Winston-Salem Chronicle
I f*vin C ity's A**u/d W'inm/ty Vi ccAu *
Ernest H. Pitt Estabi snea ,y '9~4
Publisher 'Co-founder
Ndubisi Egemonye
Richard L. Williams c? Michael A. Pill
Managing Editor AdsfrtiM..,: Manager
Mel White Vipaporn Ratanatanincheri
Circulation Manager OQlwC Manager'
*
North Casctfrva N*t>ona? N?wkmp?'' Audit Bureau V'w^a-wac
Pr*?? AMOOkMOft AatOC^lKJo Of ClfCUMtlOnS -K
udlt Bureau X
Chavis and the NAACP
Throughout his seemingly lifetime struggle against
racial injustices and oppression, Benjamin F. Chavis
has always been able to walk with kings and not lose
his common touch. That's why his choice last Friday
to succeed Benjamin L. Hooks as executive director of
the NAACP is a perfect one. Chavis. at 45. is young
enough to reinvigorate the nation's oldest and largest
civil-rights organization with innovative ideas to
tackle issues that plague the African-American com
munity. Yet he is battle-tested enough to know how to
deal effectively with the issues.
In the sixties when he first got inoculated to
activism, blacks faced police dogs, water hoses and
Ku Klux Klansmen. Today, blacks are attempting to
* w
knock down barriers that aje more covert ? but just
as affective ? that prohibit them from realizing the
American dream. Chavis will be faced with issues
involving fair housing, high unemployment, culturally
insensitive school systems that account for a high
number of high school dropouts, teen-age pregnancy,
crime and drugs.
Chavis will also revive the group s image and
membership while broadening its influt'mi' and fund
raising. The NAACP has been criticized for years for
being out of touch with the sentiments and needs of,
young and poor African Americans in the inner cities.
Last Friday's vote was a victory not only for
(^havj&'laut for the organization itself. He is the man
who will lead the organization to where it needs to go
as a new century approaches.
Cooler Heads
Should Prevail
Any moment now, the verdict should come down
in the Rodney King case. News reports will innundate
the airwaves and newspapers with details of the Los
Angeles trial. Let's hope, however, that there is little to
report in the way of violence.
Cle* across the country are asking that cooler
heads pi til, regardless of the verdict. It civil unrest
occurs 01. he level it did in Los Angeles last year,
surely more people will be injured and die. Benjamin
F. Chavis, the new head of the NAACP is in Watts this
week, asking for calrrn As are several television per- "
sonalities. But all anyone can do is wait and hope that
the jury, which began deliberating on Saturday, will
come to a proper verdict. That they won't be blind like
the 1 2-member jury was in Simi Valley, Calif.
Credo of the Black Press
i The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world
away from antagonisms when it accords to every person ? regard
less of race or creed ? full human and legal rights. Hating no per
son, the Black Press strives to help every person, in the firm belief
thai all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
I ?
About letters . . .
The Chronicle welcomes letters as well fis truest columns
from its readers. Letters should be as concise as possible
and should be typed or legibly printed. The letter must
also include the name , address and telephone number of
the writer to ensure the authenticity of the letter. Columns
must follow the same guidelines and will be published if
they are of interest to our general readership. The Chroni
cle will not publish any letters or columns that arrive with
out this information. We reserve the right to edit letters
and columns for brevity and clarity. Submit letters and
columns to
i Chronicle Mailbag
P.O. Box J 636
Winston-Salem , N C 27102.
Opinion
Reaction to Black Expulsion Rate
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in regard
to the series of articles on expul
sions in our schools. I had discus
sions with administrators, teachers
and students about these articles.
Mans of them had comments and
suggestions to add. These are they:
. ? The students feel that princi
pals normally meet students only
when the> go to the office for mis
conduct. Therefore, they do not
know a balanced view of the indi
vidual. They may not know any
good things about the student. For
this reason, principals should meet
with all a student's teachers before
they expel him.
? Some of the black students
feel misunderstood and have experi
? enced partiality in classes due to
their mannerisms, intimidating size
and reactions in class or in the hall.
They also feel that racism and a lack
ot cultural sensitivity play a part.
? Some of the students feel that
the insubordination of students
comes from home. They say parents
need to train their children at home
so that when they go out. they will
not embarrass their family or them
selves.
? Some of the white students
tell that the research does not neces
sarily imply that black students are
being targeted. They also believe
that a student s bad past record
should not have so much bearing on
his present if the student is trying to
change for the better.
? The teachers and administra
tors I spoke with feel that they have
worked hard to handle discipline
fairly. Rut the bottoiiL line
ls if >ou what is right. youwwTT
go to the office. It you don't go to
the office, you wont get expelled.
Normally, students who are expelled
have a record of misbehavior, bring
f.J.;ig weapons and drugs to school.
Should you jeopardize tfie safety of
many just tor the unruly few? Do
they need to be allowed in the class
room? One thing is for certain, stu
dents must take responsibility for
their actions.
??The. teachers and administra
tors were pleased to have the statis
tics to use as a platform for dia
logue. The guest columns added to
the discussion. Many of the teachers
who have dealt with some of the
students mentioned felt that the stu
dents only gave their side of what
happened, not giving the teachers
and administrators credit for the
steps they went through to avoid
expulsion. The teachers "and admin
istrators should have been allowed
to explain the situation as well. Oth
erwise. this is a biased testimony.
? The teachers and administra
tors say that we are dealing with a
group of students who do not
respond well to authority. Some of
them have parent^ who cannot disci
pline them or are afraid of them.
Students who are incorrigible can
CHRONICLE MAILBAG
Our Readers Speak Out
not function within the regular
classroom unless they respond to
rules and authority. We have to
stand up for what is right.
? The teachers and administra
tors realize that better methods of
discipline are needed. Therefore,
there needs to be a platform for a
continuous dialogue involving
teachers, parents, administrators and
students. Cultural sensitivity needs
to be a part of this dialogue.
Geneva Brown did a cultural
sensitivity workshop here last year.
She had some practical things to say
that should also be a part of this dia
logue.
Thank you again for the infor
mation. It incited some thought-pro
voking discussion.
~~ ~~ Felecia McMillan -
Winston-Salem
Hope Du Jour
To the Editor:
Thousands of individuals in our
community flocked to area restau
rants on March 30 or ordered take
outs from restaurants who agreed to
give 10 percent of their proceeds to
feed hungry folks through Crisis
Control Ministry. On behalf of the
staff, the board of directors, the co
chairs of the event, Candide Jones
and Laurelyn Dossett, I want to
thank each and every one of you
who participated and, thus, gave
hope to a hungry person. We are
indebted to our 147 Hope du Jour
restaurants and to our good corpo
rate sponsors for their active support
of this project.
Figures released by the govern
ment recently reported a record
number of Americans receiving
Food Stamps. One out of everv 19
citizens in our country has been
forced to seek federal aid to feed
their families. Such data illustrates
the depth of the hunger problem and
the desperate need for the private
sector to be able to provide gro
ceries. None of us can do it alone;
however, like the little boy with the
five loaves and two fishes, we can
each do our part, and. the miracles
will be multiplied.
Thank you for expressing your
concern for your neighbor by partic
ipating in Hope du Jour.
Ginny N. Britt,
Winston-Salem
Black History Month
To the editor: ^
My name is Joseph Morant, and
I am reflecting on Black History
month. Last year I said that we were
the seed of Abraham and Keturah,
and we are.
1 was looking at TV the other
day and this artist said that we are
the seed of Ham.* We are not. Very
briefly, we are not cursed. Please
tell the people to read the 105th
Psalm especially at the 16th to the
27th verse and they will find that the
seed of Ham are the Egyptians.
Joseph H. Morant
Winston-Salem
Regarding the
Chronicle's Editorial
To the Editor:
Your editorial last week about
my nominations to the Police
Review Board leaves some unfortu
nate expressions which I wish to
correct.
There is no imbalance in the
skills, experience, or persuasive
powers of the white and black nomi
nees. The educational credentials of
the black nominees and those of the
white nominees range similarly
from high school through graduate
school. Blue an white collar occupa
tions are represented in both groups,
which include people with strong
experience in management and
supervision of others. Most impor
tantly, I have learned from careful
interviewing and checking of
records and references that all of the
nominees are not only fair-minded,
but $ilso independent. They are able
to listen and equally able to per
suade.
The "life experience" of which
you spoke is not lacking in the black
nominees. They know from per
sonal experience the pain of institu
tional discrimination and unfairness.
They are convinced that the only
way to be fair to one group is to be
fair to all. In fact, no one who has
interviewed these nominees, or
knows them well, could question
their life experience credentials or
their ability to render fair and
-impartial decisions with compassion
and understanding.
The nominees had to come
from the gToup of city residents who
submitted applications before the
March 1 deadline. There were 74
eligible applicants 40 white males,
10 black males, 10 black females,
12 white females, one native Ameri
can male and one hispanic male. In
addition, I wanted to make sure that
the community would not perceive
any personal grievances or agendas
that might compromise their ability
to be fair.
The long range success of our
efforts to build community depends
on encouraging new enthusiasm and
participation from people who have
heretofore declined to participate in
the important decisions of the com
munity ? perhaps*because they
thought they didn't count. My nomi
nees are these new people who want
to help build a community of fair
ness and justice for all our citizens. I
urge you to give them the support
and encouragement they have
earned.
Martha S. Wood, Mayor
Winston-Salem
Gunfire is the Leading Cause Of Death
The tragic confrontation
between federal authorities and an
armed religious sect in Texas is
another example of the importance
of stricter curbs on guns.
According to news reports the
sect amassed a considerable
weapons arsenal, in part because of
lax state gun laws. In Texas, as in
man\ other states, all it takes is to
co to a gun dealer, fill out a form,
and walk out with a. lethal weapon.
Some states and localities man
date waiting periods, presumably to
allow for background checks of per
sons wanting to buy guns. But
many of those regulations are rid
?1k ' "Mth loopholes.
Seveia! weeks ago a man
armed with an AK-47 assault rifle
shot five people on the road leading
to CTA headquarters. The county in
which the shootings took place has
a handgun waiting period ? but
assault rifles arc not covered by the
rule.
According to Washington Post,
almost two million AK-47s has
been imported from China between
198^ and 19v.. ne federal gov
ernment finally bani.~ ' ;mports of
assault rifles, but there's nothing to
stop domestic manufacture or sale
of those battlefield weapons. So
they are turning up in the battle
fields of inner city drug wars.
Even cities with strict gun laws
and regulations have been turned
into war zones since people buy
weapons in states with loose regula
tions and and then import them for
illegal street sales.
Governor L. Douglas Wilder,
who led the bitter fight to pass gun
reform legislation in Virginia,
pointed out that guns bought in his
state are resold for four times the
price elsewhere. Then the profits
are recycled to buy drugs resold in
Virginia, leading to an overall profit
of about 1000 percent.
Governor Wilder won his
struggle foT gun law reform against
a tremendous campaign waged by
the gun lobby. It's remarkable that
even such a mild reform as the gov
ernor proposed met such strong
opposition, but his victory suggests
that the once-powerful gun lobby is
losing its power to stymie legisla
tion.
Public opinion polls show over
whelming support for regulating
I
gun sales and ownership, probably
because the domestic arms race is
spinning out of control.
Last June, the Journal of the
American Medical Association
labeled gun violence a public health
emergency and advocated nation
wide gun controls.
Gunfire is now the leading
cause of death among all high
school-age young people, just
behind car crashes. Children are
killed daily in school shootings.
limiting individual freedom.
After all. automobile ownership
is strictly licensed and drivers must
meet certain criteria before they can
get behind the wheel of a car. Yet,
no one objects that their freedom is
violated. So why should reasonable
federal initiatives to regulate guns
be considered an invasion of per
sonal freedom?
The next fight for sane gun
laws comes with Congress reconsid
eration of the so-called Brady Bill,
which would establish a waiting
TO BE EQUAL
John E. Jacob
crossfire in the streets, and in gun
related home accidents.
People are no longer buying the
gun lobby's propaganda that
equates gun ownership with free
dom. There are plenty of ways to
assure that guns don't get into the
'.g u -.Js withuui ... . Juiy
period for handgun purchasers. ?
But that just deals with a small
piece of the real issue, which is the
need for comprehensive federal leg
islation that ends interstate gun traf
fic and restricts weapons to licensed
persons with a reason to
own and use guns.
i