Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 28, 2002, edition 1 / Page 7
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
FORUM Live with greater confidence Nigel Alston M o t i v a I i o n a I Moments "The future beltings to those . who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt My wife recommended thai I write about my Dale Carnegie Class graduation she attended recently. One of the many guests at the 12-week session finale, she was moved by the talks. I have been involved with Dale Carnegie since 1989 as a graduate, then a graduate assistant and, for the last 10 years, as an instructor. Two to three times a year I lead a different class - one night a week for 12 weeks - that encourages and challenges partic ' ipants to live life intentionally. 2 _ "What I saw tonight." my \* wife told me. "were people living .-.with greater confidence, being , y jnore assertive and speaking more ' -"effectively." One participant shared how he had gained more confidence. courage and now has tools to use for a lifetime. "Did he really change that much?" my wife asked me later as she listened to him and others talk about how he had changed. "Yes he did." 1 told her. An introvert, he consciously and deliberately applied the prin ciples he learned through the training and gained confidence weekly as he realized results. He never stopped improving or growing and is now more expres sive. "I really enjoyed this class in spite of myself." wrote one partic ipant. "I learned a lot about myself and how I fit into the world. My self-confidence has increased significantly." Some participants enroll in the class because they have seen firsthand how friends, family members or co-workers benefit from the training in ways that sur prise them. A college junior who was impressed with the changes she saw in a sorority sister who took the course decided to take it too. You actually don't take it, you live it. And she did. Her mother was in attendance as she received her certificate of completion. She ?/ is more assertive now. talking to people she usually would shy away from, developing new friendships, strengthening exist ing ones and accepting more lead ership responsibilities. "It has prepared me for get ting out of school and for inter views." she said, already looking forward to taking the course again as she continues her journey in life. Others are enrolled because someone thought they should take the course for specific rea sons, including improving their communication, people or leader ship skills. A business owner whose wife suggested he take the course couldn't believe how he handled several challenges recently while on vacation. He was surprised at himself and knew then that this was the right course for him. He was also able to make positive changes in his business as well as his personal life and realizes "there are results when one is committed." Most if not all have a desire to deal with stress and worry - min imize and control it - and increase self confidence in some area of their lives. A personal objective of one participant is to return to col lege and complete her degree. She is excited about what she visualiz es for her future: working with youths to help them realize their dreams. Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell, a former president of Harvard Uni versity, once said: "Only one thing will train the human mind and that is the voluntary use of the mind by the person. You may aid. guide, suggest, and above all else, you may inspire him or her, but the only thing worth having is that which the person gets by his or her own exertions, and what is attained is in direct proportion to what is put into it." It's exciting to see success, wherever it is, in people who vol untarily use their minds to read books, apply what they learn, are willing to be coached, set break through goals and realize they get out of life what they put into it. What are you willing to put into making the beauty of your dreams a reality'.' Nigel Alston is a radio talk show host, columnist and moti vational speaker. Visit his Web site at www.motivationalmo ments.com. Is it racial profiling or reckless driving ? Earl Ofari Hutchinson Guest Columnist Some New Jersey state troop ers were gleeful at the results of a study that purports to show that blacks are twice as likely as whites to speed down their state's high ways. This seemed to vindicate the troopers oft-repeated con tention that they don't racially ' profile and are simply doing good police work when they stop more blacks than whites on the open highways. Civil rights leaders furiously denounced the study commissioned by New Jersey state officials. Justice Department officials called the study faulty, flawed, and poorly designed, and quickly moved to block its public release. But even if the study is not flawed, and more-i blacks than whites do violate speeding laws, there are two colossal problems with the study. It found that .1 per cent of blacks exceeded the 65 mile limit, while half as many white drivers exceeded the speed limit. But this means that 97 per cent of black motorists observed the lawful speed limit. If so. how does this explain why a New Jer sey judge in 1996 tossed out a slew of drug possession cases because New Jersey troopers ille gally targeted black motorists? Or. why a Justice Department study found that blacks account for 70 percent of all routine traffic stops, and a similar review of New Jer sey state police practices found that 75 percent of motorists arrest ed on the New Jersey Turnpike in two months in 1997 were minori ties? New Jersey may be the worst, but it's hardly the only profiling offender. A similar study by the ACLU in 2001 in California found that black and Latino motorists are far more likely than whites to be stopped by the Cali fornia Highway Patrol and their cars searched. The New Jersey study also doesn't explain why a flock of prominent black and Latino actors, entertainers, business lead ers. and even some state legisla tors and House representatives complain that police on the roads have racially harassed them. They all surely could not have been hauled over while recklessly speeding to pqljtical sessions and business meetings. The far bigger problem, how ever, with the study is that it rein forces public suspicions that racial profiling is mostly myth and is a ploy used by black leaders to let black lawbreakers off the hook. This could wreak havoc on the titanic battle civil rights leaders continue to wage to eliminate racial profiling Before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, they were making some headway in winning that battle. In its report "Police Practices and Civil Rights in America" issued in 1999, the Civil Rights Commis sion denounced racial profiling and called on police departments to immediately fire any officer guilty of racial profiling. By then the Justice Department had already initiated investigations of police departments in several cities for civil rights violations, mostly against young black and Latino males. It brokered consent decrees with city officials in Pitts burgh and Los Angeles to rein in the blatant and well documented abusive practices of police depart ments in those cities. The targets of police misconduct often were mostly blacks and Latinos, and traffic stops were often cited its triggering sometimes-fatal con frontations. There was even some hope that Congress might finally get off its duff and seriously consider passing the Traffic Stops Statistics Study Act introduced by Michi gan Democrat John Conyers in 1999 and 2(XX). The bill requires the Justice Department to compile figures from local police depart ments by race on highway traffic stops. The data would document why a driver was stopped and whether an arrest was made or not. The Justice Department could use the figures to determine how pervasive racial profiling is. The bill does not force local police agencies to collect data and imposes no sanctions on those that refuse to compile stats. In 2(X)1, Conyers got Senate help from ?Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold. when he introduced a bill that per mits alleged v ictims of racial pro filing to sue to get injunctions to halt the practice. The New Jersey study could do much to torpedo the anti-profil ing effort. Only a handful of states have passed legislation requiring local police agencies to keep racial sta tistics on traffic stops. Many state legislators have already backpedaled fast away from intro ducing or supporting legislation to tackle the problem. In some states, anti-racial profiling bills have either died in legislative commit tees or been decisively voted down. And with many members of Congress quietly or openly claiming that profiling can be a useful weapon against terrorists, the Feingold-Conyers bills, at least for now. are hopelessly buried. President Bush and Attor ney General John Ashcroft proba bly won't help much here. Despite their much-publicized pre-911 pledges to push and prod Con gress and police agencies to end profiling, they are now stone silent on the issue. The great fear and danger are that the New Jersey study will fur ther embolden the legion of public officials and law enforcement agencies who don't believe that police profile minorities, to foot drag on. or derail, the anti-profil ing fighL No wonder there was glee among some New Jersey troopers. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and columnist. Visit his news and opinion Web site: www.thehutchinsonreport.com. He is the author of "The Crisis in Black and Black" (Middle Pas sage Press). m KRT Photo Rep. John Conyers Jr. has proposed legislation to try to reduce incidents of racial profiling. The deadline for news articles is Monday 5 p.m. Practice Areas: ? Child Support ? Child Custody ? Divorce ? Traffic Tickets ? Personal Injury ?Wills Phone: (336) 723-6626 Fax: (336) 723-7323 Email: tmseql029@cs.com 545 North Trade Street Suite 2 L Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Louise E. Harris ? Bankruptcy ? (Consumer Problems ? Traffic Tickets & DWI ? Divbrce ? Social Security 1(12 West Third Street, Ste. 4X5 Call 24 Hours Winston-Salem. NC (336)761-0222 Victory-Masonic Mutual Credit Union M Your Community Credit Union Our strength comes from our members. With you, Victory can be your full service community credit union. ""Located inside 5 Star International Market Come gnd experience the best soul i food in town! reaturmg New Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner Menu New Soul Food Menu (available 'til Closing) New & Improved Attjtosphere Soul Food Menu for the Week Starting March 5. 2002 Tuesday through Saturday From 11 am - 2 am Breakfast starts at 7:30 am Fresh Collard Grepns Fresh Turnip Greens Fresh Green Beans Potato Salad Rice & Gravy Candied Yams Com on the Cob Fried Okra Mac & Cheese Pinto Beans Fat Back Meat Fried Corn Bread BBQ Ribs Baked Chicken Filet of Whiting Croaker Bone Fish Chicken Gizzards Chicken Livers Fried Chicken Wings (Hoi. BBQ. Honey Mustard) Salmon Palties Ribeye Steak Pork Chop Beef Stew w/veg. Creamed Potatoes & Gravy | Buy I breakfast sandwich and receive 50% off on another \ of equal or lesser value with this coupon. | We also deliver free with 8 or more orders. J ! Available for Catering & Private Parties Prime Tyme Soul Cafe 3229 Old Lexington Road Winston-Salem, NC 27107 336-785-4300 The Chronicle ? The Choice for African-American News 617 N. Liberty Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 The Chronicle was established by Ernest Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974. and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem C hronicle Publishing Co.. Inc. The Chronicle is a proud member of National Newspapers Publishers Associations North Carolina Press Association ? North Car olina Black Publishers Association * Inland Press Association l National Advertising Representative: Amalgamated Publishers. Inc.. 45 West 45th Street. New York. NY 10056 212 / 869-5220 Contact Us: 336 / 722-8624 336 / 723-9173 Web site oddress: www.wschronicle.com effloi/ oddress: news@wschronicle.com Sports Editor 723-8428 Copy Editor 723-8448 Circulation 722-8624 Solos Staff 722-8628 NIE Coordinator 722-8628 Business Office Sam Davis Pai i Collins Vickie Warren Anthony TickeB Sybil Lynch , Ericka Asbi r\ Paulette Lewis The Chronicle Home Delivery Subscription Order J YES. Please send me The Chronicle ? 2 years: $40.95 I ? I year: $30.72 I year 35.72 ? 6 months: $20.48 jv,4* j Name ? Address Phone ~ City 0 Stan- Hip ? VISA ? Mastercard ? American Express ? Check enclosed ? Please bill me Account Number Expiration Date Signature Send to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636. Winston-Saiem, NC 27102
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 28, 2002, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75