Neighborhood Leaders Leave Program Ready for Action
B> MARK R MOSS
Chronicle Suff NVmer
A program to help community lead
ers be better community leaders ended
yesterday with a graduation ceremony
and the hope that the participants will
take what they've learned back into their
neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Leaders School,
sponsored by Neighbors for Better
Neighborhoods, closed out its first ses
sion with the participants summarizing
what they had learned at the five previ
ous sessions. They then received certifi
cates honoring their participation in the
program.
The program s goal, said Betty-Gray
Davis of the Winston-Salem Foundation,
is "to help develop neighborhood leaders
so that they can go back to their neigh
borhoods and do whatever it is they need
to do" to get their organizations moving.
The Winston-Salem Foundation and
the East Winston Community Develop
ment Corp. sponsor Neighbors for Better
Neighborhoods.
"Neighborhood associations try to
improve the quality of life in neighbor
hoods," Davis said,
Davis said that 22 people partici
pated in the program and they repre
sented such communities as Skyline Vil
lage Apartments. Fairchild Apartments.
Southgate Apartments and the Boston
Thurmond area. Representatives from the
public-housing communities were invited
to participate, but for various reasons
were unable to attend. Davis said.
The two-hour, once-a-week sessions .
started on Oct. 27 and included such top
ics as "Being a Leader in My Neighbor
hood," Organizing My Neighborhood for
Action" and "Neighborhood Network
ing."
Among the session presenters were
Yvonne Booker, Pat Minter and Ben Pig
gott.
During the final session, the partici
pants - there were about a dozen present
- divided into groups, each of which
were assigned to discuss a previous ses
sion. They discussed what they had
learned in that particular session and how
they planned on using that information,
then presented their summaries to the
entire group.
Some of the ideas that were
broached concerned starting community
newspapers, reviving community-watch
programs, creating a benevolence com
mittee, starting a welcome wagon and
staying in touch with other neighborhood
associations.
I
Some of the community leaders who participate in the Neighborhood Leaders
School show off the certificates they received yesterday for completing the program.
Yvonne. Booker, an East Winston may have more expertise in fighting
CDC. employee and the leader of crime, for example, than another.
Wednesday's session, pointed out that it "Everybody wants safe neighbor
was important to network with other hoods," she said.
neighborhood associations because one
KiFi "
Figurines from the Blackberry Bonnett Collection by black designer Debbie Bell J arratt line
the shelves of Special Occassions on Martin Luther King Drive.
Dept. Stores
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"We carry mostly apparel and cosmetics, but the
black Santas have sold very well," McClustey said.
"The selection (of African-American items) is bigger
this year and hopefully we will have sold out by
Christmas."
Annie R. Hairston, owner of Pan African Imagery
of 1001 S. Marshall St., said major department stores
have not hurt her business because she sells authentic
African art imported from Tanzania and jewelry from
Kenya.
"We sell authentic African art and jewelry, not
African American," she said^Our products are
shipped from the motherland and affordable."
Tom Jarratt, co-owner of Jarratt Studios, a black
manufacturer of African-American collectibles and
gifts near Durham, supplies 135 retail stores nation
wide with Blackberry Bonnett figurines.
"Our collectibles are African-American figures
produced by African Americans," Jarratt said. "A lot of
stores sell black figurines made by white companies."
Jarratt said his wife, Debbie, who designs the fig
urines, previously developed greeting cards at Hall
mark and designed collectibles for the Franklin Mint in
Philadelphia before starting their own business. Jarratt
said before they started making figurines, many of the
African-American figures have been derogatory and
sold "under the guise of memorabilia."
Jarratt said that he ships merchandise mostly to
African- American businesses, but that he is seeking to
supply some major stores who are aggressively seeking
the African- American consumer.
"We get good support from our own community
? not as great as it should be. but it's getting there,"
Jarratt said. "As far as going after the major department
stores, a lot of the black dealers are not strong enough
to buy in volumes. (Black businesses) are our primary
customers and we support black businesses because it
economically empowers our community."
To Spray from page A1
department. When the community feels comfortable
about police conduct, you have less reaction/'
Bill Tatum, president of the local NAACP, said
the group still believes the police should stop using
pepper spray until its effects are known.
"We're not against them using it, but they need to
consider more studies on it," Tatum said. "The
NAACP believes that they should cease and desist use
of the spray until further study of the effects is con
ducted." . *
Sweat said pepper spray is only used when some
one shows resistive or threatening behavior and the
responsibility lies with the way people conduct them
selves.
"If you don't engage in dangerous, violent behav
ior, the chance of being sprayed with pepper mace is
virtually none." he said.
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