Mississippi black leaded disappointed but
not surprised by vote keeping state flag
NNPA NIW SW IRK
Many blacks in Mississippi are
"disappointed but not surprised" by
losing the state referendum that
allowed Mississippi to keep its 107
year-old llag that contains the Con
federate battle cross in its upper cor
ner. making it the state's ollicial llag.,
"We are disappointed but not
surprised. " said Deborah Denard.
acting director of voting empower
ment of the NAACP State Confer
ence. "This is representative of what
we are dealing with in Mississippi."
She said at NNPA presstime that
state NAACP leadership had not yet
decided whether to launch a boycott
against the state.
The 65 percent-majority vote,
which makes Mississippi the only
slate to have the symbol on its offi
cial state banner, is the current chap
ter in the long history of blacks
protesting Southern state Hags with
Confederate symbols.
Blacks say the Confederate sym
bol is representative of their enslave
ment and Jim Crow, while some
Southern whites proudly claim the
Confederacy as an important part of
their heritage.
The Hag had been considered
Mississippi's state Hag since 1894.
The Mississippi Supreme Court
ruled last year that technically it had
not been an official state symbol
since 1906.
The remaining 35 percent voted
for a Hag with a circle of white stars
replacing the cross, representing
nations and Native American tribes
that held dominion over Mississippi
in past centuries.
The campaign for the new flag
shied away from the issues of racial
history surrounding the Confedera
cy. instead focusing on Mississippi's
economic future. The campaign said
the current flag encouraged busi
nesses to leave Mississippi or com
panies not to locate there.
Blacks represent about a third of
the states electorate and their sup
port alone would not have been
enough to select a new flag.
Happy Hill
frvm pagi 'Al
introduced Cooley to the Happy
Hill association and mentored her
during the research process. "1
decided to have Cooley work with
the community so that it would
spark a student's interest in com
munity action." Glenn said.
Glenn is very pleased with
Cooley's work and feels that the
association will be able to utilize
the surveys. "The many surveys
that were created were real infor
mative. It was a great vehicle for
the residents who want to connect
with each other and start making
a change."
The surveys do more than just
help provide programs, activities
and events, Glenn said that the
idea lies within the residents.
"People change communities. The
programs just help the community
see what they need to do."
A total of 61 surveys came
back and revealed that neighborli
ness was low and socialization
among residents was a top con
cern. The surveys also gave the
association a chance to find out
what skills the residents had. a
chance to recognize neighbor
hood issues and areas that needed
I
improvement sueh as housing and
children's programs.
Yvonne JelTerson. president of
the Happy Hill Community
Council, said that she really
enjoyed working with Cooley and
that if she keeps up her persis
tence. she will go far. "Cooley is a
very special student and this isn't
the first time we had to work with
Wake Forest University." said Jef
ferson. "Her surveys caught our
attention and because of her sur
veys we can better help our com
munity."
NBN will continue bringing in
students to different communities
and even venturing out to other
schools. In the meantime. Cooley
said that working with Happy Hill
has helped prepare her for a
future in sociology. "I see myself
working in the Held of race rela
tions and social justice," Cooley
said. "This gave me the practice to
work with people who are differ
ent from me and other students at
Wake Forest University. It also
helped me realize that you cannot
isolate problems; you have to
work at it head on."
Black Women Appreciation
Day at Wake Forest April 26
SPECI AL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Xi Eta Chapter of Alpha
Phi Alpha Fraternity will hold its
second annual Black Women
Appreciation Day on Thursday.
April 26, at 7 p.m. in the Babcock
Parlor on the campus of Wake
Forest University. This will be a
night of poetry and prose to rec
ognize the achievements and our
appreciation for black women.
Retirees
from page AI
celebrate all of our years in public
housing and all of the experiences
we have shared together," said
Lucille Ransby. one of the organiz
ers of the get-together.
Organizers located about 60 liv
ing HAWS retirees and invited
them to the event. Not all could
make it to the Hawthorne Inn.
some because of health problems.
Those who were able to be on
hand, about 35 or so. paid tribute
to colleagues who are sick or have
passed with a candle lighting.
Faye Carter, the chairperson for
the event, said she expected that
lots of laughs and heartfelt memo
ries would be shared. She remem
bers a Housing Authority where
the employees loved each other and
the tenants they served.
"It feels good to be (a HAWS)
retiree because I feel we have had
an impact on people's lives." she
said. "We just didn't provide hous
I
ing, we helped start programs so
that people could have better
lives."
Many of the retirees said they
have become too busy in their post
employment days to keep up with
current public housing news. But
one retiree admits that today
HAWS employees have higher hur
dles to clear.
"We didn't have to deal with the
gun problem and the drug problem
back then.. .Things have changed a
lot in public housing." said Frank
Mayberry. a 1970s retiree who
managed the community once
known as Piedmont Circle.
Mayberry was one of a handful
at the luncheon who retired more
than 20 years ago. A few retired
earlier this year But Claude Ruck
er received the loudest applause
when he announced his retirement
date 1966. Now in his 80s. Ruck
er, a former painter with HAWS,
said he was simply happy to see old
and new faces.
"It just feels good to be here
with everyone," he said with a
smile.
David L. Thompkins. the first
black executive director of HAWS,
delighted the crowd with his
appearance at the banquet. Carter
and Ransby sprang to their feet
upon seeing their old boss enter the
room.
"He shaped and molded us,"
Carter said before hugging
Thompkins.
Thompkins worked at HAWS
for 33 years, serving as executive
director for 10 years. There was an
unwritten rule during his adminis
tration. he said, a rule that was fol
lowed willfully by everyone on the
authority's payroll.
"We believed that every day we
came to work, our mission was to
help someone that needed help,"
Thompkins said. "We knew that
was the reason we were given the
jobs that we had."
Carter said she hopes to make
get-togethers an annual event for
the retirees. The retirees may also
come together in the future for
other causes and events, she said.
Celebration
Senior Life Enrichment Center of Mount Zion Baptist celebrates 10 years
BY CORTNEY L. HILL
[HI CHRONICLE
The Senior Life Enrichment
Center of Mount Zion Baptist.
Church celebrated its 10-year
anniversary of service with a
luncheon and guest speaker
Nigel Alston on Tuesday, April
24.
Residents of the center and
members of the community
attended the ceremony to help
celebrate the anniversary of the
center as well as members of
the Mt. Zion SLEC Advisory
Board and Senior Pastor Dr.
Serenus Churn.
Hugh Roberts, master of
ceremonies and manager of
Southern Community Bank,
opened the occasion with a
welcome and introduced Churn
for his brief insight on the exis
tence of the center. "We are
blessed as a church family to
have a center where we can
enjoy much wealth and care
that is bestowed upon us." said
Churn.
Other speakers that shared
many reflections about the cen
ter included Dean Burgess,
director of the Area Agency on
Aging, who mentioned that the
organization has provided
funding for many programs in
several counties for 27 years;
and Maurice Johnson, chair
person of the Mt. Zion SLEC
Advisory Board, who added
her comments about the center
as well as introducing Alston.
"We are celebrating 10 years
of tender loving care," said
Alston. "Nothing can amount
to the quality care that the
workers and caregivers provide
at this center." Alston's speech
consisted of taking one day at
a time and knowing when to
slow down and enjoy the
moment. "Have you ever faced
the mountain of too much?" he
asked the audience. With many
hands being raised in affirma
tion. Alston went on motivat
ing the audience to always take
time to slow down and enjoy
moments. Alston touched on
four things one must do at least
once a day: listen to your
favorite song, read a good
poem or article, look at a fine
picture and have good conver
sations with good friends.
During the program, a
plaque was presented to Dr. H.
Rembert Malloy, a physician
who has dedicated many years
to lending medical assistance !
to the community. Johnson pre
sented Malloy with the plaque
as a token of her appreciation
as well as the center's, advisory ;
board's and community's ?
appreciation.
Photo by Cortney Hill
Maurice Johnson, left, presents an award to Dr. Rembert Malloy.
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