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75 cents Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point Vol.XXVII No.44
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Blacks
upset by
lopsided
sentences
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
The words black and white seem
to be popping up a lot in talk about the
90-day jail sentence given to former
high school coach Douglas Shields
and the more than 35 year sentence
handed to former teacher and coach
Bobby Curry.
Those
who are out
raged by the
drastic differ
ences between
the two sen
tences say
Shields was
given a slap
on the wrist
because he is
white, while
Curry had the book slung at him
because he is black.
Others say race had nothing to do
with the sentencing. They insist that
the cases yielded such drastic differ
ences in sentencing because they are
as different as black and white.
The similarities between the Curry
and Shields cases are not hard to find.
Both men are former coaches and
teachers who were accused of having
sexual relations with students. Shields
was fired from his job at East Forsyth
when allegations surfaced in 1998.
Curry was let go from Forsyth Coun
try Day School, a private school, as
well, when he was accused last year.
Shields pleaded guilty last week,
just days Jjtfore he was scheduled to
go on trial to face several charges,
including taking indecent liberties
with a minor and disseminating
obscene material, an offense he was
charged with because the Forsyth
Couoty District Attorney's Office says
Shields videotaped himself having sex
w ith a student and showed the tape to
others. Superior Court Judge Howard
Greeson, Jr. sentenced Shields to 90
days and ordered him to pay more
than $2,000 in court related expenses.
Curry's sentence of 36 years,
handed down by Superior Court Judge
Ron Spivey a few weeks ago. was still
fresh in the minds of many when
Shield was sentenced June 27.
"I knew that (Shields') sentence
was not going to be anywhere near
what Curry got." a local African
American man who called The Chron
icle last week said. "This is just a
shame.... People are feed up with stuff
like this happening."
The man, who did not want his
named used for this story, was one of
more than a dozen local people who
called The Chronicle to sound off on
the differences between the sentences.
He echoed many of the sentiments
expressed by callers - anger because
Set- Curry on A8 L
?
Keith
. i/ _ . _ _ .. . Photos by Kevin Walker
Novice golfers Eric Moore, Ryan Gooding and Eric Wallace admire their trophies.
Winners
Clinic graduates
new crop of golf
enthusiasts
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
llll CHRONICLE
Close to 80 children graduated
from Victor Johnson's Summer
Golf Clinic last week, but they
were told that Johnson is not likely
to fade out of their lives anytime
soon.
Johnson - a lifelong educator
who sits on the city-county school
board, started the clinic five years
ago as way to give young people a
positive outlet during their lazy
days of summer - often makes sur
prise visits to the schools of clinic
graduates.
Schools Superintendent Don
Martin, who was on hand for the
last day of the clinic, recalled run
ninglinto Johnson on one such visit.
"I was at one of our schools one
day and there was Mr. Johnson with
a student." Martin said to the stu
dents. "It was one of his golf clinic
students. He had come by to check
on him. He was actually looking at
this young guy's report yard.... You
never know when he might come
by there to check up on you."
Martin added that he saw John
son go into his pocket and give the
student some money for his impres
sive cards.
It's not the first time Johnson
has reached into his own coffers for
young people. He finances the clin
ic himself, buying time at Reynolds
Rashard Frazier has been coming to the clinic for several years.
Park Course, supplying food and
beverages, paying several golf vet
erans to coach the young people
and providing trophies and T-shirts.
"I want to give back to the com
munity because I had men in my
life that took care of me when I was
a 'kid and I owe so much back,"
Johnson said last Thursday after
,SY< Golf Clinic on A8
M P PHOTO Doug K.inter
A red AIDS ribbon is emblazoned on the United Nations Secretariat
Building during the recent world conference on the disease. Behind/
at right, is the Chrysler Building.
Organizations
trying to lower rate
of HIV/AIDS here
BY JOY ROSEBORO
llll CHRONICII
There used to be a time when
parents told their children that every
thing that looks good to them may
not be good for them, and according
to officials of the Forsyth County
Health Department, parents need to
remind their children of this very
important lesson now more than
ever.
The numbers of HIV/AIDS cases
in the United States and around the
world are increasing daily. On June
27 officials of the Forsyth Health
Department joined hundreds of
health departments and health orga
nizations in observing National HIV
Testing Day.
Local Health Department offi
cials set up booths in the parking lot
of the CVS on Martin Luther King
Drive, inviting residents not only to
get tested for HIV/AIDS, but a num
ber of other killers such as diabetes.
See HIV/AIDS on A8
Library kicking off
summer reading
program for adults
BY PAUL COLLINS
llll CHRONK l l
For many years, the Forsyth Coun
ty Public Library has had a program to
encourage children to read during the
summer. This summer, the library sys
tem fras started a similar program for
adults. The program is called Summer
Sizzles, and the theme is "Hot Titles
All Summer Long." Central Library
and the 10 branch libraries are all par
ticipating.
"The response has been tremen
dous." said Don Dwiggins, pubic
information officer for the Forsyth
County Public Library.
The program began June 9 and
will end July 21 (the last day to turn in
reading logs).
Set- Library on A2
Joseph's World
; Actors self-written, one-manplay touches on
everything from politics to blackness
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Joseph C. Phillips has often felt
out of place at swank Hollywood par
ties.
doesn't swing to the left.
He found this out the hard way last
Christmas, as the Florida presidential
fiasco was in full swing. Philfips went
to a Christmas party, biting his tongue
female guest that he believes that there
isn't much difference between the
political ideologies of Bush and then
opponent AI Gore.
"One is like Pepsi and one is like
Pepsi lite."' Phillips
He has a slew
of television,
stage and movie
credits that are
just as impres
sive as those of
[I other party guests and boy next door
I charm and looks. But Phillips has
found that none of that matters once
others find that his political pendulum
during much of it as fellow party goers
sulked at the possibility of a George
W. Bush presidency.
He finally spoke up. telling a
said recently via his
cell phone as he
drove on a Southern
California road.
The party guest
w as not amazed by
Phillips' stance. She laid into him.
"It w as noi a discussion; it was her
So Phillips on A2
National Black Theatre Festival
Photos by Wheaton Jamci
Actor Joseph C. Phillips in his one-man play Professor Lombooxa Lomboo.
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