SportsWeek Community
Lady Rams win Choir celebrates year
impressively P'f \ of music-making
? ? ? ? IT * %1 ? 1 V ? ? ? ?
Tennis player turns HLJH Study focuses on
attention to kids ''?* SeeB2 see *3 see ci Hispanics, depression
25 120202 *FIHM*CAR-RT-L0T" "C022 W T -w -W ? ^ -?--*? i i i j.
ssssr J IT D AXT1PI T7
52st?salL sc 27101-2755 j ^ |\V_^# 1 1 > | 7 | i
75 cents Vol. XXIX No. 22
Board
wants
ability
to start
charters
School officials hope
legislators will bring
flexibility to existing
charter school laws
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston
Salem/Forsyth Counly Board
of Education wants the
authority to enter into part
nerships with charter schools
and even convert some exist
ing public schools into char
ter schools. Board members
talked
about
those
possi
bilities
Monday
during a
meeting
with
rh e m -
bers of
Forsyth
Coun
ty's
Martin
stale legislative delegation.
Existing laws, school sys
tem officials said, prevent
them from even forming
solid unions -with charter
schools, let alone giving
them authority to create
"charter schools of their own.
The School Board is lobby
ing local legislators to
change the Charter School
Act in order to create the
flexibility needed for the
School Board to pursue new
and different ways to edocate
students-.
"There are some things
that charter schools do that
we would like to experiment
with," said Doug Punger. the
attorney for the school sys
tem. For example, charter
schools do not have to abide
by the standard course of
study, which public schools
cannot stray far from.
The School Board feels
that the
current
charter
schools
law has
already
foiIed
one
plan
that
school
offi
cials
said
Womble
would have resulted in a pos
itive educational experience
for at-risk students. Last
year, the school system want
ed to convert Diggs Elemen
tary StWool into an arts
based charter school. Punger
said the plan was frowned
upon by the Attorney's Gen
eral Office right away since
it would have involved the
School Board appointing the
board for a charter school
"We were told the School
Board could not appoint the
board of a nonprofit corpora
tion (the charter school)."
Punger said.
School officials say that
partnerships with charter
schools could haVe mutual
benefits for all parties. The
flexibility of charter schools
?would give the school system
<? chance to try new ways to
Continue to close the
Sec Schools on A4
City plans to honor unsung blacks
BYT KEVIN WALkF.R
llll l HRONK I I
The city plans to sing the
praises of unsung African
Americans who have devoted
their lives to making Winston
Salem a better place to live.
Mayor Allen Joines
announced last week that the
city will honor blacks who
have done much but have
received little recognition.
Joines made the announce
ment on Martin Luther King
Jr. Day at a prayer breakfast
sponsored by The Chronicle.
He said that like King, there
are many men and women
here who worked for civil
? rights and toward narrowing
the divide between blacks and
whites.
Joines said that one or two
African-Americans will be
chosen each February, the
month "designated for Black
Heritage Month. The Board of
Aldermen will approve each
person that will receive the
honor. The individuals will be
honored with city resolutions,
and some will get public
plaques, Joines jtaid.
The Revs. James T.
McMillian and Jerry Drayton
will be the first two honorees.
Joines said he got the idea for
the program after Alder
wotrian Vivian Burke suggest
ed to him that the city needed
to find some way to honor
McMillian. who died in 1992.
"It got me thinking about
all the many individuals who
worked
in our
commu
nity for
civil
rights in
the '60s.
'70s and
?80s."
J o i n e s .
said.
"There
are so
many
examples of individuals who
worked hard to improve things |
for African-Americans and
maybe never got their story
told, so hopefully we can do
that." a
McMillian served as the s
president of the Winston- s
Salem chapter of the NAACP c
for a decade. During his presi- c
dency. he played a central role
in the local civil rights move- J
ment by leading protests. He
Joines
Iso filed a desegregation law
uit against the local school
ystem in 1966 and led the
harge to get blacks to serve
in the N.C. Highway Patrol.
McMillian served as pastor
if St. James African
dethodist Episcopal Church
from 1%1 to 1978. During his
time at the church, he was
appointed presiding elder of
the local district of the AME
Church.
Drayton has been the pas
tor at New Bethel Baptist
Church since 1944. He has
been active on the local reli
gious, civic and political
fronts since that time. Drayton
was a leading player jn the
desegregation movement in
the 1960s. He served on the
Goodwill Committee, which
See Honorees on AS
File Phoco
The Rev. James T. McMillian delivers a passionate sermon.
Striking
a
Playful
Pose
'
Photo by Kevin Walker
Little Kimberly Gregg is a bit
too young to truly comprehend
who the late Dr. Martin Luther
King was, so she found other
ways to occupy her time last
week at the annual MLK Noon
Hour Commemoration. While
Kimberly's grandmother, Car
olyn Epps, listened to an
inspiring slate of speakers, the
H little girl introduced herself to
complete strangers. She also
become transfixed by the
reporter with the camera that
flashed bright light several
times during the event. Little
Kimberly was quite prepared,
as you can see, when the cam
era was turned toward her.
o
I ?I
Chronicle seeks readers' input for awards
CHRONICLE STAFf RBPOlO
Over the past two
decades hundreds of local
heroes and heroines, some
well-known, some unsung,
have been honored hy The
Chronicle for their commu
nity service and unselfish
spirits.
In March. The Chronicle
will continue the tradition at
the 20th annual Community
Service Awards gala, which
will honor local individuals
and groups in a variety of
categories, from Man and
Woman of the Year to human
relations.
The Chronicle staff is not
looking to single-handedly
pick and choose this year's
slate of w inners. For the next
couple of weeks. Chronicle
readers will have the oppor- :
tunity to submit nominations
for the awards. The nomina
tions will be reviewed by the m
Community Awards Steering
Committee, which is made
up of business sponsors, past
winners and a representative
from The Chronicle. Those
submitting nominations
should write in detail about
why a particular person or
group deserves to be hon
ored. Thc/"hames. addresses,
and phone numbers of nomi
nees should be included in
the letter, as well as the name
and contact information of
the person doing the nomi
nating.
"These awards are for
Sec Awards on A9 Id
File Photo
The Rev. J.C.
Hash, pastor of
St. Peter's World
Outreach Cen
ter, accepts his
award last year
at the Communi
ty Service
Awards Oala.
Hash was
named Man of
the Year for his
many contribu
H tions to the
J community
I through his
T work at the
J church.
Edwards
must woo
blacks,
locals say
Senator may have to battle
with two black Democrats
for presidential nomination
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Before Sen. John Edwards spoke to a
crowd of more than 1.000 people last
week at a ceremony here to honor the
late Martin Luther King Jr.. he had to
unruffle a
few feath- r
ers in an
intense
private
meeting.
Edwards
met with
Several
local
African
American
elected
officials
and com
m u n i t y
leaders to
clarify
Edwards'
John Edwards
p V S III O I>
on the possible war between the United
"States and Iraq.
When Edwards announced his inten
tion to run for the White House in 2004,
he also gave his approval to a war
between the United States and Iraq.
Many of the local leaders Edwards met
with oppose the war and some, reported
ly. were willing to stage a protest during
Edwards' remarks last week if he did not
rethink his position on the war.
Those who attended the private meet
ing say Edwards responded to the criti
cism gracefully and promised to give his
position on the war another look.
Edwards and other politicians seek
ing black votes may have to get used to
having to hear blacks out and even cud
dling blacks. Local black leaders who
have supported Edwards in the past say
the votes of black North Carolinians can
not be taken for granted in the next pres
sor Edwards on A4
Mi The Only Choice for African-American