Winston-Salem Chronicle
Founded 1974
ERNEST H. PITT
Publisher
MICHAEL A. Pin NDUBISI EGEMONYE
Assistant to the Publisher Co-Founder
ANGELA WRIGHT ELAINE L PITT
Managing Editor Office Manager
JMU6 PERRY
Advertising Manager
We should not have to choose
TWO of our most important political entities met Mon
day night to discuss issues of great significance to the com
munity at-large and Afro- Americans in particular.
At one meeting, the Board of Aldermen, there was a
standing-room-only crowd caused by a massive turnout of
A fro- American citizens; at the other meeting, the Board of
Education, A fro- Americans were scarce.
One could logically argue that more Afro- Americans
attended the aldermen's meeting because they had a greater
interest in the matters to be discussed by that board.
The issue of the proposed jail site was an emotional
issue for many black people; they attended the meeting to
express their opposition to the site.
Some Afro-Americans attended the aldermen's meeting
because they were concerned about the loitering ordinance.
. ? Meanwhile, the school board is merrily and unanimous
ly endorsing the superintendent's reorganization plan which
adds no Afro- American principals to our school system and
includes no Afro-Americans in key administrative posi
tions.
Afro- American children in Forsyth County will contin
ue to be taught in a school system that is administered, for
the most part, by white males. They will continue to do
poorly on achievement tests, and they will continue To be
disproportionately disciplined.
We know that many Afro- American citizens are con
cerned about the plight of black public school children and
* the decline in bhick school teachers and administrators.
But that concern was not evident Monday night, possi
bly because citizens were forced to choose between two
important meetings going head to head.
In addition to the conflict with the aldermen's meeting,
01 any of our citizens have given up trying to reach the
members of the school board. They have resigned them
selves to the fact that the board will continue to be insensi
tive to the needs of Afro- Americans.
We trust this is a temporary state of mind that will be
rectified by a new county election plan. Afro- Americans
should have the opportunity to elect school board members
who will respond to the concerns of black people.
Ideally, those board members will seek the advice of
concerned and knowledgeable Afro-Americans who could
contribute to making the schools more responsive to the
needs of minority students.
We can not expect our children to progress and excel in
our public school system until we have decision-making
Afro-American administrators who understand and care
about the needs of Afro-American children, particularly the
poor and disadvantaged.
It is not reasonable for us to expect a racially insensitive
school board to make the appropriate personnel changes
without outside pressure, exerted either a't the board meet
ings or at the ballot box.
The crowd attending Monday's meeting of the Board of
Aldermen was extraordinarily large, but even when there
are no major issues of controversy on that board's agenda,
one is likely to find many more citizens attending its meet
ing because the aldermen are sensitive to the needs of all
citizens.
At this point, however, attending the school board meet
ings is considered by many to be an exercise in futility.
Nonetheless, our voters should not have to choose
between attending the aldermen's meeting or the school
board meeting. One of the bodies should change its sched
ule.
I =
Reader: Give Coble more time before judging him
To The Editor:
Ostensibly people get into the
business of editing newspapers to
inform and/or entertain the public.
In the process, the editor has
every right to express his own
opinion. But so do those of us
who spend money to read your
newspaper. What's wrong with
you? Your irresponsible indict
ment of Dr. Larry Coble in your
recent editorial speaks, in my
opinion, to your absolute lack of
sensitivity and your own ego-driv
en absence of common sense.
Before you throw around such
terms as "racist good ol' boy," you
should spend a few extra minutes
at your typewriter considering the
purpose of a public school system.
It's about the education of our
children, not about serving self
interests ? yours or anyone else's,
except those of the people we
spend tax dollars to educate.
Dr. Larry Coble has been on
the job less than 75 days, and you
appear to have made it your busi-_
ness to enter a verdict on his pro
fessional ethics, his competence
and even his personal standards of
racial fairness. I respectfully sub
mit that you have done yourself,
your readers and Dr. Coble a dis
tinct disservice by airing your bit
terness in your editorial pages.
Fifteen years ago, in the race
for the State House, I received
more support from the A fro
-American citi zens of Forsyth
County than any white candidate
in the race ... because I went to
the trouble to listen to people.
Two years later, I voluntarily
withdrew from a County Commis
sion runoff with Mazie Woodruff,
effectively concluding my
attempts at elective office, in the
interest of a united community. I
speak from personal experience
when I tell you that you further
the cause of no one in this com
munity by working to divide it.
Let's make a deal. Fll agree to
keep buying your newspaper, if
you'll agree to give the Superin
NOW 1HAT ttWRg
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tendent of Schools at least 18 CHRONICLE MAI LB AO
months to give us all something
upon which we might pass judg- Our Readers Speak Out
ment.
C. Vincent Shortt
Winston-Salem
Editor's Note: The Chronicle's
editorial positions are not relat
ed to newspaper sales.
'Justice With Mercy'
To The Editor:
The Chronicle did a sensitive
and accurate portrayal of the trag
ic arrest of Celeste E. Beatty, who
has been charged with robbing
several Triad area banks in March
of this year.
Daughter of Rachel P. Jackson
and stepdaughter of Duane P.
Jackson, who are highly involved
persons in the community, Celeste
is an attractive, intelligent and
socially conscious young woman
in her own right. As her pastor, it
has been my privilege to watch
her growing spiritual develop
~ ment. : *?
Nothing has shocked and sad
dened the Dellabrook congrega
lion and myself more in our five
years together than this situation.
Anyone who knows Celeste and
who saw pictures of her at the
time of her arrest could clearly see
that she was not "herself." Having
visited her in the Forsyth and
Guilford county jails as well as
the Federal Penitentiary in Lex
ington, Ky., I can attest that she
has been a deeply disturbed young
woman.
Many people have askedr
Rachel or Duane or myself what
they can do to help. I've set up an
account at Mechanics and Farmers
Bank called the "Justice With
Mercy Fund." Checks can be writ
ten to this account and sent to my
church address, 115 Dellabrook
Road, Winston-Salem, N.C.
27,105. Deacon Sarah J. Boone,
our immediate past church trea
surer and a highly conscientious
woman, has graciously consented
to be treasurer of the "Justice With
Mercy Fund."
This lund, expedited more pri
vately, has already helped to pay
Celeste's initial legal fee of
$3,000. An extensive trial could
send the bill much higher. The
small but concerned congregation
of Dellabrook alone contributed
well over $300 as well as many
other friends and family.
You may have heard that
Celeste, on advice of legal coun
sel, has entered a guilty plea. The
main need for money is to pur
chase psychiatric evaluation to
enable a judge to see the overall
September.
This evaluation will also cost
$3,000. It is a high price, but
leniency in the case of this
promising young woman is a
product of "Justice With Mercy."
I know there are a lot of finan
cial causes, but this one has a
human and potentially still highly
productive face. I hope our com
munity can respond quickly and
generously.
The Rev. Carlton A.G~ Eversley
Pastor -
Dellabrook Presbyterian 4
Church
'Who are we?' We are African American!
t? a a ? ?? ? ? ?
/\incan American . is graauai
ly being used by Jesse Jackson,
Coretta King, Ben Chavis and oth
ers to describe people in the United
States of African origin. Over the
years, various terminologies were
used to describe descendants of
Africa.
At one time, we were called
African. Next, we were labeled
Negro. Later, we were call Colored.
We were also called Black and
Afro-American. In between African
and Afro- American, we were desig
nated Moor, Ethiopian, Blackamore,
African-American and Africo
American.
Writing in 1906, newspaper
editor Timothy Thomas Fortune
attempted to answer the question,
"Who are we?" He argued: "It is of
the highest importance that we
(people of African descent) get our
selves straightened out on this ques
tion of 'Who are we?' .... Until we
get this racial designation properly
fixed in the language and literature
of this country, we shall be kicked
AS I SEE IT
By LENWOOD G. DAVIS
and cuffed and sneered at .... u
It appears that in 1989, we still
do not know who we are. Some
people of African descent want to
be called Black Americans. Others
want to be designated Afro-Ameri
cans. Some also want to be labeled
African Americans (without the
hyphen between African and Amer
ican). A good argument can be
made for the latter designation.
We should be called African
Americans for at least four reasons.
First, it is a more accurate term
because it denotes a continent, a
body of land, something that is tan
gible, something that one can iden
tify with. In America, there are Ger
man-Americans, Japanese-Ameri
cans, Chinese-Americans, Italian
Americans, Vietnamese- Americans,
etc. Each of these groups are identi
fied with a country and land.
Secondly, we should be called
African Americans because Africa
not only is a continent, it is the land
of $ur origin; it is our spiritual as
well as our cultural home. Ever
since African Americans have been
in the United States, from our earli
est arrival to 1619, we have identi
fied with Africa. It first appeared in
the prefix of many of our churches,
lodges, schools and social organiza
tions: the African Methodist Epis
copal Church, the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church,
the African Friendly Society, the
African American League, Sons of
Africa, the African Academy,
African Free School, African
Daughters of Ethiopia, African
Female Ban Benevolent Society,
etc.
Thirdly, we should be called
African Americans so that now all
of the title, African American, will
be capitalized. When Black was
used, it was not always capitalized.
Some capitalized it, and some did
not. The latter argued that it was an
adjective and it is incorrect to capi
talize an adjective because it is used
to describe something.
Fourthly, African American
should be used as a means of devel
oping and sustaining group identity.
By using African American, the
group would 4iave a higher self
esteem and our identification in
American society frould be settled
once and for all.
We can also answer Timothy
Thomas Fortune's question once
and for all, "Who are we?" We are
African American!
Lenwood G. Davis teaches his
tory at Winston-Salem State Uni
versity.
The Chronicle invites people
throughout the community who
have an opinion to express to
submit columns for consideration
for publication in this space.
CHRONICLE CAMERA
Do movies like 'Do the Right Thing' promote violence?
unce again, one of Spike Lee's
movies has placed him at the center
of a national controversy.
This time, Mr. Lee's "Do The
Right Thing" is creating a stir over
the question of whether his on
screen exploration of racial conflict
will promote violence among audi
ences.
Mr. Lee developed the movie,
which is set in Brooklyn's Bed Sty
section, after becoming disturbed
by the violent incident in New
York's Howard Beach.
Lee has said he was angered
by the "slap on the wrist" the white
attackers in the incident received
and developed his movie as a rejec
tion of such racial violence.
By the end of "Do the Right
Thing," the neighborhood is in
flames, a long-standing business is
destroyed and one of the communi
ty residents is dead.
Mr. Lee denies that his movie
will provotoany type of violence
in the country's inner cities.
"They accuse me of making
this film to incite blacks and to
make black folks go crazy this
summer. I think we're much more
intelligent than that as a
people. ..My hope for this film is
that it will provoke open discussion
and provoke thought about the
madness of racism," Mr. Lee has
said in defense of his film.
This week's Chronicle Camera
asked residents if movies like "Do
the Right Thing" have the potential
to move audiences to violent acts.
Responses were varied. Some
residents said that most audiences
recognize that what they see on
the screen is a movip and not an
invitation to commit violent acts.
Others said movies could have that
effect on an audience.
Timothy
Thomas
'There's no
question.
Movies csn
lence."
Tyrone
Teal
"No. We see
that stuff
every day so
If s no differ
ent at the
movies."
Connie
Thomas
."Yes. TV and
movies
make neople
live in fanta
sy worlds
and they can
make people
do strange
things."
Ronald
Leak
"they can
but t won't
say they
always do."