North
Forsyth
victorius
this week
- See Page B1
Young
pen pals
meet for
first time
- See Page A9
Teens get
lesson on
noting at
forum
- See Page AlO
School
unveils
plan for
changes
See Page A3
Fit for a King
King Day events draw thousands of people to mix of programs
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
The famous words of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream"
speech floated through the air of the ban
quet hall like sweet music, causing some
to close their eyes to take in the full mag
nitude of the words and others to cry soft
ly
Larry Leon Hamlin opened The
Chronicle's Third Annual Martin Luther
King Jr. Prayer Breakfast with a spirited
version of the speech. With the power
and cadence of a southern preacher,
Hamlin, a trained actor who founded the
National Black Theatre Festival, drew in
the more than 500 people who attended
the event. By the time he got tri "Free at
last. Free at last," they were on their feet,
clapping and saying amen. The speech
set thi1 tone for what would be two hours
of song and praise laced with a steady
dose of inspiration.
Chronicle publisher Ernie Pitt said he
designed the breakfast to be a multi
racial occasion for the community to
reflect and look ahead. He got his wish
.this year. Attendees were diverse as were
the speakers.
See King on A4
Photos by Kevin Walker
Top: Prayer breakfast
speaker Sandra
Mikush chats with little
Kimberly Greg during
a fellowship portion of
the event.
Above: The Rev.
Claude Alexander of
University Park Baptist
Church in Charlotte ,
shakes hands with a
tnan after the Noon
Hour Commemoration.
Left: Kimberly Hardy
of the HAWS Ensemble
delivers a powerful
gospel song during the
prayer breakfast.
Greensboro sit-in
|j3
program will
salute Sharpton
WW II hero will also be honored
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Presidential hopeful Jhe
Rev. Al Sharpton is expected
to be in Greensboro on Feb. 6
to receive the Alston-Jones
International Civil and
Human Rights Award. The
award, named for longtime
community activists Skip
Alston and Earl Jones, will be
presented at The Sit-In Move
ment Inc. 10th Annual Ban
quet at the Koury Convention
Center.
The event will coincide
with the 44th anniversary of
the Greensboro sit-in move
ment. which was launched on
Feb. 1, 1960 when four stu
dents from N.C. A&T State
University walked into a
Woolworth store on South
Elm Street, sat at the "whites
only" lunch counter and asked
to be served. Today, that
Woolworth store is owned by
The Sit-In Movement Inc.,
which plans to turn it into a
world-renowned civil rights
museum. Proceeds from the
banquet will help the organi
zation fund the project.
Sharpton's appearance
will come a few days after the
South Carolina primary, one
of the primaries in which
experts say he lian garner a
I
File Photo
The Rev. Al Sharpton will
break from campaigning to
receive an award in Greens
boro next month.
significant amount of votes.
Sharpton - a New York
preacher and activist - has
been active in the civil rights
movement since 1970. Sharp
ton is the- founder of the
National Youth Movement. In
2001, he led successful
hunger strike protest after his
arrest at the Vieques, Puerto
Rico bombing range.
Also receiving an award r
this year will be Lt. John
See Sharpton on A9
Hunt honored
as Mayor Joines
seeks solutions
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
At times, it was hard to fig
ure whether the Rev. John
Mendez was talking about Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. or Dar
ryl Eugene Hunt. Mendez -
head of
the Min
i s t e r s
Confer
ence of
Winston
Salem
and
Vicinity
- pre
s e n t eti
H." V Hunt
with the
Martin ?
Luther King Jr. Courage
Award Monday night during a
program at St. Stephens Mis
sionary Baptist Church.
Words like courage;
resilience and strength -
words that have long been
associated with Dr. King -
hirCe been used with great fre
quency to describe Hunt.
Hunt is adjusting to free
dom and sudden stardom after
being released from prison on
Christmas Eve after serving
nearly two decades behind
bars for murder. Hunt was
released after DNA evidence
led authorities to another sus
=J=
pect. Because the victim in the
case, Deborah Sykes, was
white and Hunt is African
American, racial tensions have
simmered the last two
decades. Most blacks have
always believed that Hunt was
innocent and that police and
prosecutors made a quick
arrest to appease the white
community.
Since his release. Hunt has
made it clear that despite the *
injustice he experienced, he
wants city residents to come
together. He made that appeal
again during his acceptance
speech Monday.
"I have been busy (since
being released from jail). I
have been here, I have been
there. I have seen people com
ing together," Hunt said. He
said if city residents can final
ly dump theft raci?i(-*rkggage, "
his years in prison would be
worth it.
Hunt asked people in the
packed sanctuary to keep the
family of Deborah Sykes in
thejr prayers, even though
members of the family have
publicly stated that they still
believe Hunt played a role in
the killing.
"That doesn't bother me
because I understand." Hunt
said about the family's feel
ings.
See Hunt on AS
In Grateful Memory of Our
Founders,
Florrie S. Russell and
Carl H. Russell , Sr.
" Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better"
3Riis sel I Jf mteral ffiamc A
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
S22 Carl Russell Ave.
(at Martin I either King Dr.)
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 722-3459
Fax (336) 631-8268
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