Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 29, 1990, edition 1 / Page 9
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Program needs volunteers Thursday, March 29, 1990 Winston-Salem Ctironicle Page A9 From Page A1 er senior internship because she feels le program is an excellent exposure ehicle to law and social work, Ms. wens began her work in the program [September. The German bom 'army brat' said e first thing she noticed when she 5gan her internship was that very few lacks were involved in the program, "m very proud of this program," she lid "I've seen it make a difference in lese children's lives. But wouldn't it e nice if we had more black uardians." Ms. Owens said the lack fblack positive role models for these iildren sends the a distorted message lat may color the child's perception of imself. "If a black child is in need ad the person who always comes to their rescue is some white person, what do you think the child thinks about himself." Ms. Owens said as a group of people, blacks should be concerned that their children are being neglected and abused. She said that some chil dren regard a guardian as the only friend they have when they are going through the court system. The Guardian ad Litem program started in 1983. It is divided into two phases. The program's staff attorneys represent at risk children in court as attorney advocates once a social ser vice agency determines a child is in need of legal help. Most of the chil dren who end up in court have been the objects of abuse or neglect or are defendant upon the state. The guardian investigates the background circum stances of the child's situation. "We talk to neighbors, grandparents, uncles, aunts, anyone who can help understand what happened to the child and why it happened," Ms. Owens said. "We gather as much information as we can and are there when the child or children assigned to us go to court." In addition too investigating the facts behind the charges brought in court, Ms. Owens said, guardians also make recommendations to the court like visitation guidelines for parents, whether the child should stay in the custody of the social services depart ment, or if the child's parent or parents should be involved in drug counseling. She said they also are able to advise and inform foster parents about the child has been through and what types of behavior they might see as a result Ms. Owens said one of the big problems the program faces is that some of the guardians currently work ing in Forsyth county are inactive. She said she is one of them. "What that means," she said," is that they already have a full caseload and are not equipped to handle any more." That is another reason Ms. Owens is lobbying to get more people, Afro- Americans in particular, involved in the program. She said she understands that the socio-economic condition for many Afro-Americans may keep some from getting involved. She said a friend of hers told her once,"If I've got so month at the end of the money, then I can't focus on other people's prob lems," And she is quick to point out her plea for more Afro-American involve ment is not viewed in the wrong light. "I want to make sure that this is not a statement about black people as par ents or black women as mothers," Ms. Owens said. "This is a statement about racism and its effect on us as a people." She said people are frustrated with their economic situations and may turn to drugs or alcohol as a way out. She said people who abuse drugs as have as their main focus their drug of choice not their children. But Ms. Owens said she believes there people in the Afro-American community who can help if they knew about this pro gram. Ms. Owens a new class to train guardian volunteers is scheduled to begin May 2. She said people who are interested should call Linda Garran, the program coordinator, at 761-2384. She said program lasts about five weeks. That Paining involves visits to the courts, getting an understanding of the role the department of social ser vices plays, talks with attorney advo cates, a seminar with a physician on recognizing signs of physical abuse and other germain topics that help guardians in their work. Ms. Owens said the role the guardian plays for the at risk child coming through the court system is that of a friend, "It does that child a world of good to look up in that sterile courtroom environment and see a friendly face," she said. Minorities lacking From Page A1 i students comprise 6 percent of that )tal. However, of the 2,174 students fentified as gifted, only 181, 8 per- ent, are minorities when blacks and ther race groups make up roughly 37 ercent of the total student body. Adminisuators in the Cumberland bunty School System in Fayetteville re using the research uncovered by Is. Frasier and others to increase the umber of gifted minority students, brlier this month, James F. McKethan nd Faye R. Riner shared their plan nth teachers and administrators pending the Annual Conference of le North Carolina Association for lifted and Talented. Cumberland County was cited by le state Department of Education for s lack of minority representation in s gifted programs. During the 1987- 8 academic year, about 40 percent of le students in Cumberland were Afro- .mericans, 1.7 percent, Asian; 1.5 ercent American Indian; and 1.8 per- ;nl, Hispanic. But the state told Cum- erland schools' officials that those umbers did not compare proportion- ly because 14 percent of the AG stu- aits were black in 1988, 3 percent, sian; 1 percent, Hispanic; and 1 per- :nt American Indian. To help advise them, Cumberland ounty Schools selected a committee the majority of its members minori- es - from community people, rnffi^ als from predominately Affo-Ameri- in Fayetteville State University and ;hool officials, Ms. Riner explained. One of Cumberland's main prob- ms,' and those experienced by other bool systems, was that it was locked to using California Achievement ist (CAT) results to identify AG stu nts, said Ms. Riner. "If you're going to identify a lot kids for the program you have to go lyond just that kind of data," she id. "Your country club variety gifted s parents who will knock you down itil they their child is in the program, len there are others, who unless we t as their advocate, won't get into the ogtam." "The number of black students sntified as gifted, however, remains lall," Ms. Fraiser said. Reasons Afro-American students e readily identified for AG pro- 'ams, as identified by Ms. Frasier, elude: •the use of definitions of gifted- !ss that reflect middle class, majority ilture values and perceptions, •the use of standardized tests that ) not reflect the exceptional abilities 'minority students, •low referral rates for gifted sessment from parent and teachers, •low socioeconomic status caus- g differences in environmental iponunities that enhance intellectual Wevement!, and •cultural and class differences in e manifestation of gifted behaviors. Though a broad-based screen 'ing information gathered from a triety of sources has been frequently commended, nominations by teach- s tend to be the most used initial reening method," said Ms. Frasier. Vhen teacher nominations are relied >on to identify the pool of students M whom participants are selected, mority students are often at a disad- mtage. To remedy this situation, it ts been strongly recommended that iminations be sought from multiple jtrees both within and outside the ool to assure the nomination of all 8entially eligible students." Cumberland County school offi- implemented Ms. Frasier's search at a test school, where the sjority of students - grades four I'engh eight - were minorities from ^'.'income families, Ms. Riner said, le data they collected at the field test supported Ms. Frasier's research and school officials concluded that "the pool of students to be screened for the AG program should include students exhibiting gifted behaviors as well as students who have achieved high scores on standardized tests," Ms. Riner said. "A variety of test instru ments should be used in the identifica tion process so that the students' gifted behaviors match the testing used and that follow-up testing may be needed." Enrichment may be necessary as a follow-up to testing, she said, when the disadvantaged student does not place into an AG 'program. Ms. Riner added, "In all cases, all testing should be reviewed with the purpose of deter mining specific interventions, enrich ment -nd acceleration. The identifica tion of all students is most successful when the individual school is recep tive, supportive and encouraging toward the identification of the stu dents." Officials in the 'Winston- Salem/Forsyth County Schools recog nize that they, too, have a problem with low minority representation in the AG program, said Drenda Lalor, AG curriculum specialist in the city-coun ty system. "Yes, minorities are obviously underrepresented in our program, too. We've not made it public in the past, 1 5 f‘; ■ - but minority candidates who have not done well on big group tests, we offer them individual, private testing given by a psychologist," Dr. Lalor explained. "But we have had to handle this discreetly because white parents want to know, "Why aren't you doing this for my child?' "We've even had a black guidance counselor to say it wasn't fair because we asked them to screen minority stu dents for gifted behaviors and talents. She said it was unfair to her white stu dents. But we felt this was the effort we needed in order to get minorities in the program." A study committee is currently reviewing the AG program. Dr. Lalor added, particularly the underrepresen tation of minority students. On April 5, the schools are sponsoring a work session that will feature presentations from Cumberland County and Greens boro City schools' AG coordinators. "Both plans have been successful and we hope by taking a look at both that we'll be able to take their proce dures and put them in our process," said Dr. Lalor. "Now we have fall apti tude tests and the spring CAT but we also have a retest in May and that's just another chance for the minority child to make it into the program. We want to make sure we have given them every opportunity." Photo by Dr. C.B. Hauser Imam Khalid Abdul Fattah Griggs, director of the Institute for isiamic invoivement, weicomes Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (formerly known as H. Rap Brown) and Heshaam Jaaber to the Third Annual El Hajj Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) Commemorative Conference at Winston-Salem State University. Malcolm X honored at WSSU Chronicle Staff Report One of the most recognized and revered leaders of the Afro-American community was honored last weekend at Winston-Salem State University 25 years after his assassination. El Hajj Malik Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X, was remem bered at the third annual Commemora tive Conference last Saturday in the R.J. Reynolds business center. The event was sponsored by the Institute for Islamic Involvement.fiic., based in Winston-Salem. Among the presenters at the con ference were Imam Khalid Abdul Fat tah Griggs, director of the Institute for Islamic Involvement, and Malikah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X. She and her twin sister witnessed their father's murder. Hesham Jabber, a North Carolina native, described the feelings he had about the murder of Malcolm X, on Feb. 21, 1965, in the Audubon Ball room, in New York City's Harlem quarter. It was he who performed the funeral prayers for the "Black and shining prince," as Malcolm X was called, after the traditional service was completed. Jabber also prepared his body for burial, wrapped in the proper Islamic shroud. One of the highlights of the con ference came during the address by the conference's keynote speaker, Imam , Jamil Abdullah Al- Amin ( formerly known as H. Rap Brown). Few people captured the imagination of the Amer ican public as he did during the turbu lent decade of the 1960's when he was national chairman of the Student Non- Violent Coordinating committee known as SNCC (pronounced snick). Al-Amin delivered a moving dis cussion on the meaning of struggle in light of Malcolm X's martyrdom and his personal transformation from fiery orator into Muslim Imam (leader). He told the gathering of muslims and non- muslims that Islam is not an ideology but a methodology, "Ideology by definition means visionary think or dreaming..,, methodology says if you were to apply certain kinds of practices or programs you will get a desired result," he said. He told the spectators that, "Allah (God) says; He will not change the condition of people until they change that which is within themselves.„ until they get away from that old sense of thinking that because you are black and you extol blackness that you think there is some virtue in the color itself." 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Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 29, 1990, edition 1
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