OPINION
Winston-Salem Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt Ndubisi Egemonye,
Publisher/Co-founder Co-Founder
Elaine Pitt Carol Trader
Business Manager Production Manager
Fannie Henderson Wills
.... .. Copy Editor
Advertising Manager
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National Newspaper Association r-uossners. mc
Publishers Association
Why Jamal Can't Read
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools recently released some
troubling statistics regarding suspensions. Little more than two out
of five students in the system are minorities. Yet. four out of five sus
pensions involve minority students. And a disproportionate number
of those disciplined are minority males ? African American males
to be specific.
Given the comparatively high incidence of disciplinary problems
among minority students, is it any wonder they also lag behind acad
emically?
Something's wrong with this picture. We suspect several factors
contribute to the disparity. And, this time, we're not crying racism.
Institutional racism can be particularly virulent, but this problem is
more than skin deep. Suspensions are up, we believe, because the
black community has suspepded its involvement with schools.
Children are, in large part, products of their environments. To
help students succeed, teachers must bridge the gap between home
and school. This can be difficult when the student does not identify
with the teacher and the teacher does not effectively relate to the stu
dent due to cultural differences or insensitivity. In Winston
Salem/Forsyth County Schools, white females comprisa 64 percent
of the teaching and counseling staff. In contrast, black males hold
only 4 percent of those positions. So, a black student could go from
kindergarten to high school graduation without ever having a black
teacher. And, odds are, most black male students never get a black
male teacher. To teach minority students, the school system should
provide intensive training in cross-cultural communication.
The school environment, however, is only half the picture. Chil
dren who come to school angry about life are bound to act out in the
classroom. And if children receive too much tolerance and not
enough tough love, they'll never know their limits. Similarly, if par
ents can't control their children, school? won't have much luck keep
ing them in line either. Children won't be able to contain their anger
and practice civility in the classroom if they overdose on a steady
diet of violence at home, in the community or in the media. They
won't know how to express themselves verbally if they have not
been engaged in conversation at home. And they won't appreciate
the value of book learning if their parents haven't read to them at
home. For example, some entering kindergartners can't ever recog
nize whether a book is upside down or not. And the reason many are
not ready for school is that their time at home has been spent channel
surfing. Learning requires concentration ? something that fast
paced video images fail to cultivate. So, in addition to limiting tele
vision, parents must talk to, read with and model behavior for their
children. Apparently lacking is what the old folks called "home
training."
In a society that seems to have hit moral bottom, how can we
expect good behavior of our children? Longtime teachers note that
some students can't even recite the Golden Rule. Teaching values
was once the job of the home and the church. At a time, however,
when many families are unchurched, schools must supplement home
training with character education. Research suggests that character
education can enhance academic performance by reducing discipli
nary problems. That's why character education is gaining momen
tum in schools nationwide. In North Carolina, efforts are underway
to integrate character education into the Standard Course of Study.
"Building a Foundation for Citizenship," published in 1995 by the
North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction, suggests
ways teachers can teach concepts such as responsibility, trustworthi
ness, caring, tolerance, justice and fairness, civic virtue and citizen
ship. By instilling respect and responsibility, character education
could also help reduce excessive tardiness, which often causes sus
pensions.
While prevention is the best strategy to reduce suspensions,
intervention is also needed. Despite the best efforts of the school sys
tem, the home and the community, some students' aggressive or dis
juptive actions will lead to suspension. Even unruly students, how
ever, deserve an education. Winston-Salem LIFT Academy helps
suspended students stay in school. Recently chartered by the North
Carolina State Board of Education, it provides an alternative envi
ronment where at-risk students can get individual attention and gain
a second chance. We urge other community organizations to mount
programs or propose charter schools for at-risk students. After all,
any student can become at-risk given the wrong circumstances.
In "Understanding and Educating African-American Children,"
teacher/consultant William Jenkins offers teachers several tips,
including high expectations, parental contact, leadership and
patience. He also warns against blaming racism for failure, suggest
ing that black children who see themselves as victims do not
approach education with the enthusiasm needed for success. And
they risk being lured into lives of drugs and crime. So, while we're
pressing teachers to alter their approach, let's get a new attitude our
selves. For our children's sake.
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The Chronicle Mailbag
Our Reade rs Speak Out ;;
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Baptist proposal advantageous
To the Editor:
I have been reading the
Chronicle regularly and have
enjoyed it. I was struck by the
inaccuracy of some of the infor
mation in a front-page discussion
of the fate of Reynolds Health
Care Center (March 13, 1997).
When I came here in January
1949 to be head of neurosurgery
at Bowman Gray School of Med
icine at Baptist Hospital, I did
not like the fact that the hospitals
were segregated. To make up for
that, I worked for more than 10
years at the Kate Bitting
Reynolds Hospital, seeing con
sultations, operating and doing
whatever I could.
Joe Gordon was a great
friend of mine. He and his wife
were splendid people. I came to
know many of the 27 physicians
at Kate Bitting Reynolds Hospi
tal, and in fact, when Forsyth
Mamorial Hospital was built, tho
new Kate Bitting Reynolds Hos
pital was promised to the black
community. That hospital was
built, but at the same time, both
Forsyth Hospital and Baptist
Hospital became integrated, and
black physicians clearly pre
ferred to go to Forsyth Memorial
Hospital and to Baptist Hospital.
That necessitated a rather small
census at the new Kate Bitting
Hospital, which was its reason
for closure, not the failure of the
community to provide for it.
Therefore, it was converted into
the Reynolds Health Center. I
feel strongly, as Gwen Andrews,
an R.N., does, that the contract
with Bowman Gray School of
Medicine/North Carolina Baptist
Hospital would be to the great
advantage of the community. I
hope it will be so approved.
Eben Alexander Jr., M.D.
WSSU Foundation
not 'rogue organization'
V
To the Editor:
I am writing to clarify state
ments made in an article on
WSSU fund raising, which
appeared in the March 20 edition
of the "Winston-Salem Journal."
The article'stated that the WSSU
Foundation has raised money for
WSSU, "But it has done so
largely on its own, without much
input or direction from the
school." This is totally false and
gives the impression that tho
Foundation is some rogue orga
nization which acts on it's own.
The Foundation's activities are
and have always been the result
of planning and direction by the
university. The successful Capi
tal Campaign was conducted
under a contract between the uni
versity board of trustees and the
foundation. The development of
needs, direction for the use of
funds, and planning, have all
been done by the university. The
Foundation worked very closely
with the vice chancellor for
development and others in the
development office. These posi
tions were vacated in the spring
of 1996 and have not been filled.
Without this direction from the
university, the foundation has not
been able to conduct any sup-<
portive activity. The 1995-96
annual fund drive was halted
when university planning and
direction ceased. The foundation
was specifically requested to not
conduct an annual fund drive for
the current year. The reorganiza
tion of the foundation was done
at the direction of the president
of the N.C. university system and
was done not to "punish an
administration" but to improve
financial isolation and minimize
the possible perception that any
university official could exert
undue influence on the founda
tion. The foundation did deny a
request to pay the premium for
the chancellor's life insurance,
considering that to be part of his
employment contract with the
state. The foundation agreed to a
request for a loon to be used for
the purchase of a new residence.
However, the foundation denied
a subsequent request that the
loan become a donation. No
donated funds were used for the
purchase of the property. The
chancellor also requested that the
foundation concur with his deci
sion to destroy the standing resi
dence of the founder of the uni
versity, Simon Green Atkins.
The foundation did not agree
with this position and urged the
chancellor to take all possible
steps to preserve this structure
and the heritage it represents.
The foundation has now
been requested to establish vot
ing rights for ex-officio mem-*
bers, establish a number of direc- ?
tor positions which would be
filled by direct appointment by
the chancellor and establish the
vice chancellor of development
as the president of the founda
tion. The foundation is now
reviewing this request. These
facts have all been documented
in the proceedings of the founda? ?
tion. The view that the founda- ?
tion acts with little input from
the school is fallacious and I
believe the promulgation of such
a view is almost malicious. I
object to the inaccurate represen
tation of the foundation's role. ?'
I firmly believe the situation'
has deteriorated to a "win-lose''1
power struggle for control of the'
foundation. Internal strife of this
magnitude will ultimately have a'
negative impact on the univer-*
sity. I have been a director, and
now treasurer, of the foundation
for many years. I am committed
to the betterment of the univer
sity and cannot, in good con
science participate in any action I
consider to be not in the best
interests of the school. I would
like to "sing from the same hymn
book" as Mr. Mackey, however
we seem to disagree on the ver
sion. I do not feel my continued
presence on the foundation board
will be of value. Mr. Marshall
Ball, chairman of the foundation;
already has my resignation in
hand.
Robert C. Brandquisl
Treasurer, WSSU
Foundation Inc.
Baptist proposal 'best choice' for RHC
lb the Editor:
t support the petition of
Bowman Gray/Baptist Hospital
of Wake Forest University to
assume management for the
delivery of health services
which are now provided by die
county-run Reynolds Health
Centex.
1 do so for reasons that arc
well-known about me in our
community, particularly in my
role as advocate for children
and youth through my affilia
tion with the Best Choice Cen
ter.
! also have deeply rooted
leta&Mhins with ororde affili
nvnpna^mWPiiijrW wmi JrWj/iv Will
with the j
?iaf\ have dtep and wide rela
tionships with people who
serve as county commissioners
and afoo with foose on the pre
sent Reynolds Health Center
advisory board.
When I examine the full
spectrum of the pros and cons, I
easily come down on the side
of the many respected people
here in Winston East who sup
port die Medical Cotter's pro
posal.
First, I am keen on the rela
tionship between prenatal care,
low birth weight in babies and
the implications of these for
early childhood learning. At
Best Choice Center, we have
experiences with middle
school-age children who
entered the world "too soon,
too small and too sick." 1 am
heartened by die fact that Char
lie Kennedy, M.D., and his col
leagues support the proposal of
die Center to die commission
ers.
Dr. Kennedy is the stan
dard-bearer for pediatric and
adolescent medicine in Winston
East At the Best Choice Cen
ter, we are proud of our record
of advocacy on behalf of chil
dren and for their access to top
health care. We know that
healthy babies become health
ier children, making it easier
for us to educate them, in spite
of other social and economic
factors which can be overcome.
We see die proposed enhance
ment of services through the
Medical Center as the first step
in die entiie process.
I see the Medical Cento- as
an agent of preventative care in
Winston Bast on health issues
of critical importance in this
community, such as maternal %
risk factors, nutrition, alco- :
holism and fetal alcohol syn- ?
drome, drag abuse and sexually .
transmitted diseases.
As director of Best Choice, '
1 think that the Medical Cen
ter's proposal is the "best )
choice" for health cam in Win- ;
ston Bast, and I support it.
enthusiastically.
Dorothy Graham-Wheeler
President and CEO t
Beat fhflift Center Inc.'
?
l it.
Dorothy Graham-Wheekr
Changing the Image of Jesus
I am always amazed when
people claim that racism is over
and done with and that if people
of color just work hard enough,
they will succeed in this country.
I am always amazed because it
seems that every week there is
new evidence that racism is alive
and well in America. Take the
story of the passion play in
Union City, N.J.
After 82 years of the Park
Theater Performing Arts Center's
production of "The Passion
Play," this year the center chose
an African American to alternate
in the role of Jesus. That's when
the uproar began.
Not only did the center find
that people in this multiracial
city were leaving profane mes
sages and canceling tickets, but
the actor, Desi Arnaz Giles,
found himself facing death
threats. "As soon as you're cast
in something like this, you know
it may stir some people," Giles
said, "But death threats?"
It seems that the image of
Jesus as a black man is so threat
ening to some that their reaction
was to promise death to the per
former. The irony is that Jesus
was born in an area of the world
in which most people are darker
hued, and that the blond, blue
eyed image of Jesus has only
emerged within the past century
of so. Indeed, many early Russ
ian Orthodox icons of Mary and
the infant Jesus portray them
both with dark features.
But Giles found another
interesting phenomenon as well.
When he played Herod (a nega
tive role) in last year's perfor
mance or when he played Lucifer
in another production, there was
no outcry. "I guess they can
accept a black man in a negative
role," said Giles.
It seems that once again
racism gets in the way of reality.
Once again race brings out the
worst in people. But it also
brings out the best as well.
The center stood behind its
director's decision to choose the
best actor for the role, regardless
of race. His cast mates also sup
ported Giles.
While some threatened and
some cursed and some canceled,
others called to encourage the
center and bought tickets to show
their support. "The positive rein
forcement, the positive support
outnumbers the negative at least
20-to-one," says Giles. I
When black actors can pity
any role, when black men are
accepted in other than negative
stereotypes, then I'll know that
we are on the road to ending
racism in America. But stories
like this one let me know we
have much work to do and the
time has not yet come.
(Bernice Powell Jackson is
the executive director of the
United Church of Christ Com
mission for Racial Justice)
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
By BERNICE POWELL JACKSON