Photo by Cortney L. Hill
I 'P'veri/fy Dramatist Troupe members Pam Romero, Charlotte Hamlin and Marianne Anderson Book
j! (pictured from left to right) demonstrate the harms of racism in society.
I#*
Commitment to eliminate racism
BY CUKINfcY L HILL
THE CHRONICLE
The Young Women's Christian
Association (YWCA) celebrated
the National Day of Commitment
to Eliminate Racism by holding a
luncheon and hosting a drama
; presentation on Friday, April 27,
?Jit noon.
Florence P. Corpening. execu
tive director of the YWCA of
Winston-Salem, and other staff
. members invited the community as
^ well as YWCA members to come
- prid take part in the celebration as
" the Diversity Dramatist Troupe
-Trom the High Point/Thomasviile
Red Cross performed a skit that
1 explored the usage of racial slurs
- and how people are affected by
- them.
The skit was performed by four
women of different races, with one
facilitating. The skit was about
three co-workers on an early Mon
day morning chatting about their
weekend ai^ivities around the cof
' fee maker. -?Jo." played by Mari
anne Anderson Booker, talked to
- one of her co-workers about how
fshe kept her grandkids over the
weekend and ranted and raved
-how they were running around like
1' aTunch of "wild Indians" and that
2 tljey could not keep their "cotton- i
pickin'" hands to themselves.
"Norma." played by Pant
Romero, also talked about her
weekend activity of planting in her
garden "Chris," played by Char
lotte Hamlin, later came into the
conversation sharing how she bar
gained an item from $200 down to
$150 by saying that she "jewed
down" the item. Norma became
offended by this comment and
told Chris so. Norma is Jewish, but
Chris, who is a white woman, was
unaware that the comment was a
racial slur. Jo, an African Ameri
can, also scolded Chris for the
comment and walked after
Norma.
The purpose of the skit was to
allow people to take other races
and cultures into consideration
and be knowledgeable enough to
know when a comment is a racial
slur. After the troupe performed
the skit, a question-and-answer
session was held for the audience.
The question-and-answer session
brought out many assumptions on
different races for instance, how
often times Spanish-speakers are
all assumed to be Mexican, how
Indians can be offended by the
many athletic team names such as
the "Red Skins" and how all
Asians are categorized as being
Chinese.
"Ignorance is the main prob
lem with racism," said Hamlin,
director of the Professional Devel
opment Training Center at Guil
ford College. "Don't be afraid to
speak up for what offends you just
because you might think it may
hurt the other person's feelings,"
Corpening has been executive
director of the YWCA for six
years and has celebrated the "Day
of Commitment to Eliminate
Racism" for four years "This cel
ebration gave us the opportunity
to talk and interact with one
another as well as socialize and
hear from different races and cul
tures" Corpening said. She also
mentioned how racism is an act of
pure ignorance and how not
knowing better should not be used
as an excuse.
National Day of Commitment
to Eliminate Racism was estab
lished in 1992 and the YWCA
took a stand to nationally and
locally position themselves U> elim
inate racism.
"We are committed to offering
special events and programs that
will embrace this community's
multiculturalism. The YWCA will
continue to bring people together
to learn about one another and to
learn to live together," said Cor
pening.
Bishop Carr to speak
SPECIAL TO THh CHRONICLE
GREENSBORO Bishop
Clarence Carr will be the featured
speaker at Greensboro College's
annual baccalaureate ceremony on
Saturday. May 5. to be held at I irst
Presbyterian Church of Greens
boro at 7 p.m. The title of Carr's
address, "Learning to Live With
Life," is related to the Scripture text
Philippians4:4-I3.
Carr. a resident of St. Louis.
Mo., and a native of Orangeburg.
S.C. received the bachelor of arls
degree in sociology from Living
stone College in Salisbury. N.C.,
and the master of divinity degree
from Hood Theological Seminary
in Salisbury, N.C. He has received
honorary doctor of divinity
degrees from Livingstone College
and from Hood Theological Semi
nary .
Currently Carr is the presiding
prelate of the Western Episcopal
District and the 89th bishop of the
African Methodist Episcopal Zion
Church. He is the chairman of the
Pan Methodist Commission on
Cooperation and Union and a
member of the NAACP national
board of directors. Carr has served
in churches in Atlanta. Ga.; St.
Louis. Mo.: Hempstead. N.Y.; East
Spencer. N.C.; Lincolnton, N.C.;
Patchogue. N.Y: and Roosevelt,
N.Y.
Adoption
front no ui> A I
county. Some of the children fea
tured in the advertsing material
will be on hand at the rally, includ
ing Eugene Ball, who was adopted
at age 14. His adoptive mother.
Brenda Ball, will also be on hand.
Austin Caviness of WXII
News Channel 12 will host the
event. At the rally. Caviness will
ask people to participate in the
making of a community banner.
The rally will also feature music
by the Youth Sanctuary Choir of
the Macedonia True Vine Pente
costal Holiness Church.
For more information about
this event or how you can gel
involved in adopting, call the
Forsyth County Families for Kids
at (336) 727-2023.
Carr has won many honors and
awards, including Who's Who
Among Black Elected Officials;
Outstanding Service Award from
the Senior Community Service
Center in Hampstead, N. Y.; and
the Hol'stra University Uni-Span
Award for Outstanding Leadership.
Greensboro College President
Craven E. Williams said: "We are
honored to welcome Bishop Carr
to our college. He will bring a dig
nity and a wide perspective on life
to our baccalaureate ceremony. His
laith is compelling as he speaks to
audiences around the nation."
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