn't have to do it for me and he did, McCloud continued when speaking of being a female senior pastor. “God allowed me to come after such a great man and we founded the church together. We just thank God for Bishop A.W. And all of the wisdom he gave to us.�

Lesson

Bishop Vaughan

Gwendolyn Johnson Robinson, niece of Apostle McCloud, said she is really happy to be able to celebrate this anniversary with her aunt. “We are very proud of her and very excited about her celebrating this anniversary because this is a big milestone,� said Robinson. “We are excited

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thing in balance and under control (verses 26-27). “God creates, preserves and restores� (UMI). God controls all the elements and seasons. He has set a system for birth, growth, death and rebirth and He set it all in place at the time of creation.

(Gen 2:7, Isaiah 42:5, Job 34:14). “God is both Giver and Sustainer of the very breath and spirit within all living things (UMI Annual Commentary 2016-2017).

For Your Consideration: Define soul and think on how to bless the Lord with your soul. How is God’s providence revealed?

for her birthday which she always celebrates in grand style.�

On Sunday Jan. 22 Pastor John S. Bailey of One Word Fellowship will be the guest speaker followed by Pastor Essie C. McCullough of New Direction Movement Cathedral on Jan. 29. The birthday celebration for McCloud will take place Saturday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Dash baseball field.

Very soon, Greater Tabernacle will break ground on a new church on Old Walkertown Rd. McCloud says the 30-acre lot is a true blessing from God. For inquiries about services, please contact the church at 336-777-1113.

of Genesis chapters 1 and 2 may be helpful‌so that we appreciate all that God did when He created our world and its inhabitants. Nature is so amazing‌God has created it so that there is beauty in every season. He also created peaks and heights of beauty that cause us to marvel or would cause us to, if we take the time to really look. When we look at the snow, we see everything but the real beauty in the fact that no two snowflakes are the same. We see driving hazards, school closings, missed work and crowded grocery stores.

Perhaps the snow, however, is meant to slow us down, let us rest physically and mentally ‌ knowing God has it all under control, because He created the snow with intelligent reason. He is after all the Great Creator.

www.wschronicle.com

Life’s Application: Another reading

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Com. Cal.

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Feb. 17 through June 4 – Art Exhibition Reynolda House Museum of American Art, 2250 Reynolda Road, will present “Gallery of the Louvre,” the masterwork painting of Samuel F. B. Morse. The exhibit will be from Feb. 17 – June 4, 2017. Morse is known as the inventor of the telegraph, his namesake Morse code and as a painter. The show will reveal Morse’s abiding interest in the transmission of knowledge, first via art, then by machine. The painting was completed in 1833, and was not seen by the public until two years ago when the national tour began. The exhibit will also explore themes of America’s cultural identity with two dozen of important 19th century paintings from the permanent collection of the Museum. The artists include John Singleton Copley, William Merritt Chase, Thomas Cole and Gilbert Stuart to name a few. For more information, please visit reynoldahouse.org or call 336.758.5150.

Feb. 18 – Healthy for Good Expo The High Point Healthy For Good Expo is coming to High Point University’s Oak Hollow Mall on Saturday, February 18. February is American Heart Month and the American Heart Association will be partnering with Signature Sponsor Cornerstone Health Care to provide this FREE event to the community.

March 7 – Open Mic Night Winston-Salem Writers will hold Open Mic Night on March 7 from 7-9 p.m. in the conference room at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St. Open Mic is open to the public and writers are allowed , five minutes to read their work before a friendly audio ence. For more information, visit www.wswriters.org. n March 9 - Fundraiser s The 14th Annual Partners in Hope will hold a t fundraiser on March 9 at the Benton Convention Center, 301 W. Fifth St. This is a free event, but attendees are invited to make generous gift at the event. For reservations call 336-714-3227 or go to CCDOC.Org/Partnersinhope.

April 4 – Open Mic Night Winston-Salem Writers will hold Open Mic Night on April 4 from 7-9 p.m. in the conference room at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St. Open Mic is open to the public and writers are allowed five minutes to read their work before a friendly audience. For more information, visit www.wswriters.org.

April 29 – Piedmont Chamber Singers announce 39th Season The Piedmont Chamber Singers will hold a concert for their “Strings Attached” theme 39th Season on April 29, 2017. The concert will feature a variety of stringinstrument accompaniment. The April 29 concert will be held at Ardmore Baptist Church at 7:30 p.m. featuring Arthur Bliss’s Pastoral: Lie Strewn the White Flocks. For tickets call Piedmont Chamber Singers at (336) 7224022, or email manager@piedmontchambersingers.org.

May 2 – Open Mic Night Winston-Salem Writers will hold Open Mic Night on May 2 from 7-9 p.m. in the conference room at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St. Open Mic is open to the public and writers are allowed five minutes to read their work before a friendly audience. For more information, visit www.wswriters.org.

May 11 – Classic Country Concert The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, Annex Theatre 421 27th St NW, will host Travis Tritt and his full band on Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.

Tritt and his band will be the first of multiple artists to perform at the Fairgrounds for the 2017 Classic Country Concert Series. Tickets will go on-sale in time for the Holidays with an early bird special. Prior to Feb. 1 tickets are $20 with the exception of the VIP tickets. VIP tickets will be $100 and include parking, drink ticket, Travis’ latest album, a bucket of popcorn and seats closest to the stage in the first five rows. To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.wsfairgrounds.com. For more information, visit www.wsfairgrounds.com for a list of events and details.

May 19 – 21 – 50th Reunion Class Celebration The 1967 High School Class of A.H. Anderson will have the 50th Reunion Celebration on May 19 – 21, 2017 at Norfolk & Virginia Beach, VA. The deposit for the trip is $50 non-refundable fee. The balance is due before Jan. 28, 2017. The cost is $477 per person/single occupancy and $328 per person/double occupancy. The package includes hotel, dinner, transportation and dinner cruise.

For more information, contact Birdie Jackson at 336306-6393 or Linda Scott Cole at 336-473-7504.

Now through June 2017 – Art Exhibit As part of its 2016-17 season, the Winston Salem Delta Fine Arts is pleased to introduce INTERSECTIONS + CONVERSATIONS: The People’s Gallery at Delta Arts Center. The new space, carved from Delta Arts Center's renovated lobby area, will run concurrently with the regular exhibition schedule inside the Center’s 1400 sq. ft main Simona Atkins Allen gallery from September 2016 thru June 2017. Delta Arts Center is located at 2611 New Walkertown Road. Hours are Tuesday –Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Delta Arts Center is closed every third Saturday of the month. Delta Arts Center is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.deltaartscenter.org/ or call (336) 722-2625.

June 1 – Piedmont Wind Symphony Concert The Piedmont Wind Symphony Concert will present a present a presentation of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” with the new score being composed by Thomas Miller.

The concert also features violin soloist Bryan Hall, who will deliver Chaconne from “The Red Violin” by John Corigliano. The performance will focus on the contributions of films on the larger landscape of music, film and the birth of sci-fi. The concert will be on Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Stevens Center of the UNC School of the Arts, 405 4th St. NW. Tickets $25 for adults and $18 for students; tickets are available at the door or online. Tickets can also be purchased by contacting the Stevens Center Box Office at 336-721-1945 or http://piedmontwindsymphony.com/tickets.

June 6 – Open Mic Night Winston-Salem Writers will hold Open Mic Night on June 6 from 7-9 p.m. in the conference room at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St. Open Mic is open to the public and writers are allowed five minutes to read their work before a friendly audience. For more information, visit www.wswriters.org.

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DEADLINE: MONDAY 5:30 PM • 25 WORDS FOR $20 CALL CLASSIFIEDS AT (336) 722-8624 We accept major credit card payment on all classfied Ads. Email us your ad by Monday...see it on Thursday. Fax (336) 713-9173

M/WBE BID NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

An Invitation to Provide Invocations Before Meeting of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Sealed proposals will be received until 3:30 P.M. on February 14, 2017 in the office of Facilities Design and Construction, UNC-Greensboro, 105 Gray Drive, Greensboro, North Carolina 27412, Attn: Cynthia Barnes-Phipps for the construction of the Elliot University Center Bridge Repair project at which time bids will be opened and read in the Conference Room of the Gray Home Management House Building.

Bids will be received for a Single Prime Contract. All proposals shall be lump sum.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held for interested bidders and subcontractors on January 31, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Gray Home Management House at UNCG, 105 Gray Drive, Greensboro, North Carolina 27412.

Attendees will be provided an opportunity to visit the site following the pre-bid meeting.

Complete plans and specifications for this project can be obtained from Atlas Engineering, Inc., 551-A Pylon Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina (919) 420-7676 Attn: Chris Coutu, PE, during normal office hours beginning January 20, 2016. Electronic documents are provided at no cost.

Plan Deposit of $100.00 in cash or certified check is required for hardcopy sets.

The Chronicle January 19, 2017

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed bids will be received by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education at the Maintenance Division Office, 4897 Lansing Drive, WinstonSalem, NC. 27105, up to 2:00 pm, February 9, 2017 and immediately thereafter publicly opened and read for the furnishing of labor, material and equipment entering into the construction to Furnish and install Modular Complex Units. All proposals shall be lump sum.

A Mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at Konnoak Elementary School, 3200 Renon Road, Winston Salem, NC for all interested bidders and vendors on Jan 31, 2017 at 11:00 am. Project specific questions, bidding procedures, perfered brand alternates, performance specifications and HUB information will be addressed for this project.

Complete plans, specifications and contract documents will be open for inspection in the offices of the WS/FCS Maintenance Department, 4897 Lansing Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27105.

Questions should be directed to the WS/FCS Maintenance Department at 336661-4999. bmotsinger@wsfcs.k12.nc.us Qualified Prime Contractors may obtain a maximum of two copies of the Bidding Documents after January 18, 2017 in the offices of the, WS/FCS Maintenance Office. No partial sets of documents will be issued.

Bidders shall use complete sets of Bidding Documents in preparing bids; the Owner assumes no responsibility for errors or misinterperetations resulting from the use of incomplete sets of Bidding Documents.

All contractors are hereby notified that they must have proper license as required under the state laws governing their respective trades.

NOTE: The bidder shall identify on its bid proposal the minority business participation it will use on the project. Forms are included within the Proposal Form in the bid documents. Failure to complete these forms is grounds for rejection of the bid. (GS143-128.2c Effective 1/1/2002.)

Each proposal shall be accompanied by a cash deposit or a certified check drawn on a bank or trust company, insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, of an amount equal to not less than five percent (5%) of the proposal, or in lieu thereof a bidder may offer a bid bond of five percent (5%) of the bid executed by a surety company licensed under the laws of North Carolina to execute the contract in accordance with the bid bond. Said deposit shall be retained by the owner as liquidated damages in event of failure of the successful bidder to execute the contract within ten days after the award or to give satisfactory surety as required by law.

A performance bond and a payment bond will be required for one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price. Payment will be made based on ninetyfive percent (95%) of monthly estimates and final payment made upon completion and acceptance of work.

No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for the receipt of bids for a period of 60 days.

The owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education Dr. Beverly Emory Superintendent

The Chronicle January 19, 2017

The religious leaders or chosen leaders of any assembly that periodically and regularly meets in Forsyth County for the purpose of worshiping or discussing their religious perspectives are invited to offer an invocation before a meeting of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

Those interested should contact the Clerk to the Board in writing by e-mail or U.S. Mail and provide your name, contact information and preferred meeting date.

The Board generally meets at 2:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of every month except the month of December, in which it meets on the first and third Monday.

This opportunity is voluntary, and invocation speakers are free to offer the invocation according to the dictates of their own conscience. The Board requests only that the prayer opportunity not be exploited as an effort to convert others to the particular faith of the invocational speaker, threaten damnation, nor to disparage any faith or belief different than that of the invocational speaker.

Carla D. Holt Forsyth County Government Center 201 N. Chestnut Street Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101 holtcd@forsyth.cc

The Chronicle January 19, 2017 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as executor of the Estate of Barbara C. Yates (16 E 921), also known as Barbara Clayton Yates, deceased August 22, 2015, Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before April 7th, 2017 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 5th day of January, 2017.

Luann Winfrey Executor for Barbara C. Yates, deceased 1101 Village Oak Drive Winston-Salem, NC, 27106

The Chronicle January 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2017

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA GUILFORD COUNTY HIGH POINT DIVISION In the District Court

Ava Tate v. Tamika Ja’hana Tate and Adell Murray – 16 CVD 1212

To Tamika Tate:

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the aboveentitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: emergency child custody and permanent child custody.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than February 15, 2017 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.

This the 30th day of December, 2016.

Hilary Workman Hux Attorney for the Plaintiff N.C. Bar No. 48181 Garrett Walker Aycoth & Olson 436 Spring Garden Street Greensboro, NC 27401 (336) 379-0539

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Dorothy Lee Watts (16 E 996) deceased May 17, 2013, Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before April 14, 2017 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 12th day of January 2017.

Jeanette Hatcher, Administrator for Dorothy Lee Watts, deceased 538 Barnes Road Winston-Salem, NC 27107

The Chronicle January 12, 19, 26 and February 2, 2017 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Robert G. Clayton (17 E 11), also known as Robert George Clayton, deceased December 4, 2016, Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before April 14, 2017 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 12th day of January, 2017.

Ernest Logemann Executor for Robert G. Clayton, deceased 1514 Cloverdale Avenue Winston-Salem, NC, 27104

The Chronicle January 12, 19, 26 and February 2, 2017

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The Chronicle January 5, 12, 19, 2017 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as the Executor of the Estate of Milton R. Gray, Sr. (16 E 1658), also known as Milton R. Gray, deceased July 29, 2016, Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before April 1, 2017 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 29th day of December, 2016.

Milton R. Gray, Jr. Executor for Milton R. Gray, Sr., deceased 1117 George Black Lane Winston-Salem, NC, 27101

The Chronicle December 29 and January 5, 12, 19, 2017

The City of Winston-Salem is looking to fill the position for

Diversity Compliance Specialist 2864 Please visit: www.cityofws.org for job description and application process.

Asst. Professor in Winston-Salem, NC

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JANUARY 19, 2017

MLK JR. DAY HOLIDAY COVERAGE

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Working together for our community Novant Health is proud to sponsor the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast. Collaborations like these make a remarkable impact on the lives of those around us, providing individuals with the tools they need to get better and stay healthy.

Making healthcare remarkable

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Dr. Lamonte Williams, president of the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, prays as District Judge Denise Hartsfield and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison stand by him.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

2016 events fuel MLK Jr. Day Breakfast

Few empty seats were left Monday morning inside the Embassy Suites Pavilion as more than 1,000 people attended The Chronicle’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast.

Photo by Tevin Stinson

BY DONNA ROGERS THE CHRONICLE

More than 1,000 people gathered for the annual breakfast on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Monday, Jan. 16 at the Embassy Suites Pavilion. This year was seen as significant because of the challenges 2016 brought for African-Americans.

“There is something about this King Day celebration that will resonate with us forever when we realize what 2016 brought us,” said District Judge Denise Hartsfield, mistress of ceremony for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast Forum, sponsored by The Chronicle and the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity.

The event is also known as the Prayer Breakfast.

“We are to be gladder than ever, that we had Dr. King, that Dr. King stood for what he stood for, and fought for what he fought for,” she said.

Hartsfield quoted from the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”: God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who hast brought us thus far on the way …”

“In a time when it looks like rights are trying to be taken away, when it seems as though every time we go high they find a way to go lower, we need to stand to our feet this morning and give that God of our weary years, give that God of our silent tears, that God who has brought us thus far along the way hallelujah and glory for being God all by himself and that He promised never to leave us alone.”

Hartsfield was talking about the attack on rights in North Carolina, especially voting rights, and the election of Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who received about 3 million more votes than Trump but lost the Electoral College vote. The College decides the president of the United States under the U.S.

Constitution.

King would be 88 years old this year.

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, the front runner for the Democratic National Committee chairperson, was the keynote speaker at this year’s breakfast. (See the Jan. 19 Chronicle for the story.) He is vying to lead the Democrats as they reorganize to win elections in 2018.

The Big 4 Choir provided selections, including “Oh, Freedom.”

Chronicle advertising employee Shayna Smith recognized sponsors.

Speakers at the breakfast included Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke and the Rev. Dr. Lamonte Williams, president of the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity.

Joines said, “I believe Dr. King might be horrified in what he sees going on in our state and our nation.” What See Breakfast on 4

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Cover Photos

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(Top photo) More than 1,000 people filled the Embassy Suites Pavilion on Monday, January 16 for The Chronicle’s Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast.

Photos by Tevin Stinson

(Bottom left) City Council Members are recognized during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast hosted by The Chronicle and the Minsters’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinit.

(Bottom right) Members of the Big Four Choir perform during The Chronicle’s Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at the Embassy Suites Pavilion on Monday, January 16.

The Big 4 Choir performs during the Chronicle's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast

Breakfast from page 3

Joines mentioned for the state was fearmongering linked to House Bill 2 and the redistricting plan that the court ruled discriminatory. Joines said Dr. King would say, “We can’t settle into a false sense of complacency and accept the next four years as the new normal.”

Burke, who recognized elected officials, had the audience recite a chant: “America, America, my country. We move forward. We don’t step back.”

Williams, who gave the charge to the community, said, “All men are created equal.” He quoted Dr. King regarding the “interrelated struggle of humanity.” He outlined a charge to the community, including: “Apply equity and social justice with the lens to all that we do moving forward.”

Ernie Pitt, publisher emeritus of The Chronicle, Winston-Salem’s oldest continually published weekly, earlier welcomed the audience and thanked readers and

sponsors.

He then spoke about the times.

“I say to you this morning, that what will determine where we are in history, it will depend on which road we take. For many in the broader community, it will continue to be as it always has been: the good times. For others of us in the minority community and those who support us, it’s time for some serious decision-making.”

He talked about how “the game” for minorities is not what it’s thought to be.

Minorities are playing checkers when the game is chess, in which bold moves make one a winner. He urged the audience not to be afraid “to use whatever we have and whomever we have to our advantage.”

He announced the formation of the Ernie Pitt Scholarship Foundation, which will partly be connected to the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Winston-Salem State University.

“The climate has changed,” Pitt said.

“We have to make sure that our students know the game.”

Ernest H. Pitt Publisher Emeritus Donna Rogers Managing Editor

Tevin Stinson Todd Luck Timothy Ramsey Staff Writers, Photographers Wali D. Pitt Digital Manager

Shayna Smith Advertising Representative Paulette Moore Elisha Covington Office Staff

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Dr. Lamonte Williams (far left) stands with the award recipients at the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. service.

Photos by Timothy Ramsey

Host pastor, Rev. Donald Jenkins, delivered the welcome during the service.

Dr. Dennis Leach Sr., senior pastor of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, delivered the sermon during Monday's service.

Ministers’ Conference marks King Day with celebration amid ‘Two Americas’

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

All across the city of Winston-Salem, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was being celebrated this past Monday, Jan. 16. The Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity (MCWSV) held a daytime march and a nighttime King Day celebration at St. Paul United Methodist Church.

The theme for this year’s service was “Two Americas divided and struggling for genuine equality.” Special awards were given to members of the community for

their work along with members of the MCWSV for their tireless dedication to the conference.

During the service Mayor Allen Joines delivered a special greeting commenting on the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He also touched on the strides he and the members of the conference are making in social justice issues facing the city of Winston-Salem.

The service was a multi-religion event where Rabbi Mark Cohn of Temple Emmanuel read a Hebrew Scripture.

Imam Khalid Griggs of Community

Mosque of Winston-Salem read a Scripture from the Quran followed by a New Testament reading from Elder Debra Jeter of Mt. Moriah Outreach Center.

The Humanitarian/Social Justice Award was presented to the Silk Plant Forest Truth Committee for its work in freeing Kalvin Michael Smith. Dr. Stephen Boyd, professor at Wake Forest, says the committee learned a lot from those who assisted in the freeing of Darryl Hunt and applied that to their efforts to free Smith. Both black men said they were wrongly convicted of crimes.

“We learned from the Darryl Hunt movement and they mentored us and we are very grateful for them and this award,” Boyd said.

The community Empowerment Award went to D. Ritchie Brooks for his work with the community garden of Cleveland Avenue. Brooks says he was “truly grateful and honored” to be presented with his award. He says he did not do it for recognition but instead because it was the right thing to do.

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King Day

from page 5

The MCWSV Honorary Lifetime Member Award was presented to Rev. Dr. Carlton A.G. Eversley and Rev. Dr. John Mendez. Dr. Mendez was away with a prior engagement but Dr. Eversley said over the years he has seen such growth in the community and was proud to be a part of it.

“This award was so important because the concern for racial, social and criminal justice has gone beyond racial boundaries and that speaks volumes,” Eversley continued.

The final award was the MCWSV Past President Award presented to Bishop Todd.

L. Fulton. Fulton was the president of the MCWSV for the last two years and is credited with “breathing life back into the conference,” according to colleagues.

The Rev. Dr. Dennis Leach Sr. of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church delivered the sermon Monday evening. During his sermon he told the tale of the interaction of Jesus Christ and a Samaritan woman at the well. He paralled that story with Dr. Kings message of togetherness.

“This award was so important because the concern for racial, social and criminal justice has gone beyond racial boundaries and that speaks volumes.”

The congregation shows a sign of solidarity by holding hands during the service at St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

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TOWARD A MORE PERFECT UNION Since 1978, the Winston-Salem Human Relations Commission has promoted the principles championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We are proud to sponsor the City of Winston-Salem Employees Helping Hands Day of Community Service, Cultural Inclusion Month, the Student Human Relations Awards, The Chronicle's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Prayer Breakfast and other events that further Dr. King’s vision of a society in which all people are treated with dignity and respect.

Dr. King had a dream. So do we.

Won’t you join us?

Learn more at www.CityofWS.org.

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The panelists for the Kneel-In are (from left to right) Brandon Wrencher, Tasha Gibson, Jamie Jessup, Daniel Camacho, Russ May and Melissa Littlepage.

Dr. King’s legacy honored at Kneel-in

Following the panel discussion many people stayed to collectively pray in a candlelight vigil.

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

The life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. transcends race, gender and religion. He is one of the most celebrated figures in modern day history and his impact will be felt for generations to come. To celebrate his birthday and legacy, the Drum Majors Alliance held its third annual Kneel-In at St. Phillips African Moravian Church last Sunday, Jan. 15.

The Drum Major Alliance, founded by Terrance and Allonda Hawkins, is a budding alliance of Triad area Christians seeking to do justice, love mercy and walk in humble submission to and reflection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Their mission is to equip, organize and mobilize disciples of Jesus to be drum majors for justice in the world and reconciliation in the Church.

St. Phillips senior pastor, Russ May, says they enjoy hosting the event because the story of St. Phillips mirrors that of the city of Winston-Salem.

“Right here in this area, the northern part of WinstonSalem, we are looking at the challenges Dr. King talked

Photos by Timothy Ramsey

about as far as poverty and in terms of how we welcome our neighbors,” said May. “This is an important ground for living out Dr. King's message and vision in addition to his dream. The story of St. Phillips is an important part of the black community here in Winston-Salem, so we were glad to host them at their request.”

The service opened with a prayer and the Franciscan blessing. Scripture and inspirational singing followed.

Daniel Jose Camacho then took the podium to speak about “Recovering King's political vision.” He touched on King's radical political and economic views and how we as a people should seek to reclaim them.

Allonda Hawkins spoke to the audience about the life of civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. She touched on the fact that Hamer was not as celebrated as King but made a significant impact on the movement.

The panel discussion was the highlight of the evening.

The six panelists, including May, covered a myriad of topics from the civil rights era and how they translate to today's time. They brought up discussions involving King, Donald Trump’s impact on America, economics and race relations, to name a few.

The crowd at the Kneel-In at St. Phillips African Moravian Church were blessed with an account of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Terrance Hawkins, who served as moderator, said the alliance came about following the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. He says he and many other Christians felt institutional churches were not the safest places to have meaningful dialogue so they held them privately. After some time they had the idea to hold the meetings publicly, which birthed into the initial Kneel-In. “A lot of people think that Christians are supposed to be timid and stay within the church walls, and we don't believe that,” Allonda Hawkins said. “We believe we are supposed to be prophetic, we are supposed to be bold, we are supposed to be the people on the front lines of these types of events and people are hurting due to the turmoil that has been happening in our country.”

“People are getting a clearer vision of King's legacy and connecting dots in their personal life on how they can be a part of the change our nation and our world so desperately needs,” added Terrance Hawkins when speaking about what he hopes people take away from the event.

“If anyone came in here and was pushed a little bit further to be a part of what God is doing to change the world, then I think mission accomplished.”

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The audience listens to the Burke Singers concert at the Home Moravian Church.

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

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WSSU's Burke Singers, vocalist provide songs of peace and justice

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY AND DONNA ROGERS THE CHRONICLE

As part of their Music@Home Concert series, the Home Moravian Church welcomed the Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) Burke Singers along with vocalist Jason McKinney last Sunday, Jan. 15 in Old Salem. The performance was promoted as related to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. It was on his actual birthday. King would have been 88 years old if he were alive today.

The WSSU Burke Singers are a female a cappella vocal ensemble founded on the campus of WSSU by Maestra D'Walla Simmons-Burke, director of Choirs and Vocal Studies.

The songs performed by the Burke

The Burke Singers and their founder, Maestra D'Walla Simmons-Burke, show the audience how to keep the beat while singing “Free, Free, Free/Which Way Did Mary Run?” a cappella during their concert at the Home Moravian Church.

Singers display a variety of AfricanAmerican sacred music, African and American civil rights support songs and world political awareness songs. The Burke Singers proclaim themselves to be more than just a vocal ensemble. Their songs, sounds and lyrics give the listener a different way to hear the songs of old, a new way.

Simmons-Burke gave introductions to the songs en masse, then the Burke Singers performed the songs a capella, with the voices of the women blending together.

Some of the songs include “The Ballard of the Sit-Ins”; “The Women Gather,” in reference to the mothers of black men slain by police officers or pseudo-officers; and “I’m Gon’ Stand.” The audience was able to participate in at least

one song that had various beats made by hands slapping parts of the body. The audience helped the women keep the beat to the song “Free, Free, Free/Which Way Did Mary Run?” McKinney, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, took the stage first, singing beautiful selections that included the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” He currently works with many local opera companies and orchestras in musical styles that vary from the Baroque to the Modern era.

This season he will be singing with Opera Carolina and touring “Porgy and Bess” in Israel and Italy. He will also perform his one-man show about Paul Robeson for the Vance County school system in honor of Black History Month.

Photo by Donna Rogers

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

Bass vocalist Jason McKinney preceded the Burke Singers on stage in their concert at Home Moravian Church on Sunday, Jan. 15.

The Burke Singers took the stage and entertained the crowd with their vocal talents. Then McKinney returned to perform operatic selections and to lead the audience in singing traditional hymns, mostly associated with the Civil Rights Movement, such as “Oh, Freedom!” The words were printed on the program so that the audience could sing along.

Simmons-Burke said after the event that at least one of the songs by the Burke Singers was part of her history. The song is “No Mirrors in My Nana’s House.”

“I grew up during The [Civil Rights] Movement and many times I went home crying” because students would tease her about the dark color of her skin. She said her parents did a lot to make sure she knew “just how beautiful we all are.”

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Sorority sisters witht he Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. serve soup and bread at Union Baptist Church after the Martin Luther King Jr. Noon Hour Commemoration on Monday.

Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters stir the soup they prepare to serve.

Photos by Todd Luck

Noon Hour attendees enjoy a meal served by the Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

AKAs serve hundreds after Noon Hour service

BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE

The Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. fed hundreds at Union Baptist Church after the Martin Luther King Jr. Noon Hour Commemoration.

The King holiday is an annual day of action when AKA chapters nationwide hold a large service project. This year, the Phi Omega Chapter partnered with the Noon Hour Commemoration to serve attendees a meal with a variety of soups, bread, crackers, pizza, punch and cake.

The massive Noon Hour service gave the

sorority a large audience to feed.

“Every year, it gets better and better with us,” said chapter President Kenyetta Richmond.

More than 150 sorority sisters volunteered for the event. Some cooked and prepared the food. Others directed people into the large serving room and then into the dining room across the hall. Dozens manned the serving lines that had a variety of soups that included chicken noodle, vegetable, tomato and potato. Some even acted as waitresses shuttling soup between the serving and dining rooms for those who wanted seconds.

Mike Kelly was among those served at Union Baptist Church on Monday.

In previous years, the Phi Omega Chapter has included a clothing giveaway in their King Day project, but the chapter will be doing that in a separate event in August that will include free book bags.

The chapter did maintain its long tradition of helping cleanup the historic Odd Fellows Cemetery earlier Monday morning.

The sorority also worked with local organizations like Bethesda Center for the Homeless, Samaritan Ministries, Sunnyside Ministries and Project Hope to make sure people who are homeless could come to the noon service and enjoy the

food afterward. Some of the organizations shuttled them there, while the sisters also picked some up using Union Baptist vehicles. They were the first to be served.

“Those folk are our special guests,” said event chair Carolyn Parker.

Among the special guests was Mike Kelly, who has been sleeping at the overflow shelter in First Presbyterian Church.

Kelly, who is on disability, has been staying with relatives until he became homeless in June. He heard about the food giveaway as the noon service was wrapping up and walked down to the church to be one of the first ones served.

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Proud dS Sponsor off The h Chr Ch onicle’ i l ’s

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast

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City employees honor King through service Carly Dunno (front) volunteers at the Diaper Bank with other city employees for the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Helping Hands Day.

BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE

Bundling diapers for distribution, preparing healthy meals for children and restoring a historic African-American cemetery were just some of the volunteer projects done by city workers during the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Helping Hands Day. Held on the Friday before the King holiday, it let city employees volunteer for two hours at one of 13 local organizations. About 200 employees participated. The event was conceived by Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke as an active way for the city to give back for the King holiday, which is a national day of service.

City employees helped clear out weeds at Happy Hill Cemetery, a historic AfricanAmerican cemetery that had fallen into disrepair. Darren Redfield, who works in the city’s purchasing department, said he volunteered to help because he’d never seen the cemetery, which is at the corner of Willow and Pitts streets.

“It provides a good opportunity to see a little corner of history,” he said.

The cleanup efforts, began by Maurice Pitts Johnson, who has family buried there, have made progress over the years. Rising Ebenezer Baptist Church which already mows the cleared part of the cemetery, will be taking over the unclaimed property thanks

Photo by Todd Luck

to help from the Wake Forest Community and Business Law Clinic. Pitts Johnson said that the regular volunteer cleanups, held at 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, still continue and are constantly in need of volunteers. She said she was grateful for the help from the city.

“They’re really working. It means so much,” she said.

At the same time, city employees were preparing and repacking food at H.O.P.E. (Help Our People Eat) of Winston-Salem. They were preparing things like barbecue chicken and fruit that would feed children on Sunday. H.O.P.E. hands out healthy bag lunches to children in the city’s food deserts every Sunday from its colorful, musical trucks.

H.O.P.E. uses donated food and volunteers to accomplish this.

“We rely on volunteers to collect, make and hand out the lunches,” said Mary Law, H.O.P.E.’s operations manager. “We also hand out around one to two thousand pounds of produce every week and frequently, because it’s food deserts, for some people it’s their only source of fresh produce.”

Another group of city volunteers spent the morning wrapping bundles of diapers that’ll be distributed to local families at the Diaper Bank of the Greater Triad. The local

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City Human Relations Director Wanda Allen-Abraha (back) hauls a pile of seeds with fellow city employees Todd Love (left) and David Avalos.

City employees Angie Richardson and Francesca Adams wash apples at H.O.P.E. of Winston-Salem.

Photos by Todd Luck

Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke speaks as City Council Member D.D. Adams looks on at an event last week where the city announced its volunteer projects for the Martin Luther King Jr. Helping Hands Day.

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chapter of the Diaper Bank of North Carolina distributes 55,000 diapers a month to low income families in seven counties. In Winston-Salem, diapers are distributed through family support organizations like the Shalom Project, Today’s Woman clinic and the county health department’s Nurse-Family Partnership.

Local Diaper Bank Director Elizabeth Thomas said though diapers are a constant and expensive necessity, there are no government programs to help low income families pay for them.

“You’re helping with a basic human 7

need,” she told volunteers.

Diaper Bank is also dependent on volunteers to get its work done. City sanitation employee Carly Dunno said she decided to volunteer there because, with two young children at home, she knows how needed diapers are.

“I’m glad to be helping out in the community in any small way,” she said.

Other organizations city employees volunteered at where Crisis Control Ministry, Dress for Success, Forsyth Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, Sawtooth Center for Visual Art, Second Harvest Food Bank, Senior Services, Sunnyside Ministry, The Shepherd’s City Human Relations Director Wanda Allen-Abraha talks with Maurice PittsCenter, and The Arts Council.

Johnson at Happy Hill Cemetery.

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Winston-Salem State University students and Burke Singers join the audience in singing songs with Bass vocalist Jason McKinney. The students in the second row are (left to right) Mason Chavis, Malik Wilson and RaShad Woodard. They came to support the Burke Singers.

Two of those singers are (left to right in the front row) Jessica Johnson and Ajahnah Lambert.

Photo by Donna Rogers

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We are the people of Duke Energy. And we are working hard to keep the lights on – for your family and for ours.

We’re proud to be a part of this community.

www.duke-energy.com

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D.L. Hughley talks Donald Trump and Martin Luther King

Comedian D.L. Hughley speaks at Winston-Salem State University for its joint Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day event with Wake Forest University on Monday, Jan. 16.

BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE

Comedian D.L. Hughley told attendants to keep Martin Luther King in mind when Donald Trump becomes president as he spoke at Winston-Salem State University on Monday, Jan. 16.

Hughley addressed the 17th annual King holiday event jointly held by WSSU and Wake Forest University at the K.R. Williams Auditorium. He wasn’t shy about addressing the election of Trump, whose inauguration is on Friday.

“I think Martin Luther King showed us what we could be, everything that we

aspire to be,” said Hughley. “And I think we’re in the situation we’re in right now because we forgot, I think we forgot.”

Hughley made recent headlines when he posted a profanity-laced Instagram video on Saturday where he criticized President-elect Trump for photo ops he’s had with black celebrities. He said that he hasn’t forgotten how, in 2011, Trump questioned if President Barack Obama was born in America, claims which Hughley said was racist denigration of the first black president. It was only in September 2016, during his presidential campaign, that Trump finally admitted Obama was born in the United States.

Hughley told attendees he didn’t object to people meeting with Trump, saying that King met with people who were more racist. But if celebrities are going to meet with him, they should know why they're there and have something to say. He also questioned why Trump would meet with rappers and athletes as opposed to black scholars, mayors and congressmen who are more representative of the black community.

Though touching on a lot of serious issues, Hughley was still full of his trademark humor. He made fun of students who were getting online degrees, saying they should send him an email so he can go to

Photo by Todd Luck

their graduation. But he also wasn’t above making fun of himself for never achieving education higher than a GED. He said the country was divided between “Jetsons,” who want to go to the future, and “Flintstones,” who want to go back to the past. If black people could go back in time, he joked they wouldn’t use much gas, since they’d just go back to 2008, the year Obama was elected.

Hughley said that his father was unfazed by Trump’s election and told him that if black people survived Jim Crow, they can survive anything. The key,

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Communities are like families

When everyone comes together, wonderful things can happen. This event is the result of a lot of hard work by many talented people. The spirit of community is alive and well, right here and now.

The Chronicle Annual MLK Breakfast, you represent the heart and soul of true community.

wellsfargo.com Š 2017 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (3656605_19681)

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Hughley

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he told Hughley, was to rely on each other. “I think the example of Martin Luther King has never been more necessary, the embodiment of what he stood for has never been more important,” said Hughley.

“And I think it is time for us to remember who we are and where we came from. If we do that, I promise you, Friday will just be another day.”

Hughley’s speech attracted students and others from all over. DeAndre Pendergrass, an N.C. A&T student, said it was a good address because “laughing has always been a way we’ve coped with things.”

Quantasia Herndon, another A&T student, also said she found the speech to be inspiring.

“It spoke on leadership and the community and how to do a lot of character building, so that way we can make an impact,” she said.

Hughley is well known for his sitcom, “The Hughleys,” and his big screen role in “The Original Kings of Comedy.” He also hosted “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News” on CNN and wrote the books, “I Want You to Shut the F*ck Up: How the Audacity of Dopes Is Ruining America” and “Black Man, White House: An Oral History of the Obama Years.” He currently hosts his own radio show.

The Burke Singers perform during the King Day celebration held at Winston-Salem State University. Burke Singers perform during the King Day celebration held at Winston-Salem State University.

Photo by Todd Luck

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T ’s How W That’ Wee Honor Thhe Legacy Of Drr. King.

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Aftte er being laid offff frrom om her job, Donna Farrar had to start overr.. She went nt to Forsyth Te ec ch, worked hard, and earned AAS deg grrees ees in both Paralegal and Criminal minal Justice Te e echnolo ogyy. She is now enrrolled olled online at Garrdner dnerr-W Webb University ge getting etting her B degrre BS ee in Criminal Justice, working full time in the Forsyth T Tech ech department department o stude of ent activities, and plans to have a carreer eer helping others. Forsyth th T Tech ech gave Donna the opportunity to make her drream eam of a better life come true. Her success, and the success of the many ny other Af i n-American African A i women and d men who h pass thro oug gh our doors, is a living testament to the

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life an nd work of Dr. King.

Education For For Liffee 336.723.0371 1 www w.forsythtech.edu h.edu

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WSSU U: A bold passt.

A brilliant b illi i f futur e.

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Forr more than 125 years, Winston--Salem State Uniiversity has transfformed the liives of our sttudents, graduates, and the comm munity y.

Our outstanding O di faculty f l y, vibr ib ant campus c liffe, and d hig hi hh qu uality li liberal education inspired the Wall all Street Journal to namee Winston-Salem State Uniiversity the #1 HBCU in North Caarolina.

We’re proud to be part of the Win nston-Salem community y.

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N.C. Black Rep celebrates Dr. King’s actual birthday

Positive Image Performing Arts was one of the several who showcased their talents during the NC Black Repertory Company’s 32nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration.

Photos by Tevin Stinson

By Tevin STinSon The ChroniCle

While most of the residents, local organizations and people across the country celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16, more than 150 people gathered a day earlier on what would have been Dr. Martin luther King Jr.'s 88th birthday at the Arts Council Theatre for the n.C. Black repertory Company's (nCBrC) annual celebration.

Since 1980 nCBrC, the first black-owned theatre company in the state, has opened the stage for performers on King’s birthday. Brian Mclaughlin, media director for the national Black TheatreFestival and emcee for this year’s celebration, said when larry leon hamlin, his

predecessor and founder of nCBrC, started the event 32 years ago, he had pride in the celebration. "he wanted to be one of the only organizations who recognized Dr. King on his actual birthday, so it feels good to help carry on that tradition." said Mclaughlin. "it's important that we celebrate King's contributions, not only to this country but to the world."

During this year’s celebration, performers took to the stage to showcase their talents for family and friends.

After bringing the crowd to their feet with his rendition of “Strange Fruit,” Chao everett said after researching the song, he decided it would be the perfect song to perform during Dr. King's celebration. everett said King's fight for equality still inspires him today to strive for greatness.

he said, "your color does not put you in a box of this you can and cannot do. everyone is created equal and with hard work you can do what we you put your mind to."

Performers from the Positive image Performing Arts, Greater vision youth Dance Company, Focus, a local gospel group, and several other groups performed during the celebration as well. There were individual performances as well: ruth Kelley set the stage on fire with her violin, while izaah Gray brought the crowd to its feet with his dance moves.

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Members of M.O.V.E. (Men of Valor Evolving) perform during the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration hosted by the N.C. Black Repertory Company.

Black Rep

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ances with the Roger Humphries Big Band, city native Chris Murrell said while we still have some work to do to reach the level of "change" Dr. King’s prayed about, there has been a lot of change since the Civil Rights Movement.

"Dr. Kings legacy lives on," he said. “We still have a lot of work to do but we have come a long way. I may not live to see the end of the journey but his legacy will live

on.”

At the end of the celebration, NCBRC performer Brian Cager read an excerpt from the famed "I Have A Dream Speech." If you closed your eyes as Cager recited King's words, it felt as though you were in the nation’s capital on that warm August day in 1963.

While leaving the event, a new comer to the city from Louisville, Kentucky, said she thought it was a wonderful idea to celebrate King's legacy through the arts.

She said, "I think this was just amazing. I've never seen anything like this before."

Brian Cager recites an excerpt from Dr. Matin Luther King Jr.’s “I have I Dream Speech” during the 32nd annual N.C. Black Repertory Company’s celebration of his birthday.

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100 children participate in MLK Jr. Read-In Program

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Students from Salem College, Wake Forest University, and Winston-Salem State University spent Saturday morning reading and sharing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with local school children.

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

While many of the buildings and classrooms on the campus of Wake Forest University (WFU) were vacant last weekend, early Saturday morning more than 150 college students switched rolls and became the professor inside the Benson University Hall during the eighth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Read-In Program.

With help from HandsOn Northwest North Carolina, a nonprofit that finds volunteers for organizations, the students from Wake, Salem College, and WinstonSalem State University were paired with a child and became their buddy for a day.

Along with reading books to children from local elementary schools, the volunteers also guided their new-found friends through various stations that included activities like face painting, opportunities to play musical instruments, a food station and countless others. There was also a station where children played “Jeopardy” for candy and other prizes.

WFU senior communications major Sydni Williams, who volunteered for the

Photos by Tevin Stinson

first time, said she was amazed at all the event had to offer. She said she came in expecting the average read-in but got a lot more.

“It has been amazing spending time with the children and introducing them to things like healthy eating, and financial wellness.” Williams said.

WSSU junior Josh McMurrin said he decided to volunteer for the event because he loves children and loves to spread knowledge.

“Although we were only together for a few hours, it feels good to know that I’m helping the next generation learn about King’s legacy,” said McMurrin. “Here today we have people of all races together learning. This is exactly what Dr. King dreamed about.”

Even though they had to split from their reading buddy just after noon, the children didn’t leave the campus empty handed. According to Amy Lyte, executive director of HandsOn, each child took home two books, one of their own choosing and another on the Civil Rights Movement.

Along with the opportunity to read new books, children who participated in the 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Read-In Program played instruments and played games for prizes on the campus of Wake Forest University last weekend.

A member of the Delta Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. reads to his reading buddy during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Read-In on the campus of Wake Forest University.

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HONORING AN AMERIC AN HERO

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.

— REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ”THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION” 1949

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