March 31, 2022

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

Volume 48, Number 30

THURSDAY, March 31, 2022

Miss America 2019 hosting a prom gown giveaway this Saturday

BY TEVIN STINSON SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Are you wondering what Winston-Salem native Miss America 2019 has been up to lately? So have we.

Looking back to Sept. 9, 2019, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Nia Imani Franklin won the coveted title of Miss America.

Her mother, Kristy Franklin, is a teacher at Ward Elementary School. It was such an exciting time and still is to this day. Her mother often finds it hard to believe that her daughter holds this title.

Kristy Franklin said, “The other day - out of the blue - I asked my husband, ‘Can you believe our daughter is Miss America 2019?’”

Ironically, in early 2020, Nia landed a role in the Piedmont Opera’s production of “A King and I” as Tuptim. So, she was home preparing for the play. At about the same time, the coronavirus had infiltrated our country.

Almost simultaneously, as Nia was learning her lines, working with a coach on speaking with an Asian dialect, and rehearsing the music, the shut downs began.

She was hoping and praying it would not happen, but in March 2020, the pandemic closed most major auditoriums and opera halls. Her debut was canceled.

Instead of Nia returning to Win-

ston-Salem for her premiere, she returned home to hunker down with her parents.

“I was thrilled to be working with the Piedmont Opera. I was thankful they had given me my first paid acting role,” Nia said.

“I had been onstage as a singer many times, but performing an acting role was a new experience for me. Unfortunately, the

week before the production, the city closed just about everything, schools, malls, and yes, the Piedmont Opera’s presentation of ‘The King and I.’” Nia was living and working in New York prior to her return home. She is a music composer, host, actress, and singer. Her ultimate goal is to write orchestra music for film. In the mean-

time, she is preparing for her first professional solo recital in San Francisco in May. Nia was the Composer in Residence last summer in Napa Valley in which the highlights were performing for the Tony Bennett Tribute Show, meeting Jennifer Hudson, and having her own orchestra music premiered. Nia is returning to Napa in July to premiere a new choral piece with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City.

Last year, she released her first EP featuring Chrysalis Extended, which has been played by three orchestras and will be performed April 13 at Indiana University’s Chamber Orchestra concert. Most recently it was played by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra in Canada.

Nia is flying in and out making a living as an artist, singer, and performer. Nia wrote and debuted her original song for Miss America’s 100th anniversary in December entitled “Hello, Miss America.” She made a cameo appearance in “Colin in Black and White,” along with her friend, the late Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019. Cheslie’s death was devastating to Nia and her family.

“I am brokenhearted by the passing of Cheslie. We were in the middle of writing our book about our historic 2019 wins,” Nia said. Cheslie and Kalieghi Garris, Miss Teen USA 2019,

and I made history by being the first African-American title holders in the major pageant systems in the same year - 2019. We are still mourning Cheslie. I miss her deeply.”

But the crown evidently follows Nia. She considers it an honor to receive another crown on North Carolina soil. On March 8, 2022, Nia was announced the 75th Queen Azalea. The coronation of the 2022 North Carolina Azalea Festival Queen Azalea coronation is April 6 at Live Oak Bank Pavilion in Wilmington.

“I am overjoyed to be chosen as Queen Azalea! I am in good company, too! Actress and Cosby Show icon Phylicia Rashad and the first African American Miss America and singer/actress Vanessa Williams were also Queen Azaleas. Wilmington is a beautiful coastal city. I visited as Miss America and loved every minute of it. I look forward to returning!”

There are many events associated with the Festival including the 75th North Carolina Azalea Festival Parade, which will take place Saturday, April 9, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Now that Nia is back in North Carolina, she is resuming some of her favorite activities, which include eating Southern food and attending church with her family.

See Prom on A8

Black-owned bakery, smoothie bar opens downtown After having success as business owners of their own, Will Furches and Terrell Harris have joined forces to open Pour, a bakery and juice bar located in downtown WinstonSalem.

Furches and Harris first started working together a few years ago. Furches provided cakes and other items for the Downtown

Bodega, which was owned

by Harris, so when they decided to open a business together they had already built a good working relationship. The fact that they grew in the same neighborhood made things a little easier as well.

“He had the Bodega and I was just moving back to Winston from Charlotte after opening a restaurant and he needed cakes, so I started supplying the cakes,” Furches added. “But we actually grew up together … we didn’t know it because there’s an age difference, but we grew up on the same street.”

Pour, which doubles as an acronym for ‘Pouring Our Unique Recipes,’ offers a variety of cakes, cupcakes, brownies, and other treats, along with a list of smoothies, juices, lattes, and other items.

Furches and Harris also plan to use their new business venture to “pour”

back into the community.

Throughout the spring and summer months, Furches and Harris plan to host several different events designed to bring people together.

“We’re trying to provide a lounge … a relaxed atmosphere,” Furches said. “We’re going to have jazz bands, different local artists coming out to perform, face painting for the kids. Sundays we’re going to put a grill out here.

We just want to be a place where people can come and enjoy themselves.”

Pour, which is located at 102 W. Third St., is also helping pump new life into Liberty Plaza. Except for the light foot traffic that may travel through the breezeway from time to time, for years the building located across the street from the Forsyth County Courthouse has gone almost unnoticed. But, with businesses like Pour and others moving into the

The owners of Pour, Will Furches and Terrell Harris. building recently, the Kaleideum museum expected to be completed next year, and with the city spending $4.2 million in renovations for Merschel Park, soon the area will be a destination space that will attract families from across the state.

“This space hasn’t re-

ally been noticed, but now they have to come this way and with the construction of the museum, they’re expecting 125,000 people to come annually, so we’re in a good spot,” Furches said.

Harris said he remembers when there was no reason to go downtown, so it’s been exciting to see

SCAN

www.wschronicle.com

Photo by Tevin Stinson

how things have changed and to be a part of the change. “There’s a barbershop that just opened, there’s another spot that’s about to open. They have plans for a park, so everything just came together See Bakery on A8 6 89076 32439 7

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

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Academy Awards audience reacts in stunned silence to unexpected face slap

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Throughout its history there have been countless moments at the Academy Awards that made waves, but during the 94th edition of the ceremony which aired live on Sunday, March 25, Will Smith may have topped them all when he walked on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock.

While presenting the award for best documentary, Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. Referring to Pinkett-Smith’s haircut, Rock said, “Jada, I love ya.

G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.” When the camera panned to Will and Jada, Will seemed to be laughing but Jada was visibly upset.

Moments later, Smith calmly walked on the stage and smacked Rock on live television. Still in shock Rock said, “Will Smith just smacked the [expletive] out of me.” Although

File Photo

During the 94th edition of the Academy Awards actor Will Smith walked on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock. his comments were edited out on the live feed, after he returned to his seat, Smith yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your [expletive] mouth,” multiple times.

It has been widely publicized that PinkettSmith’s low-cut hairstyle

is due to the autoimmune disorder alopecia, which impacts hair follicles and results in hair loss. Jada first revealed that she had alopecia in 2018 on Red Table Talk, a series where she is joined by her daughter Willow and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris,

and they discuss a wide variety of topics.

Shortly after the incident, Smith took to the stage again to accept his award for Best Actor, for his role in “King Richard,” where he played Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and

Serena. After accepting his award, Smith apologized to The Academy and others who were nominated for the award. “I want to apologize to The Academy, I want to apologize to all of my fellow nominees … I hope The Academy invites me back,” said Smith as tears rolled down his cheeks. He then referred to Williams and how he defended Venus and Serena when they were growing up.

“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. In this time of my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world. Making this film, I got to protect Aunjaune Ellis, who is one of the strongest, most delicate people I’ve ever met. I got to protect Saniya and Demi, the two actresses that played Venus and Serena. I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect peo-

ple, and to be a river to my people,” Smith continued.

“I know to do what we do, you’ve got to be able to take abuse. You’ve got to be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you’ve got to be able to have people disrespecting you, and you’ve got to smile and pretend like that’s OK. … Denzel said to me a few moments ago, he said to me, ‘At your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.’ But I want to be a vessel for love.”

It has been reported that following the incident, Rock did try to apologize to the Smiths and according to the LAPD, Rock has not filed any charges against Smith.

Since the incident, people across the country have taken to social media to share their thoughts on what happened.

Artist believes his ‘Critical Race Theory’ graphic should be in every classroom in America Nationwide (BlackNews.com) - Artist Lawrence D. Jones, with his depiction of “Rise to History,” a black and white, computer-generated graphic uniquely depicting a compilation of African

ter and become more motivated to learn.

Schools are already facing questions about CRT and there are significant disagreements about its precise definition, as well as how its views

tion that can be embedded in our children’s minds.

Discouraging or trying to make irrelevant the truth of Black history only adds insult to injury. History not shared, is history lost. The artist is offering this print as a diplomatic solution to only begin classroom dialogue. A sponsor is more significant now than ever before.

Submitted photo

Lawrence D. Jones American role models that may be used to defy systemic racism in our educational system. Teaching the history of the Black experience in this country is being discouraged, prohibited, and said to be irrelevant.

The artist is seeking a major corporate or private sponsor to offer school districts across the country free copies of this print to students and to display in classrooms to begin the discussion. This print may be the most diplomatic way to begin dialogue in our schools. It will also be great for Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Juneteenth holidays.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) can also be looked at as Culturally Responsive Teaching, a teaching method that involves understanding and focusing on a student’s cultural background. Critical Race Theory has many benefits, including the fact that students can understand bet-

confidence he needed to become an all-around athlete and earned him a basketball scholarship to San Diego State University - California. There he enjoyed a successful collegiate career while studying

should inform K-12 policy and practice. Critical Race Theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but something embedded in the educational system and policies.

Growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s in a segregated part of Oakland, California, Lawrence was never introduced to historical Black role models in school. Heroes only came in white, there were no visual images of early Black contributors to this country, no inspirational figures to aspire to, or even a Black face to hang on his wall. A magazine photo of San Francisco Warriors basketball great Nate Thurman was the first heroic figure Lawrence placed on his wall, and this was the visual encouragement he needed.

Nate Thurman’s image gave Lawrence the

for a bachelor of arts degree. After college, he took the opportunity to play professional basketball in France, Spain, Germany, and the Philippines. He also had a brief stint as a professional football player with the Los Angeles Rams professional football team. Lawrence contributes Nate Thurman’s basketball image taped to his wall as his motivational factor.

His years of international travel exposed him to unique education and enhanced his appreciation for different cultures, arts, and sports. After his athletic career, he pursued his passion for art and returned home to Oakland with the intent to start a career reaching youth through art. Lawrence figured since a single image of a Black hero could inspire him, just how much more will a single image of a compilation of Black role models achieve?

Imagining is a powerful medium for inspira-

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T he C hronicle

March 31, 2022

Candid Yams Kickback keeps community conversations going Think of Rashad Little, who marched in the band while at Winston-Salem

ferent tools you need to utilize.”

The name of Little’s business comes from the importance of straight

State University, like a drum major, one starting community conversations on topical issues at events he hosts through his business, Candid Yams Kickback (CYK). “People seem really excited about it,” he said recently. “It’s pretty cool.”

Little, who graduated from WSSU in 2010 and works in education, started CYK in 2016 with the help of the school’s Center for the Study of Economic Mobility (CSEM). Little was one of the first to use CSEM’s Community Acceleration Research Track, started and administered

by CSEM Associate Director Alvin Atkinson.

Minority-run businesses and nonprofits are crucial engines for reversing generations of poverty in their communities. In the competitive fields in which they operate, they need experienced hands to reach their full potential.

CSEM provides that assistance through the Acceleration Track, which helps start-up businesses in the communities surrounding the Winston-Salem State campus. The track also helps WSSU students, aligning with an emphasis of WSSU Chancellor Robinson.

The accelerator program helped Little map a strategy for growing his business, both online and offline. “CSEM’s support has been instrumental,” Little said. “The most important thing when you’re developing business and community is to keep in mind that people have dif-

talk and his mother’s festive food, the latter point being a salute to coming together. CYK also features “soul food,” Little said. CYK holds events at local businesses that promote those businesses, and drives traffic to Little’s social media sites. Little blends music and film at the events.

In the last year, with the help of his friend Crystal Taylor of Durham, Little said he has held events at the Durham Bulls baseball stadium to help the ball team grow its Black fans. He showed the films “Best of Enemies,” “Just Mercy,” “Selma,” ?Black Panther,” “Remember the Titans” and “Creed II.” “We used films that promote camaraderie amongst races and genders,” Little said. “Film is still the medium people use to talk about how they feel about something, like the quality of life people have and whether they question it. If so, how can we motivate them to get to a different place?”

He said CYK helped the Durham Bulls “create some revenue channels as well. With the pandemic, the money had slowed down.”

A Durham food truck, Goodness Grace Us, served the crowd, and people sat on blankets in the stadium field.

“It was a great little program. It gave Candid a new, refreshed look,” Little said. “We’ve absolutely gotten in a place of profitability, or at least close to it. The key thing is it’s

BY JOHN RAILEY

still going strong. We’re still talking about community and bringing together community in any way, shape or form.”

John Railey, raileyjb@ gmail.com, is the writerin-residence for Center for the Study of Economic Mobility (www.wssu.edu/ csem).

THE BEST PLACE TO START IS HEAD START. Head Start and Early Head Start are now accepting applications.

Every child in our community deserves the chance to succeed.

Helping each child build a solid foundation, right from the start can make a world of difference. Since 1965, Family Services has been providing high quality early learning programs for Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County income-eligible children birth to 5 years old. For more information, visit ReadySetHeadStart.org or call 336-778-7061.

City council calls on federal government to cancel student loan debt

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

The Winston-Salem City Council has approved a resolution calling upon the federal government to address the student loan crisis.

According to a study completed by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank that aims to combine ideas from both Republican and Democratic parties to address challenges in the U.S., since 2007, student loan debt has increased 144% and nearly 50 million people owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loans. Black students are significantly more likely to finance their education. Nearly 80% (77.7%) of students take out federal student loans to pay for college, which is higher than the

national average for all students, which is 60%.

During their meeting on Monday, March 28, members of the local city council voted 6-2 to approve the resolution that calls for the federal government to urgently address the student loan crisis by enacting a plan to cancel student loan debt and begin the transition to “Education as a Public Good.” Council members John Larson, Kevin Mundy, Annette Scippio, Denise Adams, James Taylor and Barbara Hanes Burke voted in support of the resolution; Robert Clark and Jeff MacIntosh voted against the resolution.

Other cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston and Durham, have also adopted similar resolutions.

Head Start and Early Head Start programs offer: • 5-Star Centers and the only center in Forsyth County accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children • Degreed and certified Early Childhood teachers who provide a nurturing environment • A research-based and proven curriculum • Teacher-child ratio 1:9 for preschool and 1:4 for infant, toddler, and 2-year-olds • Multiple locations throughout the county • Ongoing support, referrals, and resources to assist families

ReadySetHeadStart.org 336-778-7061

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OPINION

James Taylor Jr. Publisher Bridget Elam

Managing Editor

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Sports Editor/Religion

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Senior Reporter

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Office Manager

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Graphic Designer

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

Reports say Black News Channel has shut down NNPA Newswire - According to the Los Angeles Times, the Black News Channel, which launched just before the pandemic, has ceased operations.

The newspaper said that the Tallahassee, Floridabased outlet, whose majority stakeholder is Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, failed to meet payroll on Friday after telling employees that paychecks would be delayed.

The Black News Channel reportedly has a staff of 230 and some current and former employees had previously filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the network that remains pending.

Citing people briefed on the matter, the Times said Khan would no longer invest in the operations of BNC after shopping the channel to several media companies, including Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios.

Reportedly, Khan found no interest.

Before the Times report, Roland Martin broke the information that BNC failed to pay its employees this week. Martin, the host of Roland Martin Unfiltered and owner of the Black Star Network, tweeted a memo written by BNC Human Resources Vice President Nicole Collins. The memo dated Friday, March 25, informed the staff that payroll “would be delayed.”

“We are actively working to resolve this matter quickly and will advise you with an update as soon as possible,” Collins wrote.

Staffers “are angry and demanding answers,” Martin tweeted. “I have been inundated with phone calls, texts, and emails from staffers on this issue.”

The media mogul said he spoke to BNC’s CEO Princell Hair, who advised that he’s working on getting employees paid.

However, Martin claimed staffers had been “left in the dark.” The concept of the Black News Channel began with former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts, an Oklahoma Republican who brought in a group of initial investors.

After at least two delays, the channel finally launched after Khan kicked in $50 million and took the reins as majority shareholder. In much of its first year, BNC filled its website from content provided by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of the Black Press of America.

NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. frequently appeared on the channel providing commentary on various news topics.

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Also, go to our Facebook page to comment. We are at facebook.com/WSChronicle.

We’re not letting anybody steal our joy Ben Jealous

Guest Columnist

TriceEdneyWire.com - A congressional meeting room might be the last place people would expect to find joy.

But joy was in the air on the opening day of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Joy was in my heart and in the hearts of so many friends and colleagues who were in the room that day.

Why were we feeling joyful?

We were joyful because this brilliant judge is about to become the first Black woman ever to serve on this country’s highest court.

We were joyful because we could feel the love and pride from Judge Jackson’s parents, brother, husband, and daughters.

As a father, I was joy-

ful because my Black daughter can look to a new role model. She has a new reason to believe that her dreams, talents, and hard work can take her wherever she wants to go.

We all knew that the week ahead would be a difficult one for Judge Jackson. There would be grueling 12-hour days.

There would be disgraceful lies. There would be examples of barely concealed racism.

All of that happened.

And none of it broke Judge Jackson’s spirit or calm professionalism.

In the face of smears and false accusations, she gracefully explained the truth about her record and her commitment to applying the law fairly.

She showed Americans a strength grounded in faith.

She demonstrated a selfconfidence built over years of perseverance and accomplishment.

She spoke about her love for our country and for the Constitution.

We live at a time when the Court is dominated by judges who do not share a commitment to justice for

all. We live at a time when white nationalism and bigotry are openly promoted by powerful politicians and pundits. Judge Jackson’s nomination gave us a reason for renewed hope that our country can and will continue to make progress toward the ideal of equal justice under law and equal opportunity for all Americans.

It was also a reminder that millions of Americans played a part in making this moment possible.

Millions of us voted to replace former President Donald Trump with President Joe Biden, who made a commitment to putting a Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Millions of us contributed to the effort to elect Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in runoff elections in Georgia.

Those elections kept Republicans from controlling the U.S. Senate. They kept Sen. Mitch McConnell from being able to abuse his power to prevent President Biden’s nominees from even getting a vote, as he did so often with President Obama’s judicial

nominees.

All of us who donated time and money, knocked on doors, made phone calls or sent texts to potential voters, and who cast our ballots - we all helped bring about that joyful morning on Capitol Hill.

And we can all look forward to celebrating when she is sworn in as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice in the Africana Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches leadership. Jealous has decades of experience as a leader, coalition builder, campaigner for social justice and seasoned nonprofit executive. In 2008, he was chosen as the youngestever president and CEO of the NAACP. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and he has taught at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

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The constant and unconscionable rejection of rules and laws is the mantra of most Republicans Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

Guest Columnist

Here are the questions for the day: Is anyone above the law? Can anyone engage in wrong and think it’s right?

The knee jerk reaction to both questions is no.

Further, we have laws that we should follow. Over time, these laws have been reviewed and tweaked.

And of course, our lawmakers have created new laws for us to follow. The goal has always been to make our country a better place to live. For example, people who look

like me and women could not vote. As strange as that may sound, that was the rule in years gone by.

Through struggles and stress, our right to vote is still intact. However, it must be said that in 2022, some folks are still trying to marginalize our voting power. The past administration with a group of his minions attempted to discount our votes in the most recent election.

It didn’t work. Right and reason prevailed.

Earlier on January 6, there was an insurrection at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Unbelievable and horrible are two words that come to my mind. I am sure you can think of some other adjectives to describe this once-in-alifetime event.

Members of the Repub-

lican Party downplayed the event and pretended that it didn’t happen. Legislators like Ted Cruz, Steve Scalise, Mitch McConnell and Rick Scott have signed onto this attack upon our democracy. They have sold their souls and they are void of fundamental integrity. It is hypocritical and unethical.

The former president is whistling, and they are singing his tune.

Secrets must be at stake because I do not understand how they can follow a fellow whose character has become unglued and unhinged. They are in the forest with blindfolds on at night.

Last week concluded the Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the U.S. Su-

preme Court. The average poll numbers by Gallup, Fox, Monmouth University, Quinnipiac University and the Pew Research Center say about 53% of the American people support her confirmation.

Obviously, it is good to be respected in the public square.

There are a few Republicans who feel the same way.

Some reports suggest Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Rob Portman will be Republican senators who will vote for Judge Brown Jackson.

There is also good news from a Democratic senator who says he will support her as well. Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia will cast his ballot for her. That is indeed a vote that was unknown

until he said it. His vote will help stem the tide of Republicans who will vote against her.

Senator Cory Booker, Democrat from New Jersey said, “I got a chance to witness firsthand what I think many people in America can relate to, is when you show up in a room qualified, when you show up in a room with extraordinary expertise and credentials, there are a lot of Americans who know that hurt, that you are still going to be treated in a way that does not respect you fully.”

As African Americans, many of us have been in those spaces a time or two in our lives.

The vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be coming up soon. It will be, I believe, a

defining moment in American history.

Radios will be on to listen and televisions will be on to watch as the reporting begins on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson becoming the first African American woman to be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

I can’t wait. Can you?

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University, where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator. He can be reached at overtimefergie.2020@yahoo.com.

Freedom, our brains on social media, disinformation, WMD, Nazis Dr. Tom H. Hastings

Guest Columnist Each human on Earth seems to have a social media identity as unique as a fingerprint, so we all see what the cybergods algorithmically feed us.

(Disclaimer: I am a social scientist, not a brain scientist.)

One driver is conflict, especially negative, destructive interactions. People seem to feel that sitting in their home behind locked doors is the perfect time to insult, threaten, demean, and just generally crudely attack others.

Another driver, which fits into the first one in many cases as part of an amplifying feedback loop, is “news” that is crafted to outrage. When we read something that makes us mad, we tend to engage on the platform that brought us that news. Our eyeballs, so to speak, are thus delivered to advertisers.

And of course, there is confirmation bias. When we like or love a post, the digital demons file that knowledge into our relentlessly updating cyberprint and we are fed more of the same.

So what we hate the most and what we like the most is what we get. Social media seems to be creating our own personal polarizing instrumentalia. Nice.

For at least some folks, social media is addictive, triggering dopamine into our brain’s reward pathways, say the neurobiologists.

Most humans want to replicate those bursts of reward, and of connection with others who tend to support, praise, agree, and compliment them. So, we can become poseurs, reposting, retweeting terribly incorrect information that our favorite people like, love, share, and comment on with the approbation we seek.

And sure enough, we have some regions of the net amplifying and exaggerating disinformation, such as “Ukraine is a para-

gon of freedom and one of the most democratic countries on earth,” or, conversely, “Ukraine is riddled top to bottom with Nazis.”

The former statement naturally increases outrage at Putin.

The latter statement naturally excuses Putin.

Neither is true.

Looking at one of the most unbiased examiners of measures of freedom in the world’s nation-states, Freedom House, they rank the least free countries as Syria, South Sudan, and Tibet, barely better in that respect than North Korea, Turkmenistan, Eritrea, Western Sahara, and Eastern Donbas—the last two of which are not actual nation-states but rather territories, at least currently.

The most free countries, by Freedom House rankings, are Sweden, Norway, and Finland, followed closely by New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, and Uruguay. The rankings are based on 100 possible points, and the worst are just 1-4 points, with the best at 97-100.

Freedom House links to their methodology so you can judge for yourself how much stock you place in it, though they have been doing these rankings for decades. Newer similar ranking systems have similar results.

The U.S. just a few years ago had rankings routinely in the mid-90s and we were usually in the top 10 most free countries in the world. Now (latest rankings only reflect through the end of 2020), after four years of Trump, the U.S. slid precipitously approximately 12 points, down to 83 points in the 100-point scale. We are now ranked number 62, less free than 61 other countries.

Of the 210 countries and territories they rank, Ukraine is more in the middle, with a score of 61 points, rated “partly free,” nearly the same as Liberia and Madagascar.

Russia is in the not free group, with just 19 points out of 100.

We hear justifications, excuses, and many convoluted reasons for Putin

invading Ukraine, just as we heard excuses for the 9/11/2001 attacks on the U.S. Yes, there are reasons.

But none are good enough unless we suspend all ethics, morals, and compassion in favor of a litany of criticisms of NATO, of Germany, and the U.S. in particular, and unless we ingeniously swallow Putin’s lies about needing to de-Nazify Ukraine and his lies about WMD in Ukraine.

Yes, there are Nazis in Ukraine, but none more egregious than Putin’s repressive, militaristic regime. No, Nazis do not control Ukraine. Meanwhile, Nazis demonstrate openly, brazenly, in the U.S., simultaneously holding swastikas and proTrump signs, including in the attack on the Capitol last year. Do we give Putin a pass to invade the U.S.?

Yeah, didn’t think so.

WMD in Ukraine?

Again, this is projection.

Russia has nukes, chemical weapons, and even biological weapons today and Ukraine does not - as we

should all know, Ukraine had thousands of nukes when it seceded from the Soviet Union and signed a treaty with Russia to give them all the nuclear weapons in exchange for Russia’s promise to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Maybe Putin should give back the nukes, since he broke the promise on Ukrainian sovereignty.

Putin’s lies may tragically be promoted in order to set the stage for a truly horrific false flag event that would literally benefit nobody, not even him. If he is still capable of thinking strategically he will realize this.

Dr. Tom H. Hastings is coördinator of conflict resolution BA/BS degree programs and certificates at Portland State University, PeaceVoice senior editor, and on occasion an expert witness for the defense of civil resisters in court.

COVID-19 showed we need a more diverse doctor workforce Dr. Robert Grant

Guest Columnist Deaths related to COVID-19 were more than twice as high among Black, Latino, and Native American people as among whites in 2020, according to new research out from the National Cancer Institute.

It’s only the latest reminder of the glaring inequity that plagues the U.S. healthcare system. Addressing that inequity will require boosting access to care among people from marginalized groups.

That’s partially a supply problem - the United

States needs more doctors, especially doctors who hail from historically underserved communities. Research shows that doctors from these communities are not only more likely to return there to practice, but more likely to deliver better outcomes for their patients.

Over 83.7 million Americans live in places with limited access to primary care doctors, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. They’re disproportionately people of color.

Unfortunately, that figure will likely increase.

A June 2021 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the United States could be short 124,000 physicians by 2034.

Research has consistently shown a link between access to physicians and health outcomes. Life expectancies in areas with fewer doctors are, on average, lower than those in areas that have more. About 7,000 U.S. lives could be saved every year simply by narrowing care gaps in the country’s most underserved communities.

To sustainably address the doctor shortage, we must recruit from the communities that are most acutely experiencing it. Numerous studies have found that a doctor’s race or ethnicity is a strong indicator of where they eventually return to practice. The same goes for language, family income, and whether the doctor comes from a rural or urban area.

Patients also fare better when they can relate with the physician treating them. A 2018 National Bureau of Economic Research study found that Black men had significantly better health outcomes when treated by Black doctors.

This was also true for preventative care. Black men treated by Black doctors were 10% more likely to receive a flu shot and nearly 30% more likely to submit to cholesterol tests.

It’s on medical schools to produce the doctors that historically marginalized communities need. Sadly, they haven’t done a very good job of that.

Black and Hispanic people make up more than 31% of the U.S. population - but only a smidge over 20% of the student

population at U.S. medical schools.

Incoming medical students hail from disproportionately wealthy families, too. Last year, the median income of parents of medical school matriculants was $140,000 - double the overall median household income in this country.

International medical schools, by contrast, have made addressing inequity a priority. One-quarter of America’s doctors attended medical school outside the country. In low-income communities, international medical graduates are onethird of the doctor workforce. And in areas where the population is majority non-white, IMGs are even more prevalent.

Graduates of international medical schools are also more likely to go into

www.wschronicle.com

primary care, where the need, especially in underserved communities, is greatest. Of the U.S.-born international medical graduates who matched into residency programs last year, roughly 70% entered into primary care specialties.

The disparate racial impact of COVID-19 is a tragic example of those inequities. Developing a more diverse doctor workforce is one small way to work toward ending them.

Robert Grant, MD, is the senior associate dean for clinical studies at St. George’s University School of Medicine, the largest source of physicians for the United States (www.sgu.edu).

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M arch 31, 2022

T he C hronicle

BUSTA’S PERSON OF THE WEEK

Storytelling fashion designer turned rejection into success in the fashion ministry

BY BUSTA BROWN FOR THE CHRONICLE

The feeling of rejection for many adults can lead to an emotional breakdown.

So, imagine how alone and empty a child must feel, as well as the strain it has on their character and selfesteem.

“In elementary I sucked my thumb for comfort, so I didn’t go outside much to play with other kids. I was also a speech baby. When the teacher would come pull me out of class, I didn’t understand why I was pulled away from the other students.

So, I looked at that as rejection. I didn’t understand it until I started my career in special education.

“Now as an adult, I understand that it was God’s way of showing me that if you spell the word rejection out, the word ‘eject’ is in rejection. God has ejected me from an unhealthy relationship, which was the ejector. And God placed me where I needed to be, and now I’m able to move into my calling,” shared Swynette.

You’ve heard it said, “A family that prays together, stays together.”

Every Sunday, Swynette Stone and her family did just that. “After Sunday service we still came home as a family. We would gather in the living room, read scriptures and then prayed together. Keeping God first was the most critical foundation that my parents instilled in me as a child. So as an adult, that foundation is solid,” she said.

God used those childhood feelings of rejection

Submitted photo

Swynette Stone, owner of Swan Te’ Designs, Nove’ Impressions Wedding & Events, and Accoutre Bridal Boutique. and molded Stone into the phenomenal woman that she is today. The sweet spirited mother of two has become somewhat of a guardian angel in her 23 years in special education. “I see a need to be a bridge as an extended parent. I see so many students coming to school where the parent is not available for one reason or another.

So, the grandparents and foster parents are providing care for the students.

My goal is to tap into and provide early intervention with young ladies, so they can know their value, the power of their voice, and worth.”

In 2019, in her efforts

to build character and confidence in people of all ages. Stone gave the audience at Winston-Salem Fashion Week an unforgettable moment with “UP CLOSE.” One of the most memorable was the children’s tale, “The Ugly Duckling,” which is the story behind her designs.

She was very open about her experiences of rejection at a very young age and used “The Ugly Duckling” to inspire and empower her audience.

Swynette Stone is also the owner of Swan Te’ Designs, Nove’ Impressions and Accoutre Bridal Boutique. The genuine love for her students goes

far beyond the building.

Stones’s company Swan Te’ Designs’ fashion shows are a must see. She brings the vibe, fashion and energy of New York Fashion Week to the Triad. It’s an amazing sight to see! Her designs are comparable to the top designers in Paris.

But the scenes that will melt your heart, “some of my models come straight from the special education program. I challenge them to get on the runway and it is amazing to see what it does to lift their selfesteem. And they rip the runway! I mean they rip it! That means a lot to me because of my feelings of rejection at such a young age.

“One of my students is now an adult and married with three kids. She’s also an amazing spokesperson. So, parents, let’s start early with intervention and our girls will know their self-worth and the power of their voice,” shared an emotional Swynette.

Swynette has been doing God’s work since 1998. Her beauty salon, Styles from Heaven, partnered with the Salvation Army women’s shelter and the community to provide mothers with fresh hairstyles for job interviews.

“Even back then my goal has always been about building confidence, selfworth, job readiness, appearance, education, and beauty enhancement.”

Currently, her company, Nove’ Impressions, provides full service professional planning for weddings, event coordination, event decor and designs. Along with a variety of packages to accommo-

date your dream of love.

Stone caught the fashion bug one day while watching her aunt sewing and braiding hair. “Me, my sister and cousin had the opportunity to be a part of the marching groups at the YMCA with Mo Lucas.

We needed uniforms and my aunt was a seamstress.

From that day I saw her sewing those uniforms, I always wanted to be like my aunt.

“In addition to that, my mom and dad didn’t have much money, but mom knew how to take nothing and made sure all seven of her children were freshly dressed and kept our hair looking good. She knew how to bring our clothes to life, because if it didn’t fit, she knew how to make it fit like it was bought from the store. So, my aunt and my mom were my inspirations to do what I do today.”

It was during middle school when Swynette really tapped into her gift.

“My mom would dress my sister and I like twins and I didn’t like that. So, I started dressing how I felt.

I always stood out because my style was different, because I didn’t keep up with the trends. I am the trend,” boasts Stone.

After graduating from high school, she attended North Carolina A&T University. During that time, she faced a few challenges. “There was no fashion program there. So, A&T tried to give me classes that were close to fashion merchandise and design.

I was there for a year and got pregnant, so I had to come home, and that was a huge challenge,” she said with a heavy heart. It was

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

crystal clear as I looked into her eyes that she was still saddened by the situation.

The brilliant WinstonSalem native has earned a degree in sociology from Salem College in WinstonSalem. Pursuing her special education interest, she continued her studies at Grand Canyon University, earning a master’s degree in special education in 2005. Yet, the fire was still burning to obtain a degree in fashion merchandise and design.

As you’ve read thus far, she’s a fighter and quitting is not an option. So, what’s next? “Thirty years later at the age of 56, I will be enrolled in college soon. It’s never too late,” said Swynette. She’s a perfect example of naturally gifted and an inspiration to anyone with a dream, hard work, and of course, prayer.

“I put God first in everything I do. So, I trusted God and just started sewing. No classes, and no type of training. It’s just a gift and my ministry. I use my designs on the runway to minister to people. I love telling my story to people that are hurting like I did.

I’m a storytelling fashion designer. I heard someone say, fashion is a way of speaking without saying anything,” she said with a soft and sweet smile.

What’s Swynette’s favorite scripture? “Psalm 23! But there’s a difference in knowing the word and applying it. As an adult, I also understand it.”

My phenomenal Woman of the Week is Swynette Stone.

SPEAKER FORUM

April 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Wait Chapel

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Neurosurgeon and Multiple Emmy Award-Winning Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN

Moderated by Dr. Julie A. Freischlag Chief Executive Officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Dean of Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Chief Academic Officer of Atrium Health Enterprise

Presented by

For tickets: facetoface.wfu.edu

T he C hronicle

March 31, 2022

A7

Tribute to Dr. Virginia K. Newell

BY BETTY WALKER

There are some stories that seem to “will” being told; this is just such a phenomenon.

It is an American story and to be faithful in its telling, it must, as all stories, be written with integrity, meaning fully encompassing simultaneously the multiplicity and inextricably bound experiences and connections in one intentionally integrated account, as lived or forced to live.

I desire, therefore, to acknowledge Dr. Virginia Newell’s boundary-breaking and transcendent life, evoking a “Woman for all Seasons.”

There came a point in this exceptional life when, through her early dedicated and determined family nurturing and formal education respectively, Virginia K. Newell became an intellectual powerhouse, having doubly degreed in college and graduate school in the demanding scholarly discipline of mathematics – a discipline still dominated by white males and still bedeviled in 2022 by race and gender gaps in acquisition by both Blacks and all women.

She earned her degrees in mathematics approximately eight decades ago - the undergraduate degree from Talladega, a prominent Black college in Alabama, and her master’s degree from New York University, a major white university up North.

the late ‘50s, in Raleigh, North Carolina, is what I know best and shall hone in on herein, hastening to add that there was nothing small about the immense ramifications of that brilliant and, indeed, productive portion of her profound journey.

She is now chronologically a centenarian at 104 years of age, possessing all that accumulated knowledge, wisdom and a rare testimonial record of achievement and service to her country and community. Possessing a sharp mind and memory as well as an amazing spirit and energy that has resisted aging, she continues to avail herself ready for the fight for humanity’s good.

For my classmates and me, she was our new mathematics teacher, a young woman, holder of two major degrees, and we didn’t know quite what to make of her. She was a tall, willowy beauty – sophisticated and friendly with the loveliest smile. This we soon learned was not to be confused as in any conflict with the implacable, “on a mission” seriousness and “tough as nails” equal parts of her radiant persona. Her toughness had already been manifested in defiance in an encounter between her and the Southern white male superintendent of our segregated public school system in her employment interview. Upon his decision to hire her, he had directed in no uncertain terms and un-

Both were earned during the Jim Crow Era. Additionally, Newell pursued and received a doctorate in the field of education from the University of Sarasota. (The University of Chicago earlier had extended an invitation for pursuit of her doctorate there, but she declined for family reasons.)

It was with symbiotic, in tandem, scholarly leveraging that she maximized as teacher and administrator, “lifting multitudes of Negro children as she climbed.”

The small slice of her life doing such lifting in my J.W. Ligon Junior Senior High School in

misleading, with an unseen inversion of the presumed power relationship.

It was Virginia Newell who knew the intention of the superintendent, so confident of his legally enshrined racial position that he, of course, felt it natural to reveal, while he had not a clue of the intention of the Negro job applicant before him. He, therefore, was leaving himself at a distinct disadvantage while hiring and releasing a catalyst to the undoing of what he was demanding she preserve.

Disobedience and defiance were precisely what

Submitted photo

Dr. Virginia K. Newell der no circumstances was she to teach us any higher mathematics beyond our presumed ability to master, being that arithmetic was all we would ever need anyway. It is important to note that this directive to that particular woman by that particular man in that particular racially inhospitable place approximately seven decades ago, carried potential severe professional consequences if disobeyed and discovered.

It is equally or more important to emphasize here, not parenthetically, but as a central point, that these Southern “mind” encounters between the races were often deceptively

Photo by Tevin Stinson

Dr. Virginia K. Newell

she had intended even before the moment of his dictate, part and parcel of the white supremacy bondage package to assure our second class education and second class lives. In this regard, Newell was mighty and courageous and also something else: an exemplar of many Negro teachers of that and preceding eras, who then had carried the label “colored teachers.”

Upon contemplation over many years of that “tribe” and their work, I have come to appreciate the major revolutionary role played surreptitiously and masterfully by them

in the liberation of Negro children and youth. Up until the mid-’50s Brown v. Board of Education decision, we were legally in a legislated apartheid society. Negro teachers in our schools were imparting knowledge to liberate us and simultaneously massively perfecting our imperfect Union, being deprived of the educated contributions we could have made for betterment and taxable compensation rather than exploitation.

By the time that Mrs. Newell was our teacher, our J. W. Ligon Jr. High School faculty roster could boast teachers who were extremely well prepared, often highly educated with both undergraduate and graduate degrees in multiple disciplines, as she herself, but they were locked out of high level positions reserved “for whites only.”

They were so underpaid comparably to their white counterparts that the NAACP legal giant Thurgood Marshall had to go into courts to litigate some parity in the salaries.

There was, however, no process then or subsequently to address and ameliorate the enormous psychological costs of rank discrimination in the workforce to these teachers, So fortuitously for us, if not personally for them, we became beneficiaries of their scholarly presence and the richness of the enormous intellectual gifts that we received, an irony delivered by the operation of Southern segregation. However, for many, educating the young was their honorable position of choice. And clearly it was not made for money.

Virginia Newell and her historic “cavalry to our rescue” were behind those closed segregated doors, not only superbly prepared, but they loved us, knew what we would face and what we surely would need. She and other teachers, way before their coming, knew that there was more to us than the belittling and reductionist perceptions of a society that despised us when bothering to consider us at all.

With personal and professional investments in students, they gave their all, fully persuaded that our preparation was for a free existence. Evoking the Old Testament Book of Habakkuk 3:19, our God through our teachers was preparing our feet to walk on higher places. “We shall be free someday” was more than a song.

The Negro teacher was

mercifully, for many children, the first role model to be imitated in every aspect as speaking, dressing, how to carry oneself, and assuredly motivation for the choice of education as a popular major later in college. But the most powerful and impactful influence of Negro teachers as Mrs. Newell was the embodiment of racial progress, actualization of possibilities and the indisputable breathing truth that we could “hold fast” to our dreams.

Historically, the consistent objective of our teachers through the ages was to raise a standard of our excellence, courage, dignity and determination to never give up. Books that denigrated us with lies that made us “uncomfortable,” such as we were happy as enslaved people, or containing no positive imaging, or with torn-out pages, or before there even were books, proved sometimes no match for the creativity of people acquainted with lived models and experiences of “making a way out of no way.” And at other times, the cruel, unrelenting challenges and burdens of segregation won.

But these teachers persisted.

Dr. Virginia Newell had a dear friend, Dr. Maya Angelou, who wrote about us as a people always “rising,” in spite of being written “down in history with bitter twisted lies.” Dr. Angelou also coined the title “Phenomenal Woman,” a perfect description of our teachers.

A couple years ago, a former mathematics student and my junior high school classmate, Lt. Colonel, Ret. Joseph H. Holt Jr., applicant son of pioneering first and only family in our hometown to challenge the segregation of public schools in 1956, pursuant to the Brown decision, wrote Dr. Newell a letter informing her of her propitious impact upon his education and life. He shared pertinent documentation and “The Exchange,” an article between him and me, published in our time-honored newspaper, The Carolinian, regarding the solitary, dangerous and courageous family struggle for equality of education for him and for all of us.

Dr. Newell called me immediately after reading it, absolutely devastated by her lack of timely knowledge of those horrendous intimate details of the almost four-year Holt family trailblazing

experience, expressing great passion and fury that “reparations must be pursued and paid to Joe”!

That was the essential Virginia Newell, caring for her advanced math student after over half a century. She was still on that “battlefield,” leading with that same passionate fire for justice and righteousness in her good soul, the soul that determined that we would never be diminished by low expectations on her fierce watch, that we would be taught and thrive with understanding of higher things beyond arithmetic.

In the tradition of a modern day Harriet Tubman, she did not intend to lose anyone under her tutelage. It was through our close mutual Raleigh friend, Judge Beryl Sansom and her husband, the renowned historian, Dr. Al-Tony Gilmore (fittingly both from educator families) that I was able to reconnect after so many years. That compelled first a “musing” that I composed about her meaning to students and I called and read it to her.

There needed to be more from me, a record, even if modest and incomplete as this one, of the magnitude of the loving and genius commitment to Negro students by her and Negro teachers.

Dr. Newell, please accept this as that note of gratitude of Ligon School and, indeed, all your fortunate mathematics and other students everywhere, and on behalf of your honorable colleagues, here or in another realm, for the good fight waged generation after generation by you and symbolic of folks like you.

Dr. Al-Tony Gilmore, an history authority on matters of Black education, has summed up you and our educators perfectly as this: “Excellence without excuse and commitment to Race.”

You, “the Negro teachers,” were God’s divine instruments, inspiring and mentoring and “saving” us as required by no other teachers on American soil and are responsible in a major manner for “how we got over.”

Much love, Betty Stevens Walker, Ligon High School, Class of 1960; Spelman College, Class of 1964; Harvard Law School, Class of 1967.

This tribute is an abridgement of Walker’s completed work also entitled “A Tribute to Virginia Newell” - the editor.

A8

M arch 31, 2022

T he C hronicle

Get ready - Here come the May 17 primaries

BY HOWARD PEARRE

If you’re a voter, hats off to you! Many of your fellow citizens won’t even bother to show up on primary day, May 17, to perform their civic responsibility.

But voting is not just a one-day deal. There’s work to do now: Check Your Status Check your status in the Forsyth County Board of Elections database. Google NC VOTER LOOKUP, select VOTER SEARCH, and enter your name to make sure your status is “active” and your address current. If you are listed as “inactive” or not listed at all, you will need to submit a new Voter Registration Application to the board of elections. The same applies if your address is not current, including an apartment number.

If you have moved since the last election, even across the street, you may have a new polling place and different ballot. If you show up at the voting place for your new address without having updated your registration, you will have to cast a provisional ballot.

There are several ways to re-register Option 1: You can get a registration form from the Forsyth Board of Elections. Complete it in black ink, including your old addresses if you have moved.

You can also download and print a form from the Forsyth or NC Board of Elections website. Or, you can go to the Forsyth Public Library and ask to have one printed for you. Hand carry or mail it to the board of elections. You must do

Prom

From page A1

“We attend Mount Zion Baptist Church here in Winston. I grew up in this church. My first solo was in this church,” said Nia cheerfully. “I thank God constantly for my upbringing. It kept me grounded during my Miss America journey. It’s a tough job and my faith in Jesus got me through the busy, hectic days and the grueling schedule.”

Nia has decided to sponsor a prom dress giveaway at her church.

The prom gown giveaway idea all started when she told her mom she needed to get rid of a lot of items she had acquired on the road as Miss America.

Nia traveled to many cities in the United States, Antigua, and she visited six countries while on a USO Tour including Germany, Kuwait, Spain, and Djibouti, Africa. Most of her attire was provided through the Miss America Organization.

Nia said, “I have about 15 to 20 personal gowns that I wore once or not at all, that I will donate to the drive. I have a story to tell about each dress I wore.

Jovani is the designer of the gown I wore when I won Miss America. They have contributed 75 brand new, never worn gowns.

They are gorgeous,” said Nia excitedly!

There may be other

Bakery From page A1

at the right time,” Harris said.

Having owned businesses in the area before, Harris and Furches said they have learned a lot about building a business from the ground up.

Furches said he’s learned how to better market his product and who his cus-

this at least 25 days before election day—April 22 for the upcoming primary.

Option 2: If you miss the 25-day deadline, you can go to any of the Forsyth County early voting sites and complete a voter registration form. To make an update (or register for the first time) and vote at the same time, you will need documentation with your name and new address. An N.C. driver’s license, utility bill, or bank statement are examples of acceptable documents. However, you cannot change your party affiliation at an early voting site.

Option 3: You can register online if you have an N.C. driver’s license. The Division of Motor Vehicles website can be used to update your voter registration or register for the first time. Google REGISTER TO VOTE NC ONLINE, click OFFICIAL NCDMV VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION, and follow the links to use this free service. (Tip: at the login screen, click “Continue as Guest.”)

Early Voting Select an early-voting site. You can vote at any of the six sites in the county regardless of your assigned polling place. (On election day, May 17, you can only vote at your precinct.) Early-voting sites are scheduled for April 2829 and from May 2-May 14. Weekday hours will be from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday hours will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; hours on Sunday, May 8, will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (See early-voting schedule for sites.)

Absentee Ballots

If you plan to cast an absentee ballot, send in a N.C. Absentee Ballot Request Form as soon as possible. Google NC ABSENTEE BALLOT and click on N.C. ABSENTEE BALLOT PORTAL for instructions and links to make your request online or to print out a request.

Ballots will be sent out to voters who have requested them starting March 28 and must be returned to the Forsyth County Board of Elections on Tuesday, May 10, no later than 5 p.m.

Sample Ballots Review a sample ballot to become knowledgeable of the candidates in the races. Google NC VOTER LOOKUP, select VOTER SEARCH, and enter your name to find your personal voter information.

Click on SAMPLE BALLOTS to see a list of candidates for races in your specific precinct. To see a list of all candidates for all of the primary races in Forsyth County, Google FORSYTH COUNTY NC

prom dress giveaways, but Jovani is one of the top-ofthe-line dress designers.

Additionally, local establishment English’s Bridal Shop in Clemmons contributed about 20 gowns to the effort. Donations have also been received from church members of new or gently used gowns.

“I went to high school with Nina,” said the owner of English’s. “She did not hesitate to support this event. In fact, she reached out to me after I posted information on my Instagram about the upcoming event.”

“It’s been hard on many families due to the pandemic,” said Nia thoughtfully. “This is my way of offering some support and hopefully a little happiness to the young ladies in my community. I hope it makes a difference for them.”

Nia’s sister Bailey is helping to coordinate the event. Bailey is a new mom and newly engaged.

Organizing this event is very special to Bailey, and she considers the opportunity to serve the young ladies in Winston-Salem and surrounding areas as a service to God. “God is so good! I am just so happy to be able to give back. The young ladies are going to look fabulous both inside and out,” Bailey said.

“I remember my prom,” Bailey reminisced.

“It was the first time I wore

a beautiful gown and got all made up. I felt so beautiful – like a lady. We want other young ladies to experience the prom. The dress is the main component and usually makes up the greater percentage of the prom budget for families.”

The Prom Gown Giveaway is Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Winston-Salem at 950 File Street. There will be refreshments, door prizes, gift bags including lipsticks from It Cosmetics, and jewelry. Everything is free.

“Yes, I will be there,” Nia says with excitement.

“I am praying now for each of the ladies who will come to the prom giveaway. I pray that they will take away much more than a gown, although these dresses are amazing! I hope they understand the love of Christ through this event. I hope they believe with all their hearts that they are unique and everything about them is just the way God designed.

“As Miss America, I always knew it was much more important to believe in myself and not my appearance or the beautiful clothes that I wore,” Nia continues. “It is not our adornments that make us beautiful - the hair, the face, lashes, and all the bling. It is the young woman in the dress who is the true treasure,” Nia emphasized.

tomer base is. He said in any type of business you have to learn about the community you’re serving and what they want.

Harris said he’s learned to never give up.

“The main thing I’ve learned about business in general is to never give up and don’t take no for an answer,” Harris continued.

“No means not yet or not right now, but it’s never no. You have to manifest

what you want and go get it. Manifestation is a big part of business.”

Pour is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The entrance is located across the street from the courthouse in the same breezeway as Courtside Cafe.

For more information, call 336-770-8005 or visit the Pour Facebook page.

BOE and click on LIST OF CANDIDATES. Research Candidates Research the candidates, including the “down ballot” candidates. While the media will provide information and advertising about the major races, the elected “down-ballot” candidates will have far more direct impact on our daily lives - where to put bus stop shelters, expanding Medicaid, support for volunteer fire departments, the content of textbooks, trash pickup routes, side-

walk repairs, environmental laws, public education funding, teacher pay, and deciding state and property taxes among myriad other issues.

One set of “down ballot” races will require particular scrutiny. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board race has attracted 28 candidates for the nine seats.

Ten Democrats, 16 Republicans, and one Libertarian are running for the District 1, District 2, and “At-Large” seats. Of the nine current board mem-

bers, only four are seeking reelection.

In addition to candidates’ webpages, two other excellent resources that provide unbiased information are VOTE411.ORG from the League of Women Voters, and BALLOTPEDIA.ORG. In addition to comparative information about candidates, the Ballotpedia resource also provides data about campaign contributions and spending.

Redistricting may have changed your precinct or polling place. The board of elections is sending out letters now and you should receive a new voter registration card with any changes soon. Don’t rely on “I’ve always voted here.” Take the time to check your voter registration. Exercise your right to vote.

Howard Pearre retired after a career as a counselor and manager with N.C. Vocational Rehabilitation and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He has led training workshops on voter registration and is a board member with Winston-Salem Writers.

Also Religion, Community News, For Seniors Only and Classifieds

THURSDAY, March 31 , 2022

Timothy Ramsey Sports Columnist

Not separate, definitely not equal I have debated about whether I should write about this particular topic for a couple of years in fear of offending someone. However, after reading a recent article about the subject, along with having three daughters, I can’t hold my tongue any longer.

Recently I saw a report on television that stated University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to win a Division I national championship.

Now let me start by saying that I have no problem with transgender athletes competing on any level of sports. My issue is when a transgender woman, who was born a man, decides to compete in women’s sports because there is a decided advantage when it comes to strength, muscle tone, muscle memory and endurance.

I know transgender athletes have to go through hormone replacement therapy to be able to compete on the women’s side. I am not a doctor, but there is no way you can tell me that simple hormone replacement levels the playing field between other women and someone who was once labeled a man.

Genetically speaking, men are the stronger and faster of the two sexes and I am not sure all of that goes away just by taking hormones. That’s the reason why an average male athlete can transition to transgender and become one of the best female athletes in their respective sport.

Thomas won the Division I national championship in the 500-yard freestyle with a seasonbest time of 4:33.24. The second-place finisher was Virginia’s Emma Weyant who finished with a time of 4:34.99. Thomas previously swam for the Penn men’s team for three seasons and was ranked #462 in the nation prior to joining the women’s team.

As you would assume, not everyone was happy or excited for Thomas’ victory. There were very few people cheering and multiple signs in the crowd were seen that objected to the presence of Thomas.

Thomas tried to ignore the objectors and addressed it after the race.

“I try to ignore it as much as I can,” said Thomas. “I try to focus on my swimming, what I need to do to get ready for my races, and just try to block out everything else.”

There were people outside of the championships in Atlanta on both sides of the equation. Some were in favor of Thomas, See Separate on B2

Photos by Alphonso Abbott Jr.

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

Outdoor track season is upon us. Athletes

from around the county are getting themselves acclimated to the transition from indoor season to outdoor. Last week several local teams held

a meet to get themselves geared up for the long season ahead.

Balancing the roles of father and son, coach and player

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

The Atkins Camels varsity basketball team enjoyed yet another successful season on the court. The Camels finished the year 16-10 (11-3) and had quite a few bright spots. One of those bright spots was freshman point guard Jacari Brim, who is the son of head coach Marlon Brim.

Coach Brim has been the head coach of the Camels for seven seasons, so adding his son to the varsity team added a different dynamic to this season. Coach Brim just wanted Jacari to play his game and not try to do too much, too soon.

“I just wanted him to really just be himself. Play the way he can play and elevate his game and grow as a player,” Coach Brim says about how he wanted his son to integrate himself on the team.

“I just wanted him to be the best player he could be as a freshman. I try not to put any pressure on him. He puts enough pressure on himself by trying to be as good as he wants to be, so for me as a father, I just wanted him to be a good player and grow into his freshman year.”

It was no surprise for Brim that Jacari had what it took to make an impact on the varsity team. The work Jacari has put in playing high level AAU basketball over the years prepared him for this step up in competition level as a freshman.

“I attribute it to playing AAU at a young age. He played on Team All-Out from first grade all the way to fifth grade and then played with CP3, the elite team, on six,

Photo by d magic3

Jacari Brim led the conference in assists as a freshman last season. seventh and eighth grade,” Brim said about Jacari’s development.

“So, the development every year has always gotten better.

“It was just a matter of do we want him to play as a freshman on varsity and was he good enough.

And if his skill set was good enough, then we as a coaching staff made that decision that it was

the best thing for him.”

Another advantage for Jacari in his development was the fact that he has been around the Camel program since his father took over as head coach. He has been practicing and running drills with the team since he was eight.

At 6’1” and 165 pounds, Jacari doesn’t look like your typi-

cal freshman. He came in with the confidence that he could play well on the varsity level and had a number of goals he wanted to achieve.

“Some of my goals were to average at least a double-double but I averaged 13 (points) and 7 (assists), win conference, win Frank (Spencer Holiday Classic), allconference and make a deep run in the playoffs,” said Jacari about his goals.

Jacari was not really worried about the transition to playing varsity basketball due to stiff competition he played on the AAU circuit. He was more concerned about how the dynamic was going to play out with his father being his head coach.

“I thought it was going to be bad, I thought it was going to be like a lot of pressure on me,” said Jacari about his thoughts before the season. “Some of the games it wasn’t a lot of pressure, just playing for my dad and the coaches was fun.”

The one thing you noticed about Jacari right away was his court vision. For such a young player, he has an uncanny ability to find his teammates and could also put the ball in the hoop when needed.

As player and coach, and father and son, the conversations last much longer after games and practice between Jacari and Coach Brim. Jacari says he likes to soak up all the information about the ways he can improve his game from his dad.

“After every game, when I See Father on B4

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March 31, 2022

The C hronicle

Local basketball coaches share what they wished parents knew

Separate From page B1

while others, such as the Save Women’s Sports and Young Women for America (the college branch of Concerned Women for America) protested Thomas’ inclusion in the women’s events.

We’re not going to stand by and let women be displaced,” said Annabelle Rutledge, the national director for Young Women for America. “We must fight for their rights.”

CWA recently announced they have filed a Title IX complaint against the University of Penn stating that Penn is violating Title IX by allowing Thomas to compete on the women’s team.

“The future of women’s sports is at risk and the equal rights of female athletes are being infringed,” said CWA president and CEO Penny Nance in a statement. “We filed a formal civil rights complaint against UPenn in response to this injustice.”

This is not the first time the CWA has filed a Title IX complaint about a transgender athlete competing on a women’s team.

They previously filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education after Franklin Pierce University (FPU) track and field athlete CeCe Telfer won a Division II national championship in the 400-meter hurdles in 2019. The OCR concluded that FPU’s transgender inclusion policy violated Title IX and the school was forced to rescind its policy.

This situation with FPU was the first time this issue was brought to my attention. I knew then that it

BY KP BRABHAM SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

This informative series provides valuable insight by our local coaches. Previous articles in this series ran in past issues of The Chronicle. This is Part 2 of Coach Gainey’s interview.

Coach’s advice to parents Coach Gainey’s first part of advice for parents is for kids to possibly play travel ball/AAU or at YMCA summer league up to their 9th grade year because of the huge jump between middle school and high school ball. Coach Gainey explained, “The competition will become stiffer. Kids come from various middle schools and sometimes it is hard leaving the ‘big man’ on campus in middle school once they get to high school.

Kids enter high school competing against other 9th graders,10th graders too, and if talented enough for varsity as a 9th grader, competition will be against 11th and 12th graders.

“AAU can be expensive, but it is just as important getting with a team that is competitive and will have the opportunity to play. Every kid wants to play. Often mistakes are made by just selecting a team and teams are not as competitive, so when kids get to high school, the competition is very stiff and playing competitive summer ball is a necessity.”

Traditional high school players and AAU players Coach Gainey emphasized too that summer workouts are important especially for studentathletes who can’t travel.

“AAU is expensive, which is one reason why we do things in the summer.

In AAU, coaches get to choose their talent, handselect a team, whereas in high school, yes you do the same, but it is from your district kids and zone. With AAU, kids come from outside the county, all over the city, and sometimes from out of state, to try out for your team. You get to pick and travel with the kids who are the best from an area. In your traditional high school, you have to take the talent, the kids who came to your school, and try to build a program and figure roles out a lot quicker than AAU. The AAU talent you know will be there every night with a 6’10” guy.

“In high school, the tallest may be 6’4”/6’5”.

For the high school team, you’re figuring out what type of offense you will do, which changes from year to year. One year the team can be big, so you try to walk-it-up (slower tempo) and the next year the team can be small and you try to run/play as fast as possible. You can figure things out quicker in AAU by identifying this guard who’s fast, post player who can play with his back to the basket.”

Coach Gainey believes his experience as an AAU coach back then is a much different experience than what AAU coaches are experiencing today. He believes the start comes from the colleges and transfers down, and the culprit of the matter is the transfer portal. Coach Gainey stated, “When I coached AAU, you kept 95% of your players all year and may add a player for nationals.

Everyone was trying to be the top team in their state to get to Orlando, Florida, to win a national championship.

“Now everything with AAU is a showcase. Once it was if you were not the top two or three teams in pool-play from Friday and Saturday’s games, then you were not playing on Sunday. Today, you can lose three games, it’s a showcase, and you still play in front of college coaches. The mindset has changed now to ‘I’m playing in front of college coaches.’ There’s not a lot of team-first; it’s I. ‘I’m playing in front of this college coach; I’m trying to get this scholarship; I’m going to shoot 20 times a game to show him I can score.’

“The team concept is no longer in AAU, you’ll just find another team to go play on. And if that team doesn’t work out, you’ll go find another team. I think that’s transferred to the high school level. You go to a high school, coach not playing you as much as you think you should play, you’ll just transfer to another high school,” stated Coach Gainey.

was only a matter of time before it happened again and here we are. And this is not going to be the end of us hearing about scenarios like this in the future unless the rules are changed.

One of the most famous transgender advocates is Caitlyn Jenner. Jenner is a former Olympic decathlete and said Thomas was not the “rightful winner” of the event.

“It’s not transphobic or anti-trans, it’s COMMON SENSE!,” Jenner tweeted.

On a Fox News segment back in January, Jenner said this: “We need to protect women’s sports. I feel sorry for the other athletes that are out here, especially at Penn or anybody she’s competing against. … It’s not good for women’s sports. It’s unfortunate that this is happening.”

If a transgender woman that is a former Olympian objects to transgender women competing in women’s sports, someone in power should probably listen to them. They obviously have firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to compete at the highest level and also what it is like to transition to becoming a transgender woman.

I don’t have the answers as to what to do moving forward. I don’t think there are enough transgender athletes out there to make a separate division for them in high school and collegiate sports. What I do know is transgender women have a decided advantage when they compete in women’s sports and anyone who disagrees with me is not being realistic with themselves. Hormones do not take away all of the physical advantages that men have.

SAVE

2022

DATE

SATURDAY, OCT. 1 WATCH WSSU MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM MEMBER JAVONTE COOKE, SENIOR GUARD, PLAY ON TEAM CLARENCE “BIG HOUSE” GAINES.

RAMS IN ACTION UPCOMING EVENTS

INAUGURAL HBCU ALL STAR GAME

SOFTBALL

Doubleheader Games Friday, April 1 g at Johnson C. Smith 1PM & 3PM – Charlotte, NC Saturday, April 2 g at Livingstone 1PM & 3PM – Salisbury, NC Wednesday, April 6 g vs. Benedict 1PM & 3PM

Twin Cities Ballpark 2790 New Walkertown Rd. Winston-Salem, NC

Friday, April 8 g vs. Fayetteville State 1PM & 3PM

APRIL 3 – 4PM ET – on CBS LAKEFRONT ARENA, NEW ORLEANS HBCUALLSTARGAME.COM

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Twin Cities Ballpark 2790 New Walkertown Rd. Winston-Salem, NC

GOLF

CIAA Southern Division Tournament

g

April 3-4

Anderson Creek Golf Course, Spring Lake, NC

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD at Vertklasse Meeting hosted by High Point University g April 1-2 Vert Stadium 1018 Panther Drive High Point, NC 27262

T he C hronicle

Elder Richard Wayne Wood

March 31, 2022

The Forsyth County Union Missionary Union of Woman’s Baptist Home and Foreign Missionary Convention celebrates 112 years SUBMITTED BY DORIS MOORE

Sunday School Lesson

The Passover with the Disciples Scriptures: Matthew 26:17-30 By the end of this lesson, we will: *Understand the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples in light of the Jewish Passover; *Affirm the new meaning Jesus gave to the bread and cup; *Rejoice in the freedom that comes through faith in Christ.

Background: Jewish Passover remembers the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Exodus 12 covers in detail, instructions for its observance. Passover is the central act of redemption of the Old Testament. Jesus provides a new center of redemption to be remembered by a new ceremonial meal of the Last Supper – Communion. The meal for Passover consists of wine, unleavened bread, bitter herbs and roasted Lamb (sacrificial lamb). The meal of Communion consists of wine and bread – there are several explanations as to why or if there was no lamb – all have to do with chronological analysis. 1 Corinthians 5:7 affirms that there was indeed a Passover Lamb – “… for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Jesus was the Passover Lamb! The Jewish Passover is observed once a year per Old Testament instructions and is done forevermore. Communion – with a new menu is done without a specific date or regularity. “… this cup is the new testament in my body: this do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Deliverance from Egypt calls for an annual celebration, deliverance from sin requires more frequent acknowledging.

Lesson: Preparation (Matthew 26:17-19). Jesus sent ahead Peter and John to make preparations (Luke 22:8).

“Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand;” Preparations were being made for the Last Supper - appropriate place was secured in Jerusalem, the room was cleansed of leaven and traditional food items were acquired. Jesus was sovereignly in control of the details of His own crucifixion.

The Betrayer (verses 20-25). As Jesus and the twelve are enjoying the Passover meal, Jesus drops a bomb. “…

Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” (verse 21). Spurgeon writes - “It is a beautiful trait in the character of the disciples that they did not suspect one another, but every one of them inquired, almost incredulously, as the form of the question implies, “Lord, is it I?” No one said, “Lord, is it Judas?” (verse 22). Jesus, himself, didn’t give a name, but said of himself, that He would die just as prophesied and included the consequences for the betrayer. “It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” In his hypocrisy, Judas asks, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” and is revealed as Jesus responds - “Thou hast said.” (verse 25).

The Partaking (verses 26-27). In the Jewish Passover everything eaten had a symbolic meaning. The bitter herbs – the bitterness of slavery; the salt water – tears shed of oppression; and the lamb - a sin-bearing sacrifice staying judgment of God for believers. At the Last Supper Jesus reinterpreted the meanings of the food in Himself. The bread is to be remembered as His broken body, pierced and beaten with stripes for our redemption. The cup represents His blood shed on Calvary for us (verses 26-27). He also tells us what to do with the bread and the cup. We must “take” – it won’t be forced on anyone; one must actually receive it. “Eat” means that it is vital for everyone. Without food or drink, no one can live. Without Jesus, we perish. Everyone must eat for themselves, no one can do it for them.

The Promise (verses 28-30). “... for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Because of Jesus’ shed blood on the cross, we can have a new covenant relationship with God. His shed blood made the new covenant sure and reliable - confirmed with the life of God Himself. The blood that ratified this new covenant was not animal See Passover on B4

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The Forsyth County Union Missionary Union of Woman’s Baptist Home and Foreign Missionary Convention of North Carolina, Inc. held a celebration of history and legacy commemorating 112 years, building on the foundation of God’s love.

The guest speaker for the event was Reverend Dr. Sherri ArnoldGraham. Dr. Graham is the executive secretary/treasurer of the Woman’s Baptist Home and Foreign Missionary Convention of North Carolina Inc. Her sermon was titled “The Law of Inheritance Sub Title (When is your Then).”

Other program participants included: Reverend Randell Cain, Jr., Bishop Sherwood Davis and Reverend Glenn Pettiford.

God was truly in the house. We are grateful to the great Dr. Serenus T. Churn Sr., who is the pastor of

Submitted photo

Reverend Dr. Sherri Arnold-Graham (middle) was the guest speaker for the 112th year celebration.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church, for hosting this great celebration. We were able to continue a dialogue through scripture informing them of their church’s heritage and legacy. We conveyed the message of God that they are still a very important part of our great convention. The Woman’s

Baptist Home and Foreign Missionary Convention is still alive and well.

They have not gone anywhere!

Mr. Ralph Meadows represented his mother Mrs. Alma Barber (our third union president) in song with two wonderful selections. He surely ushered us in the presence of the Lord. We thank God for his music conveying God is doing a mighty thing in the Forsyth County Missionary Union of Woman’s Baptist Home & Foreign Missionary Convention of North Carolina. The other churches’ involvement was highlighted as well.

This Great Union was started in 1910 at First Baptist Church, 700 Highland Avenue. There were so many wonderful women associated with this Great Union. To God be the Glory for the great things he has done through those faithful missionaries.

Religious hope and support have helped many cope NNPA Newswire - Keith Thompson was alone again with his thoughts and, as usual, it wasn’t good.

Recently divorced, drowning in debt and facing a fourth back surgery for chronic pain, the 48-year-old trucker no longer cared whether he lived or died.

Such mental and emotional distress haunts millions. A recent government survey showed a doubling in the proportion of Americans reporting anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms since 2019. The pandemic increased the number turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and substance abuse.

That’s what Thompson had tried since his teenage years as he battled depression and self-hatred.

Then an unexpected phone call changed everything for the Hebron, Ohio, resident.

Just days before his surgery, Thompson spoke to one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a group known for their public preaching but now pivoting to phone calling and letter writing to share their Bible message during the pandemic.

It was a wake-up call for Thompson.

“I tried it my way for some 40 years and look where it got me,” he said. “I thought I’d try God’s way for a change.”

After his surgery, Thompson started studying the Bible in earnest.

His instructor became his confidant and mentor, helping him use Bible principles to work through his intense negative feelings. Thompson then began to help others by sharing in the ministry alongside the Witnesses.

“I got to the point where I felt, ‘I want to be alive,’” he said, “like I had done something worthwhile.”

Amid the pandemic, he became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and made it his life’s work to reach out to comfort others with the Bible’s message of hope, love, and forgiveness that helped change his life, even studying the Bible with a man dealing with his own addiction and mental health issues.

Thompson’s transformation is no isolated phenomenon. Faith and the support of a congregation have

helped many others turn the corner in their recovery.

“While the Bible does not indicate that spirituality cures medical problems, many have derived comfort and strength from what the Bible teaches and the practical guidance it provides,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Hope, support, and positive coping skills aid mental health – whether these are built up by professional or faith-based sources, noted Lawrence Onoda, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist based in Mission Hills, California. Even those with serious mental health conditions may find some aspects of religious participation help them cope with their symptoms, he said.

As one of the some 8 million in the United States who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Gloria Acosta knew she needed comfort even if there is no cure. While an arduous journey toward sobriety through a veterans’ program helped her get stabilized and settled in her own apartment in Los Angeles, her journey stopped short of providing peace of mind.

“There was this constant fear,” recalled the 68-year-old.

“I nailed the windows shut, put extra locks on the door, kept the blinds closed.”

Then one Saturday, a ray of sunshine knocked at her door. It was Elizabeth, a 12-year-old in yellow ruffles, whose innocence and boundless enthusiasm for the Bible message she was sharing disarmed Acosta. Acosta started studying the Bible with Elizabeth, accompanied by others in the girl’s congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

After years of fighting for her life on the streets, the faith Acosta was gaining and the warm support of fellow believers gradually had an emotionally healing effect on her.

“I started feeling safe in my own surroundings,” said Acosta. “I felt happy, which I had never felt before.”

Since becoming one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in August 2020, she’s removed all the extra locks on her doors.

Warm sunlight floods through

her windows as she sits at her desk to join congregation meetings on a virtual platform since the pandemic started.

While her PTSD still causes sleepless nights, she expressed feeling at peace with God and herself. “I don’t have to be all those things that I thought I had to be to survive in life,” she said. “I can just be Gloria.”

The Hardrick family of Westland, Michigan, also fought through survival mode for years as they struggled with both homelessness and cancer. They stayed in a claustrophobic hotel room where drug deals and prostitution awaited just outside the door. Leaving his wife, weak from chemotherapy and radiation treatments, there with his son shrouded Willie Hardrick in overwhelming anxiety every day as he headed to work.

“I was feeling defeated and useless - like I couldn’t do anything for my family,” he said.

Taking the advice of his Bible teacher to pray every day would calm him, though. Hardrick kept up with his Bible studies and got baptized during the pandemic. While his family eventually found a place to call their own, their anxieties weren’t over. Hardrick soon got his own diagnosis of cancer spreading through his body.

“The congregation has helped me keep my sanity,” said Hardrick, recalling the meals, rides to the hospital and other practical assistance he received from fellow worshippers.

Even more than that congregation support system, the hope from the Scriptures is what his wife, Angela, said helps her through what can feel like a hopeless situation.

“I remind myself every single day that – no matter how bad things go – I have to look forward to the future: No more sickness, no more homelessness,” she said, referring to Bible teachings about a future free from suffering. “And with a brotherhood and their love that is so strong, you can overcome anything.”

More information on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including resources for coping with mental illness and emotional distress, can be found on their official website, www. jw.org.

RELIGION CALENDAR

Thursdays and Saturdays Free Meals Christ Rescue Temple Church, 1500 North Dunleith Ave., will serve hot meals as part of the People Helping People Feeding Program. Meals will be served every Thursday and Saturday from noon until 1 p.m. at the church’s location. For more information, call 336-7229841.

Each Sunday Worship services Green Street United Methodist Church, 639 S. Green St., Winston-Salem, invites you to join online worship services on Sundays at 11 a.m., or in-person services at 8:45 a.m. The 11 a.m. service, which is available via Facebook and YouTube, is a celebration of the diversity of the human family, a no-frills service that is thoughtful, personal, and deeply spiritual. The 8:45 a.m. service is a quiet, contemplative space including prayer, scripture, preaching, and communion; masks and social distancing will be in effect in the sanctuary. Join us at www. greenstreetumc.org, on YouTube, or on Facebook.

Each Sunday Sunday service Transformation Ministries will have service every Sunday at 10 a.m. We are located at 4880 Burnette Drive. Masks are required.

3rd Friday of each month Women’s fellowship The Antioch Baptist Church (ABC) Women, 5061 Lansing Dr., cordially invites all women to join us the third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. for conversation as we share and embrace each other in these challenging times. Join us via conference call. Dial in: 267-807-9601 Access Code:189545592#. Rev. Frederick L. Barnes, Jr. is the senior pastor. For more information, call 336-9923751.

April 3 First Waughtown Baptist Church (FWBC) Online Dr. Dennis W. Bishop, Senior Pastor of First Waughtown Baptist Church (FWBC), will deliver the message for in-person worship service Sunday, April 3. Doors

will open at 9:30 a.m. for screening prior to the 10 a.m. service. Completed waiver forms and masks that cover the nose and mouth are still required. The form can be submitted electronically on the FWBC website – www. firstwaughtown.org -- click on RE-ENTRY 2022, and printed copies will be available in the lobby prior to service. Other in-person protocols and information about 6:00 pm virtual Sunday School are accessible via the FWBC homepage RE-ENTRY link. Persons who prefer to continue worshiping virtually are invited to join us on the following platforms: YouTube, https://www. youtube.com (First Waughtown); Facebook, https:// www.facebook.com/FirstWaughtown/; and the First Waughtown website, https://www.firstwaughtown.org.

(NOTE: Services are posted on a one-week delay.)

How to submit items to the Religion calendar: The deadline is Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to have all calendar items submitted for that week’s paper. Send your calendar items to news@wschronicle.com. You can also drop them off, Monday through Friday before 5 p.m., or mail your items to Winston-Salem Chronicle, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101; or send them via our website, www.wschronicle.com.

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March 31, 2022

The C hronicle

Passover

Community Calendar NOW- April 25 Tr a n s f o r m a t i v e Grant application Local non-profit organizations can apply for a transformative grant starting at 8 a.m. Friday, March 25, using the application link posted at CityofWS. org/TransformativeGrants.

Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m.

Monday, April 25. The City Council is seeking proposals for programs that have a long-lasting, transformative impact on such social and economic needs as poverty alleviation, job training and economic mobility.

Grant proposals will be accepted from any registered non-profit organization with current 501(c)3 tax-exempt status and that has been in business for at least a year as of March 25. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount that an organization may request. The full list of documents is posted at CityofWS.org/TransformativeGrants. Applicants with questions can send an email to ARPA@cityofws. org.

NOW- May 31 Literary contest Flying South, the annual literary competition sponsored by WinstonSalem Writers, is accepting entries in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from March 1 through May 31. $2,000 in prizes will be awarded. Best in Category winners will be published and will receive $500 each.

One of the three winners will receive the WinstonSalem Writers’ President’s Favorite award and will win an additional $500. All entries will be considered for publication.

For complete rules and submission details, visit www.wswriters.org/flyingsouth. Winners will be announced on or around July 1, 2022.

April-May Volunteers needed The Piedmont Plus Senior Games needs volunteers to help with a variety of events during April and May. Some events include: Bocce, shuffleboard, tennis, chair volleyball, billiards, golf and field events. Each event is only a couple of hours, most on weekdays, some are indoors, some are outdoors.

For more information and to sign up, visit the signup page at:https://signup. com/go/ksXQJQo OR contact Kevin (kevinw@ cityofws.org) or Anna (annam@cityofws.org) or call the Senior Games office, 336-725-2325. Piedmont Plus Senior Games, a program for adults age 50+, is offered through the City of Winston-Salem Parks and Recreation. Come join the fun!

April 3 Garden Party in honor of Maya Angelou Writers are invited to attend the annual “Garden Party in Honor of Dr. Maya Angelou.” It is Sunday, April 3, in Bailey Park from 2-4 p.m. It is an event to celebrate poetry, spoken word art, and the legacy of Dr. Angelou. You can sign up to read original works or favorite poetry by using the link: http://tinyurl.com/ gardenparty2022. If you would like to learn more or have questions, please feel free to contact Alana James at jamesam@wfu. edu.

April 5 Free day for caregivers registration deadline On Tuesday, April 12, 10a.m.-2p.m., family caregivers are invited to join other caregivers for a trip to Dewberry Farm in Kernersville. In addition

to providing a break from daily caregiving duties, caregivers will have the opportunity to walk around the farm, see the beautiful spring flowers, and enjoy a relaxing lunch outdoors.

Group transportation available. Deadline for registration is April 5. Limited respite care available. For more information, or to register, contact Carol Ann Harris, charris@shepherdscenter.org or 336-7480217. This event is provided by the It’s All About You Caregiver Program, sponsored by The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, ComForCare Home Care, Trinity Presbyterian Church, and the Family Caregiver Support Program.

April 8 Conference for women entrepreneurs SBA Women’s Business Center in partnership with New Journey Management Group will be hosting their first conference “The Ability of a Woman Entrepreneur” on Friday, April 8, at the SG Atkins Enterprise Center.

The cost of the Conference is only $25. Register early, we are expecting a soldout event.

The conference will address barriers that hinder women (specifically lower income minority women) to pursue entrepreneurship. If you need a sponsor, please contact WBCWinston.

April 8 Mt. Tabor walk-athon registration The STAND Club at Mount Tabor High School is hosting a walkathon, “Walk for Refugees: Ukrainian Rescue Relief” on Saturday, April 23, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mount Tabor High School stadium. Registration Fee:2K walk - $15, 5K non-competitive - $20 and 5K competitive run - $25.

To register, go to bit.ly/ walkforukraine. Registration deadline is April 8.

April 9 Golf tournament fundraiser Chi Chi Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc. are pleased to announce our First Annual Golf Tournament. We want to raise funds for student nurse scholarships and community health initiatives. The tournament will be held at the beautiful Winston Lake Golf Course on Saturday, April 9, 2022. Registration is at 8:30 a.m.; tee off at 9:30 a.m. For more information or questions, please contact: Barbara Crumb (336) 408-9674 or Melinda Foster Mack (336) 995-1002 April 19 Black-owned Table Talk HUSTLE WinstonSalem and WF Center for Private Business present Black-Owned Table Talk on April 19 @ 3:30 p.m.

During this Black-Owned Table Talk, we are covering Buying B[L]ACK the Block where we will focus on new ways for entrepreneurs and business leaders to gain equity/ownership in businesses, historical and current economic hubs for Black businesses across NC, and mentorship as a critical vehicle for economic mobility in the Black community. Register at https://blackownedtabletalk-buytheblock. eventbrite.com May 5-7 Used book sale The Shepherd’s Center of Greater WinstonSalem will hold its 35th Annual Used Book Sale on Thursday, May 5, and Friday, May 6, from 9 a.m.

to 9 p.m., and on Saturday, May 7, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (1/2 Price on all items!). The book sale is one of the largest in our state! Parking and admission are FREE! The sale will be held in the Education Building at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.

Entrance for parking is through Gate 5 from Deacon Blvd. There is no admission and there will be thousands of used books and other items on hand at exceptional prices.

June 18 Juneteenth registration Triad Cultural Arts’ Annual Juneteenth Festival will take place on Saturday, June 18, at Innovation Quarter — Biotech Place from 1 – 5 p.m. and Bailey Park from 1 – 8 p.m. Our theme for this year is Celebrate Freedom & The Will to Be Free with a focus on African American healing rituals & traditions.

If you are interested in performing at this year’s festival, please complete the Performer Application form. Be sure to add a URL link to your website/social media page or a link to a video of your band performing in the comment section. https://form.jotform. com/220527954068158.

If you are interested in participating as a Merchandise/Business, Non-Profit, or Food Vendor, please complete the Vendor Registration form. https://triadculturalarts.org/index. php/vendors/.

July 1 Scholarship deadline The Winston-Salem Foundation is now accepting applications for its scholarship program for the 2022-2023 academic year. July 1 is the deadline for financial need-based scholarships.

Most scholarships are accessed through our online One-Stop Scholarship Application. Students are automatically considered for the scholarships for which they are eligible—with just one application.

For more information and to access the application portal, visit wsfoundation.org/students.

How to submit items to the community calendar: We appreciate your community news. Here’s how you can help us to process your news more efficiently: *Please give us complete information about the event, such as the sponsor and address, date, time and place of the event and contact information so that the public can contact someone for more information if needed. *Please submit items in document form in an email or Word or PDF attachment. *Submit photos as attachments to emails as jpegs at least 4 inches wide by 6 inches deep rather than sent on documents.

Please send captions with photos. *Please do not send jpeg fliers only, since we cannot transfer the information on them into documents.

The deadline is Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to have all calendar items submitted for that week’s paper.

Send your calendar items to news@wschronicle.com. You can also drop them off, Monday through Friday before 5 p.m., or mail your items to Winston-Salem Chronicle, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101; or send them via our website, www.wschronicle.com.

From page B3

blood which would require repetition, but Christ’s own blood given once for the remission of sins. This new covenant goes beyond the new nation created by the Exodus from Egypt. This new Passover – Last Supper - Communion creates a people, a body of believers united in Jesus Christ, remembering and trusting His sacrifice. Verse 29 looks forward to the future Passover celebration in heaven. Jesus is waiting for all His people to be gathered to Him – “… I will not drink of this fruit

Father

From page B1

ride home with him, we will talk about the pros and cons of what we did well as a team and what I did individually and what I need to work on,” Jacari said. “Things like staying low on my dribble, making free throws and making the right pass.”

Coach Brim said he likes to keep it as a player/ coach relationship with Jacari during the game and afterwards they can return to being father and son.

“During the games it’s coach mode and after the game on the ride home it’s dad mode,” said Coach Brim. “In between the basketball lines, it’s Coach; when it’s ride home and at home, it’s dad. So we try to have that line to make sure things are coach/player and dad/son to make it work.”

Brim says he treats his son like any other player on the team, but admits he does have high expectations.

“I treat him like anybody else, but I am harder because I expect more,” Brim said about his relationship with his son as coach. “As being a coach’s son, people look at you differently, that things can be given to you or your skill set is not up to par to be playing on a varsity level as a ninth grader.”

Jacari exceeded the expectations that Coach Brim had for him to begin the season. With Jacari making the transition from middle school to high school, along with Atkins moving up to 3A, Brim assumed it would take longer for Jacari to find his groove.

“For him to average 13 points, lead the conference assists at 7, and was top 10 in the state in assists, and he led the team and the conference in steals; yeah, he kind of exceeded my expectations,” said Brim.

Jacari primarily played the shooting guard position growing up and he is now learning to become a true point guard. There is a lot still left to learn about being a point guard, but Jacari is off to a great start and his potential ceiling is very high.

This is the first time Brim has coached his son as a head coach. He was an assistant on one of Jacari’s AAU teams, but said he wanted Jacari to learn the game as a player and not turn to Brim for every direction. Brim says his son has been fortunate to play for some quality head coaches as he moved up in age.

“I really didn’t want to be his head coach growing up because I wanted him to develop as a player and not always look at me for directions,” Brim continued. “This year was my first true year of being his head coach, but we have always talked outside of AAU games and workouts about things he needs to work on.”

To become a better player, Brim feels Jacari needs to work on getting stronger, his midrange game and being an overall better player by doing the

of the vine from now until the day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (See Revelation 19:9). There are three Psalms known as the Hallel, Psalms 116 - 118, these always end the Passover – read them. Despite knowing what was to come, Jesus sang in adoration and worship to God the Father.

(The UMI Annual Commentary 2021-2022, The Jewish Study Bible, The MacArthur Study Bible, The New Interpreters Study Bible and The Oxford Bible Commentary).

For Your Consideration: How do you think the Hallel would have af-

fected Jesus?

Application: Eat – Drink. “If you have any questions as to whether you have drunk – drink again! To be sure that you have eaten, eat again! If you would be assured that you have believed in Jesus, believe again! (Spurgeon).

FYI: Forsyth County Sunday School Union meets “virtually” every 3rd Sunday at 3 p.m. You may join for classes and programs using the following “Zoom” credentials: ID 819 7872 9662, Passcode 787444, Phone: 1-301715-8592.

little things to get wins. He says they frequently have conversations about that so that he can continue to develop.

As much as he would like to separate being dad and coach, sometimes Brim catches himself being a proud dad on the sidelines when Jacari does

something well.

“Sometimes I smile after I watch film when he makes a good play or a nice pass,” said Brim. “I do see some things in him and I am a proud dad, but I am also coach, so we don’t talk about it until after the game or the ride home.”

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1. Zoning petition of Rogelio Torres Patino and Yvette Cuevas Torres from GI and HB to HB: property is located on the west side of N. Patterson Avenue, north of Motor Road; property consists of ± 2.37 acre(s) and is PIN(s) 6828-80-4760 as shown on the Forsyth County Tax Maps (Zoning Docket W-3517).

2. An ordinance amendment proposed by Planning and Development Services staff, in consultation with the City and County Attorneys, to eliminate criminal penalties as an enforcement action for various sections of the Unified Development Ordinances, as required by NC Senate Bill 300 (UDO-CC16).

All parties in interest and citizens are invited to attend said hearing at which time they shall have an opportunity to be heard in favor of or in opposition to the foregoing proposed changes.

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Denise M. Dargan (21 E 2401), also known as Denise Michelle Dargan, deceased June 3, 2021, 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 July 5, 2022 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 31st day of March, 2022.

Pamela Dargan-Pearce Administrator for Denise M. Dargan, deceased 5009 Woodsboro Lane Winston-Salem, NC 27105 The Chronicle March 31, and April 7, 14, 21, 2022

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Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Kenneth O’Neal McHam Sr. (22 E 342), also known as OTHER NAMES, deceased November 6, 2021, 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 July 5, 2022 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 31st day of March, 2022.

Frances S. McHam Administrator for Kenneth O’Neal McHam, deceased 4112 Sunflower Cir. Winston-Salem, NC 27105 The Chronicle March 31, and April 7, 14, 21, 2022

3. update YRK’s diversity plan and goals in conjunction with the executive director and YRK board.

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All requests for appropriate and necessary auxiliary aids and services must be made, within a reasonable time prior to the hearing, to Angela Carmon at 747-7404 or to T.D.D. 727-8319.

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Prior to the hearing, all persons interested may obtain any additional information on these proposals which is in the possession of the City-County Planning Board by inquiring in the office of the City-County Planning Board in the Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building on weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Jose C. Ford Fiduciary for Doris Jean McLeod, deceased 2504 W. Cumberland St. FL 1 Philadelphia, PA 19132

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During the public hearing the City Council may hear other proposals to amend the zoning of the above-described property or any portion thereof. At the end of the public hearing, the City Council may continue the matter, deny the proposed rezoning, in whole or in part, grant the proposed rezoning, in whole or in part, or rezone the above-described property or any portion thereof to some other zoning classification.

This the 9th day of March, 2022.

Diversity Communications SpecialistYadkin Riverkeeper- February 2022 Yadkin Riverkeeper, Inc. (YRK) is seeking to hire a part-time (20 hrs/week) diversity communications specialist to: 1. identify and reach out to communities of color on water quality and environmental justice issues,

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6. Grant writing experience.

Please send cover letter and resume by April 15 to: Edgar Miller Executive Director/Riverkeeper 846 W. 4th Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 edgar@yadkinriverkeeper.org The Chronicle March 31, 2022

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to the requirements of Article 6 of Chapter 160D of the General Statutes of North Carolina, that the City Council of the City of Winston-Salem will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, Room 230, 101 N. Main Street, WinstonSalem, NC at 7:00 p.m. on April 4, 2022, on the following proposed amendments to the Official Zoning Map of the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina:

Having qualified as Fiduciary of the Estate of Doris Jean McLeod (21 E 2650), deceased October 19, 2021, 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 June 13, 2022 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.

TE Connectivity in Winston-Salem, NC is looking for an IT Team Leader (ITTL01) to provide technical IT leadership to a group of Regional Service Deliver employees, based in the region. To apply, mail resume including job code ITTL01 to TE Connectivity Corporation, ATTN: Robin Sharp, 3700 Reidsville Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

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March 31, 2022

The C hronicle

A Brother’s Love

BY JOEL MCIVER

It isn’t easy being a caregiver—especially when you’re caring for big brother who just happens to be a celebrity.

However, that is the role Bernard Walker finds himself in after moving his brother, gold record recording artist Chuck Jackson into his home. Chuck Jackson rose to fame during the ‘60s through hit songs like “Any Day Now.” Born in Winston-Salem a decade apart, the brothers did not come of age together. Bernard says that Chuck was always singing from an early age and was very talented and gifted. Chuck left the family home to live with an aunt in South Carolina when Bernard was very young.

Chuck eventually graduated from high school and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was discovered. “He was hungry and on a mission.

He met Burt Bacharach in 1961 and I remember when he called home and said, ‘I got a hit record!’”

It was named “I Don’t Want to Cry.” Bacharach later introduced him to the song “Any Day Now,” which became a huge success.

The distance in age and location never weakened the bond between the brothers. “I care about him because of the past that we’ve had, and the relationship we’ve had in terms of being a brother. Sometimes the word brother is misinterpreted because you can have a brother and not be close.

But when you have a brother that’s a friend, that cares about you and you know that … well, that means a lot to me,” says Bernard.

Their parents didn’t have money for many extras for Bernard while he

Submitted photo

Bernard Walker with his brother, singer Chuck Jackson. was in high school but being the brother of a recording star has its perks.

Back in those days, Chuck looked out for Bernard.

“He’s always been very generous towards me even though he was famous and made some hit records,” said Bernard. Chuck wanted the best for his younger brother and made sure he had it. “My mom and dad couldn’t afford the clothes that kids were wearing but Chuck always made sure that I had nice clothes.

It was big for me back then—being able to expect a package from New York—yeah, that was big.

I was grateful for that.”

Receiving gifts weren’t the only things he was able to look forward to. Chuck often sent for Bernard to join him on tour. “I would be backstage with him in his dressing room. It put me in a position to see things and learn things. He gave me a lot of knowl-

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edge about business and things of that nature. I’ve always admired the fact that I can say I have a big brother. He’s not an entertainer to me, he’s my big brother.”

Bernard loved that his brother always maintained a certain demeanor. He never forgot how he was raised. He was always active in the music business and became the producer of the Apollo theatre in New York and played a role in preserving the theatre when it was almost shut down.

Even as the lights dimmed on Chuck’s career in the entertainment industry, the brothers remained close, speaking by telephone several times per

week. Chuck eventually left New York and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He was living there when Bernard found out about his big brother’s health challenges. “When I found out about his condition, it was a shock to me.” Bernard says that his brother is prideful and didn’t want anyone to know about his fading health. “Even though we talked almost every day, I never knew that his condition was the way that it was until he called me one night and said that he’d fallen and had been on the floor for a long time.” He was living alone. Bernard immediately made the trip to Atlanta. “I saw him, and he didn’t look good in terms

of his health.” Bernard later learned that his brother had Alzheimer’s and was quickly losing the ability to care for himself. “I realized he needed help and offered for him to come and live with us.” He made the offer before consulting his wife, Linda. “I’m blessed to have a wife as understanding as Linda. It was hard taking this to her because I knew it would interrupt our life together.

But instantly she responds, what else are we going to do? She has been there!

She cooks for him, bathes him, she changes him. She does all of the caretaking duties.”

With Linda on board, the only thing left to do was to convince Chuck to come. “It wasn’t easy, but he eventually came around.” That’s when Bernard had another realization. “I didn’t have a clue how do deal with the situation of him and his Alzheimer’s.” Although there was never a moment of hesitation about bringing Chuck into their home, Bernard and Linda felt a bit overwhelmed by the new responsibility they had taken on. “For a while my wife and I struggled … with the Alzheimer’s. We struggled with his changing temperament and the needs. We had to readjust our lives.”

A friend at church recommended they call Senior Services. “I called and immediately they responded. Since that time, I can say that it’s been much easier to make that transition from a ‘normal’ life to becoming a caregiver.”

The family receives home care services and absolutely loves their certified nursing aide, who

helps to care for Chuck.

They also plan to look into enrolling Chuck at the Elizabeth and Tab Williams Adult Day Center to increase his opportunity for social interaction. “I’m grateful for Senior Services and the leadership and all the help they supplied and the information that they have given me.”

Bernard smiles when he speaks about his brother. It’s easy to hear the admiration he has for Chuck after all these years. He’s also quick to acknowledge how their roles have reversed now that he is looking after his big brother and how that has changed his perspective a bit. “I can admire now more than ever caregivers as a whole— those who reach out to do these types of things. We don’t think about these things until they happen to us. Then we can understand. My prayer is for all caregivers. It takes a special type of individual to take care of people and understand their condition and to be there with them and for them.”

Senior Services is proud to support and partner with Bernard Walker and Chuck Jackson, as well as hundreds of other caregivers and their loved ones to help keep families together. Senior Services is dedicated to helping older adults remain in their homes, living with dignity and aging with purpose.

Joel McIver is vice president of community engagement for Senior Services. For more information on the services provided by Senior Services, visit www.seniorservicesinc.org.

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T he C hronicle

Free day out for caregivers The Shepherd’s Center recognizes the compassionate care that those taking care of spouses, family members or friends provide to their loved ones and the emotional toll that this places on caregivers. To give them a much-needed break, they are providing a free day off for caregivers to give them a chance to relax and recharge their emotional batteries.

Photo by Faye Photography On Tuesday, April 12, Spring flowers blossom at from10 a.m.-2 p.m., fam- the entrance to Dewberry ily caregivers are invited Farm. to join other caregivers for tirely from trees found and a trip to Dewberry Farm milled on the property.” in Kernersville. In addi- Find out more at www. tion to providing a break dewberrymanor.com. from daily caregiving duGroup transportation ties, caregivers will have is available. Deadline for the opportunity to walk registration is April 5. around the farm, see the Limited respite care availbeautiful spring flowers, able. and enjoy a relaxing lunch For more informaoutdoors. tion or to register, contact From their website: Carol Ann Harris, char“Dewberry Farm sits on ris@shepherdscenter.org 20 acres of the original or 336-748-0217.

100-acre family farm, purThis event is provided chased by Ash Johnson by the It’s All About You back in 1925. The farm Caregiver Program, sponwas originally used for to- sored by The Shepherd’s bacco and sugarcane, with Center of Greater Winthe sugarcane being used ston-Salem, ComForCare to create molasses for the Home Care, Trinity Preslocal community. The cur- byterian Church, and the rent farm house was built Family Caregiver Support in 1989 and the barn that Program. sits below was built en-

March 31, 2022

B7

SilverArts medal winners announced Senior Games/SilverArts literary competition was judged by WinstonSalem Writers’ members in March and a notebook with all the entries will be available on the second floor of the Central Public Library during the month of April. The Visual and Heritage Arts competitions will also be on view at the downtown Central Library during the month of April and those winners will be announced at a later date.

The Performing Arts will be held on Friday, April 22, 6:30 p.m., at Redemption Hill Church, 2491 Salem Park Drive, Winston-Salem.

The deadline to enter Senior Games sporting events, Visual or Heritage Arts or Performing Arts competitions is TODAY, Thursday, March 31. You can submit your registration form online at www.WePlay.ws until midnight.

The 2021 Literary Arts winners are: Poetry: Gold: Peter Venable, “Wrightsville Beach” Silver: Rebecca Holder, “The Book Return” Bronze: Sondra Wainer, “Nature’s Alarm Clock” Essay: Gold: William Gramley, “Orion Transformed” Silver: Peter Venable, “War of the World Views” Bronze: Jessie Crockett, “My Thoughts on the High 5”

Short Story: Gold: Rebecca Holder, “The Rose Fence” Silver: Sharon Cullison, “Lucy” Bronze: Leslie Lavender, “Maude’s World” Life Experience/Memoir: Gold: Betty Weatherman, “Always Together” Silver: Sondra Wainer, “In The Blink of an Eye” Bronze: Helen Webb, “Birthday Adventures”

The gold medal winners can compete at the State Senior Games in September in Raleigh. An anthology of all entries will be printed and available for $5 at the Senior Games office, Black-Phillips-Smith Government Center, 2301 N. Patterson Avenue.

For more information on Senior Games, go to www.weplay.ws and click on the Seniors link.

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October Senior Events Calendar: Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, 1700 Ebert Street: Some of the ongoing Shepherd’s Center activities are listed below.

Call the Shepherd’s Center at 336-748-0217 for information. Contact Kristin Larson at klarson@shepherdscenter.org to register and for Zoom meeting information. More of their programs, including those on off-campus sites, can be found on their website at www.shepherdscenter.org. *Mondays 10-11 a.m., line dancing for fun and fitness with Brenda Holcomb. $7 per class. Meets on the upper level. Please arrive by 9:15 a.m. as class begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. * March 30, deadline to register for Powerful Tools for Caregivers class to be held on Tuesdays, April 5-May 17, 5-6:30 p.m. This is a virtual class; video and audio access required. There is no charge for classes, but donations are accepted. Workbook included. To receive registration information, contact Carol Ann Harris at The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, 336-748-0217, or charris@shepherdscenter.org. *Tuesdays, 12-1 p.m., Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention with Wanda Patterson. $2 donation. *Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m., The Shepherd Center Singers. Donations accepted. Please contact Carmina Jenks at pegjen2@gmail.com to join. *Wednesdays, Fellowship and Games, 1:30-4 p.m., meets on the lower level. *Wednesdays, 1:30-4:00 p.m., Adult coloring. *Way Back Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. with Paul McCraw, a local historian and retired history teacher, who will discuss local and world history and relate it to today’s events. Via Zoom. *Thursdays, 12-1 p.m., Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention, forms I and II with Wanda Patterson. $2 donation. *Thursdays at 1 p.m., Game Day with Fay and Kristin. We play different games every week, such as Boggle, Scattergories, Trivia, Pictionary and more. Come join the fun! We ask that you please arrive by 1 p.m.; once the game begins you will not be able to join. Via Zoom. *Thursdays, 1:30 – 4:00 p.m., Chess with Paul Sluder. *Thursdays at 3 p.m., Thinking Outside the Box Discussion Group.

Meets in person on lower level.

Mary Alice Warren Community Center, 7632 Warren Park Drive, Lewisville: The classes below are presented by Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem: *Writing Stories from your Life: Every second Monday, 10 a.m.12 noon. Closed group.

For additional classes held at this center, visit https://lewisvillenc. net/MAWCC and click on Classes Offered.

Brown & Douglas Active Adult Center, 4725 Indiana Avenue: Various activities for seniors. Contact Serena Mumford at 336661-4998 or email serenam@cityofws.org for more information. *Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, TechWise. Get help with all your digital devices. Call Serena for appointment. *Mondays and Wednesdays, 9-10 a.m., yoga. *Mondays and Thursdays, 12:30 p.m., Hebrew dance class *Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m., chair exercises. *Tuesdays, 12 noon, Cooking Matters *Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Basketball Shoot Around *Tuesdays, 2 p.m., Tai Chi *Wednesdays, 1 p.m., Chair volleyball *Thursdays, 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Nature Walk & Talk *Thursdays, 5 p.m., T.O.P.S. weight loss class *Thursdays, 6:30 p.m., Let’s Jam with Jamita step aerobics *Fridays, 1 p.m., Corn hole *Fridays, 1 p.m., golf putting

*Fridays, 1 p.m., Game Day Special Programs at Brown & Douglas *Wednesday, April 6, 9 a.m., No Penguins in Piney Grove birdwatching program with the Audubon Society of Forsyth County. *Wednesday, April 6, 1 p.m., News You Can Use sponsored by United Health Centers. Physicans Dr. Veronica Wilshire and Dr. Sadegh Saleknezgad, and attorney Eric Ellison and the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program will be on site to answer questions. *Wednesday, April 6, 2 p.m. – Bingo! *Friday, April 8, 10:30 a.m., Staying Social with Humana – emotional wellness program. *Monday, April 11, 12 noon, National Barbershop Quartet Day featuring Sound Counsel. *Wednesday, April 13, 11 a.m., Senior Talent Show and Spring Fashion Show Salvation Army Senior Center, 2850 New Walkertown Road: *Tuesdays, 10 a.m., line dancing *Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m., chair yoga *Tuesdays, 11 a.m., chair volleyball *Wednesdays, 11 a.m., drumming exercise *Wednesdays, 12 p.m., spiritual development *Wednesdays, 1:30 p.m., REACHE Program *Thursdays, 10 a.m., hand bells music *Thursdays, 11 a.m., educational program *Thursdays, 12 p.m., Lunch (please sign up by calling Captain Raquel Lorenzo at 336-499-1196) Carver School Road Public Library, 4915 Lansing Drive: *First Tuesday Get Together, April 5, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., arts, crafts and seasonal cards, hosted by Sandra Smith. *Adult games the last Thursday of each month, April 28, 11 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Come play cards, board games and dominos and make new friends!

Other events or meetings: *Open Mic, hosted by Winston-Salem Writers, (first Tuesday of each month). The next Open Mic is April 5, registration at 6:45 p.m., readings begin at 7 p.m., via Zoom. This event offers beginning and experienced writers an opportunity to read five minutes of their work to a friendly audience. Audience members welcome! To participate in the Zoom Open Mic, visit www.wswriters.org and click on the newsletter to get the link or email Judie Holcomb-Pack at judiehp@triad. rr.com. *AARP chapter meeting will be held virtually on April 12. For information about the local AARP chapter, email Alberta Powell at powellalberta0@gmail.com. Open to all seniors age 50 and above with an AARP membership. *Aging Well series presented by Wake Forest Baptist Sticht Center for Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention, (the second Tuesday of each month) will be held on April 12 at 5:30 p.m. virtually online. To register and receive the link to access the program, email bhealth@ wakehealth.edu . *Adult Children of Aging Parents meeting, (third Tuesday), will be held April 19 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. via Zoom. All are welcome, but the focus will be on the needs of adult children who are caring for their aging parents. For more information and to get the Zoom link, visit www.ACAPcommunity.org and look for Winston-Salem under the “Find your chapter” tab.

If you have an item for the Seniors Calendar, please email news@wschronicle.com and put Seniors Calendar in the subject line. Items must be submitted by the 20th of the preceding month for the next month’s issue.

B8

March 31, 2022

The C hronicle

Carolina Blues Festival, longest-running blues festival in the Southeast, returns May 21-22 Piedmont Blues Preservation Society (PBPS) will hold its 36th Annual Carolina Blues Festival: Young, Black & Blues, on Saturday, May 21, featuring live music at Lebauer Park in downtown Greensboro. Live music continues on Sunday, May 22, with the PBPS food truck rodeo, Blues & Foods Market, at Center City Park in downtown Greensboro from 2-6 p.m.

NC Blues Week, May 14-21, features cultural programming, a formal proclamation from the Greensboro Mayor's office, community blues jams in multiple cities, virtual events, and concerts in various venues.

The first Carolina Blues Festival was held in May 1987 and has grown significantly over the years, now extending over a two-day weekend. The nonprofit has also grown, adding such programs as Blues in the Schools. The program notes: “… the blues was created by African-Americans and is the first pure American music form to have originated in this country. Coming from the oral traditions of African-American folk music, the blues is the foundation for all other popular music forms students listen to

Photo by Owens Daniels

35th annual Carolina Blues Festival draws huge crowds for an afternoon of blues music. today.” They provide performances and educational programs stressing the importance of the history of the blues music genre.

PBPS president Atiba Berkley states, “The theme ‘Young, Black & Blues’ was intentionally chosen to amplify the voices of younger African American

players of Blues music and participants of Blues culture.”

The 36th Annual Carolina Blues Festival affords a unique opportunity to observe the range and depth of blues from the perspective of a younger generation of blues originators.

The complete lineup

will be released in early April. Please visit PiedmontBlues.org for tickets on sale now, including the limited availability Blues Lover’s Bundle, which rewards those who buy tickets before the lineup is released. There are special discounts available at checkout by using promo

codes. Public rducation employees get $5 off via the promo code BluesEd. U.S. military veterans and active duty service members are being honored with $5 off via the promo code BluesVet. Members of the various blues societies across the state all have access to deeper discounts

by contacting their regional group leaders.

For more information about the festival and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.piedmontblues. org or email Atiba Berkley at President@piedmontblues.org.

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