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The Choice for African-American News and Information
r THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1994
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" Power concedes nothing without a struggle. " ? Frederic
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By RICHARD L. WILLIAMS and VERONICA CLEMONS
Chrtmick Staff Writera ?% ,
In 1922, seven young teachers at Butler University
in Indianapolis sat in a classroom and tossed about
ideas of begimtihg a serrioc organization that Would
further enhance the quality of life in their community.
Although only one of the founders of what
became the nation's fourth all*women, Greek-letter
organization i? alive ? Vivian White Marbury ? the
organization, Sigma Gamma Rho, flourished and is
. now in its 72nd year.
This weekend about 1 ,000 of the sorority's
approximately 72,000 members worldwide will be in
Winston-Salem where the 45th International Boule
will be held Friday ttaough Wednesday at the Benton
Convention Center/ .
"We're just elated that we are having Sigma
s : ? JZ O'-. ;HV J /
Gamma Rho's biannual Boule in Winston-Salem,"
Winston-Salem chapter president Naomi Jones said.
"We are overdue for a convention in the northeast
region. WeVe worked quite hard for it and are really
jflgBng forward to participation from the public,"
: -> Toni Odom, the sorority's communications cop|^
n a tor, said.
"Wi nston ? -Salem was chosen as thif year's site sev
eral years ago. The local chapter jockeyed into position
and was awarded the site.*
The event begins Saturday when North Carolina .
Congresswoman Eva Clayton will hold a public meet
ing. Congress woman Conine Brown, a Florida Demo
crat and a member of the sorority, and Doro&y HdgUi
the national president of the National Councirjjj|||
Negro Women, will he among the award recipients. '??||
A special community service recognition award
see SIGMA page J
Helpful in
Long Run
By VERONICA CLEMbNS V v
Chronicle Staff Writer
Knowing their address, the alphabets
and when they need to go to th? bathroom
are basic educational and social skills chil
dren should have before age 5.
s But many of them don't.
However, 4-year-old programs that
?reach-out to these youthscan help them
better prepare for public school and in
many cases give them a better chance in
the educational system and life.
These are the beliefs of some advo
cates of 4-year-old programs for disadvan
taged children. They say ? - and studies
? stiow^=nhai children who are labeled
risk" and reached at an earlier agendo wel[
in school andl?ecpmc more productive
adults. Those who are not reached, many
times drop out of school, become unpro
ductive adults and have a greater chance of
entering the criminal justice system.
Forsyth County school board members
are considering a staff recommendation to
implement a larger program for "at-risk" 4
year-olds. Central office staff will present
infbrmation to two school board commit- .
tees in August and the board is expected to
make a decision by early September.
Studying to
Begin on
At-Risk ^
By VERONICA CLEMONS
Chronicle Staff Writer
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school
board is beginning to look into staffs recom
mendation to start a program for 4-year-old al
S 1 nsk children m Jannary
Central office staff members will present a
more detailed report to the board's financial and
? curriculum committees next month. The board is
expected to decide whether to move ahead with
the program at its first meeting in September.
Interim Superintendent Nelson Jessup said
the school system is currently serving 48 disad
vantaged, pre- school age children through Chap
ter One programs at Easton, Forest Park and
Latham elementary schools. But he said Chapter
One and other programs the system has are only
reaching a fpw nf fhp many children who nt?i?d
early childhood intervention.
"We have not moved full speed ahead," he
said. "There's still a large number not receiving
any assistance. That's a gap we need to provide a
safety net for."
Staff is proposing that initially the program
serves 112 children at four sites: four classrooms
at Diggs Elementary, which is adjacent to Happy
Hill Gardens, and a classroom at three additional
see STUDYING page 3
Nikia Lentz and Laymond Hairston are tutored by Best Choice Center summer volunteer Phyllis Walker.
Previous interviews of school board
members show that they are split on
expanding 4-year-old programs. Some say
they are more concerned with class size
and space needs of the current 38,000 stu
dents in the system. Others say preparing a
chiW for entering school is the sole respon
sibility of the parent.
But Dorothy Graham- Wheeler, execu
tive director of the Best Choice Center,
which serves 125 youths "at risk" aged 5
15, said-there must be outside intervention
when parents are not able to adequately
prepare children for the school system.
? "When you have dysfunctional fami
lies in the community, it becomes a com
see PROGRAM page 3
LIFT, Citizens Coalition Staff Join Forces
By VERONICA CLEMONS AND DAVID L. DILLARD
Chronicle Staff Writers
Citizens Coalition for a Better Tomorrow
may have folded, but the mission of the organiza
tion will be kept alive at the LIFT Academy.
The board of directors of Citizens Coalition
has teamed up with the LIFT Academy in an
effort to continue the services of an organization
that did not have enough financial resources to
keep it running.
In doing so, the coalition's two paid staff per
sons ? Khalid Griggs and Horace Fulton ? will
join LIFT Academy.
LIFT Executive Director Earline Parmon
said the partnership was a consensus of both
boards of directors and that she was very recep
tive to the collaborative effort when approached
by the coalition board.
Parmon said the coalition staff will be able to
continue after-school care programs and intensive
counseling.
While both boards seem to be happy with the
new union, staff members of coalition are not that
enthusiastic. Khalid Griggs, the organization's
executive director, didn't want the organization to
see LIFT page 3
Earline Parmon
Khatid Griggs
j # ? ?> .A ,
"Family Day" to Bring Families and Neighbors Closer
JL About 1,000 people are expected to attend Saturday's gathering at Rupert Bell Park
By DAVID L. DILLARD
Chronicle Staff Writer
More than 1,000 people are expected to
reunite family ties at the upcoming "We Are
Family Day" sponsored by the Winston-Salem
Chronicle and the Housing Authority of Win
ston-Salem.
Alvonia Jackson Austin of 605 Powell
St., said family day is an opportunity for fam
ily and friends to get together and have fun.
"I think it's needed because families need
more outreach with each other," Austin said.
"We don't have a big family, but anytime we
get together we have fun."
The first annual "We Are Family Day"
will be held be held Saturday, from 10 a.m. to
7 p.m. at Rupert Bell Park located at 1501 Mt.
Zion Place.
The event will allow families to have
reunions plus allow families from other resi
dential areas to intermingle. Austin, who lives
in Happy Hill Gardens, said people from
housing developments usually are negatively
stereotyped, but she feels positive events like
"Family Day" should bring the black commu
nity closer together.
"It's good to see black people have some
thing where nobody gets shot or hurt," she
said. "It's not where you live, it's how you
live."
Art Milligan, executive director of the
housing authority, said he supports the event
because societal problems can be eradicated
when people look at each other as family.
"You always here people talk about the
times when everybody in the neighborhood
looked out for each other. That was a family
atmosphere and we need to get back to that,"
he said. "People will lay down their arms
when they know that's a family member
you're dealing with. All of us black and white
are part of a big family and we need to pull
together in order for the community to flour
ish."
Carol Brooks-Daniel, the Chronicle's
director of promotions, said she expects a
huge turnout because people see the need to
unite.
"The families felt this was a wonderful
idea to stimulate the family unit," she said.
"What we have planned is designed to
strengthen any family. It will strengthen fam
ily values and allow them to fellowship with
one another." ? ? '
Some of the activities planned are volley
ball, tug-of-war, trolley rides, family photos,
bingo, gospel music and a hot-air balloon
ride. Brooks-Daniel said the event is free and
registration will be held from 10-1 1 ;30 a.m.
Business... 21
ClasslfMs 24
Community Nows... 4
Opinion ......10
Entertainmsnt 22
Sports.
IS
This Week In Black History
July 26, 186 S
Patrick F. Heal), fint
black awarded PH.D. |
degree.
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