Focus next month at Lewisville Library
will be on screen legend Sidney Poitier
by layla farmer
THE CHRONICLE
Every fourth Thursday,
they can be found at the
Lewisville Library, pouring
over their the pages of their
books and avidly discussing
the latest turn of events in the
story. For more than a
decade, the Friends of the
Lewisville Library Book Club
has met in this way, sharing
the adventures of the charac
ters in their novels, and in
turn, sharing tidbits of their
own varied existences.
"You get to talking about
the things in the book and it
reminds you of your own
life," said Branch Supervisor
Merrikay Brown, a member of
the close-knit group of read
ers since its inception. "We
just have a real good time."
The club sprouted from the
Friends of the Lewisville
Library, an assemblage of vol
unteers who are dedicated to
raising money for the branch
and donating books to its
branch's existing collection.
"They cosponsor programs
and they purchase a lot of
things that the county can't
_ . f Sony Studios Image
Sidney Poitier in "To Sir, with Love."
provide for us," Brown
explained. "They provide
pretty much anything that we
need."
While the Friends of the
Lewisville Library Book Club
has seen its share of ups and
downs as members passed
away, moved away or pursued
other interests, the core group
still exists. Brown says.
"We have quite a few that
have been here since the
beginning," she related. "We
have maybe five to 10 people
(in all) that come."
The Friends are branching
out next month, with a special
schedule of programming to
enhance the reading of their
upcoming selection, Sidney
Poitier's "The Measure of a
Man: A Spiritual
Autobiography." The book
chronicles the life and times
of the accomplished actor,
whose career has spanned the
last five decades. The group
will discuss the book Sept. 23.
"1 don't know that much
about him, but he is a fasci
nating man because he really
broke the glass ceiling in cin
ema," Browi^- said of Poitier.
who became the first black
man to win an Academy
Award for his 1963 perform
ance in "Lillies of the Field."
Poitier tackled hot button
issues of the day through his
movies, from interracial dat
ing to apartheid. Some of his
most well-known and per
haps, controversial roles will
be highlighted in the month
long series.
The Friends plan to show
yTo Sir With Love," "A Patch
of Blue," and "The Defiant
Ones," on September 9, 16
and 23, respectively, from 12
noon until 2 p.m. The series
will be open to the greater
community. Whether they are
a member of the book club or
not. everyone has something
to gain from seeing the films,
says Library Liaison Erica
Fields, who helped spread the
word about the series.
"1 think they'll learn a lot
about his life and being an
actor in that time," she
remarked. "I think that it will
spark an interesting discus
sion."
Brown hopes the series
will raise awareness about the
club and attract a more
diverse audience to the
library.
"It's sort of service to the
community that the Friends
are doing." she stated. " We
just want to get the word out
to just come to the library and
enjoy a good series."
For more information
about the Sidney Poitier
series or the Friends of the
Lewisville Library Book Club,
call (336) 703-2940.
Festival
from page AID
"Confessions of a Video
Vixen," made its
debut in 200S
Steffans has
appeared on televi
sion shows such
"Oprah" and
"Tyra."
Other authors
slated to appear
include Terrie
c
Jeffers, Terry ???
Brooks, Marv B.
Morrison,? Terri
Woods, Troy Johnson (author.
Speaker, motivator) and
Michele Andrea Bowen.
Non-writers will also
appear, notably Grammy-win
ner Stephanie Mills, who also
lives in the Charlotte area.
Mills became a star when she
was just a teenager and star
ring on Broadway in "The
Wiz." She went on to a suc
cessful recording career, scor
ing with hits such as "I Feel
Good All Over," "Something
in the Way" and
"Never Knew Love
Like This Before,"
The festival will
honor Mills by giv
ing the "Stephanie
Mills Scholarship"
to a student during
the "Kick off to
Writing" ceremony.
mbp*
Tyree
To learn how
students can qualify
to win the Kickott
to Writing Scholarship, log
onto
www.CharlotteLiteraryFestiv
al.com. The site also has a full
schedule of events and regis
tration information.
Registration can also be done
via telephone by calling 704
377-8989.
Newspaper
from page A5
of The Charlotte Post,
helped start the paper - then
known as the Iredell County
Post - in 1980. Mason
McCullough, who urged
Johnson to start the newspaper,
served as the paper's publisher
since its founding until this
week. ** V~'jf MR
Fairer*' who worked at^Tfte
Post for 29 years, was expected
to publish her first issuing!
Wednesday, Aug. 13.
"What's so important
exciting about this venture
that my original bos? at J$ii)
Charlotte Post, Bill JohnSoff,
had a vision and saw a need in
Iredell County in ^pril of
1980," said Farrer. "I too see the
need, a^ I have the energy and
determination to make The
County jWews a valuable servant
of the imSerserved people of odr
enlarged circulation area.
"In^ time when the dailies
are stnjgling, dedicated citi
zens, particularly, those in small
communities, are looking to tap
get market publications to bring
them quality news for and about
Chamber
from page A3
originals. Huff has taught
at Shaw University, A & T
State University, Talladega
College and Wake Forest
University. His work can be
seen in the movies
"Lean on Me and
"Loosing Isaiah,"
as well as in publi
cations like Ebony,
Essence, Encore,
American Legacy
and Crisis.
? Educational
Committee Co
Chair James Davis I
is an Allstate I*
Insurance
Company sales
associate and co-owner of
Step-by Step Daycare Center,
which he runs with his wife,
Sandra. Davis is a graduate of
Winston Salem State
University.
The chamber meets the
third Tuesday of every month
7 p.m. at the Hewitt Business
them and to provide contact to
local businesses and profession
als. They are seeking insight
into what's going on locally,
politically and nationally, and
that's just what we're going to
do."
McCullough, who will
remain on board at The County
News and aid with the transi
tion, said the changes at the
f paper are a "very good move."
"Fran has been involved in
newspaper publishing for 29
years," said McCullough, who
will also work with Farrer to
expand the paper's advertising
and circulation. "I believe she
o can move the paper forward in a
positive way." , ?
McCullough said he will
serve as an advertising account
executive and work on the circu
lation expansion.
The County News slogan
r has been "The Other Point of
View," and McCullough
believes the changes will aid the
paper in spreading "the other"
perspective.
"Going back to a weekly is
really big news here," he said.
"Going back to a broadsheet is
really big news."
Center, 1001 South Marshall
St. The next meeting is sched
uled for Aug. 19, where
Angela Robinson and Ryan
Dodson of Liberty Tax Service
will be the presenters. Also,
Dr. JaNae Joyner of the
Consortium for Southeastern
Hypertension Control, will be
present to offer blood
pressure and choles
terol screenings and
other services to
Chamber members.
"In order to be the
best managers of our
business affairs and
lives we must first
take care of our bod
/ m i
McCarier
ies," Pender said of
Joyner's visit. "So,
we felt, as an organi
zation of small busi
ness owners, it was important
to offer a program to the com
munity with health and well
ness as the focus."
For more information on
the Chamber, call Randon
Pender at 336- 575-2006, or
Carter
from page A1
have the w^ong man. The
vigils, they say, aren't about
winning Carter public favor, but
are a means to maintain Carter's
and his supporters' faith during
these times, which they say are
both trying and uncertain.
"This has brought us closer
together," Kim Carter. Keith
Carter's mother, said about the
prayer events. "I know that they
will help bring about change."
A typical prayer gathering
begins on the corner of Main
and Second streets, outside of
the office of Carter's public
defender, Mark Rabil. After a
few prayers and songs, the
group, which numbered more
than 25 people on Sunday,
marches around the block,
chanting Bible verses or singing
a tune as they walk. The trek
takes them around the Hall of
Justice, the place where Carter
may get his day in court They
end their activities outside of
the Forsyth County Detention
Center, where Carter is being
detained. Even if Carter can't
catch a glimpse of them through
one of the jail's narrow win
dows, Gertrude Carter, his
grandmother, believes the
group's presence can be felt by
her grandson.
It was Gertrude Carter that
initiated the public prayers. She
says the idea came to her
through a vision from God.
Since the number seven signi
fies "completenesi" in the
Bible, in all, seven pmyer gath
erings will be held. Sunday
marked the third event. They
began July 27 and will end Sept,
But thdre is no definite or
even an estimated end date for
Keith Carter's journey through
the criminal justice system. Hiii
family is concerned that he has
been behind bars for nearly 18
months and a trial date has still
not been set. It's likely that
more than two years will lapse
before Carter gets his day in
court.
"I understand why the fami
ly is so frustrated," Rabil said
during a telephone interview
Monday.
The attorney is best known
for his more than two decades
of work to win the freedom of
Darryl Hunt, who was just a few
years younger. than Keith Carter
when Winston-Salem Police
arrested him in 1984 for murder.
After spending 18 years in
prison. Hunt was released after
DNA test made it clear that lie
did not commit the crime.
Rabil said the WiniUoD
Salem Police Department is
largely to blame for the delay in
the Carter case. The department
just recently turned over three
boxes of police reports and wit
ness interviews to Rabil and
District Attorney Tom Keith,
whose office will prosecute thfe
case.
Both sides will need time to
review the more than 5,000
pages of documents. After that,
follow-up interviews with some
of those named in the police
report and further investigative
work will have to be done by
the defense and prosecutors in
Photos by Kevin Walker
Kim and Gertrude Carter ( center ) are surrounded by members of the family.
preparation for a possible trial.
In a nutshell - no one should
expect a resolution to this case
any time. soon
"It takes so long for the
Winston-Salem Police
Department to get reports
done." said Rabil, repeating a
complaint that he has voiced for
years. "It is the rule rather than
the exception."
Rabil said some police
reports he has received for the
Carter case are dated as recent
as May of 2008, more than 15
months after the incident at the
nightclub. That's of great con
cern to Rabil,rwhp says reports
compiled more than a year later
may not be as accurate and
"subject to question
The Hunt case and that of
Kalvin Michael SmittP- who is
serving time for a 1995 crime -
have exposed problems with the
Police Department's investiga
tive techniques. Rabil said the
department should rtpw be striv
ing to' cross everyFt' and dot
every 'i.'
"You would think the Police
Department would have learned
some lessons," he said.
Capt. David Clayton insists
that the department has indeed
learned from past mistakes and
is taking extra care to make sure
investigations are above
reproach. The Police
Department's desire to be as
thorough as possible is why it
A supporter wears a Keith
Carter t-shirt.
took some time to turn over the
reports in the Carter case, said
Clayton, the head of the depart
ment's Criminal Investigations
Unit.
"We certainly wanted to
make sure we were thorough
. . and all our reports were accu
rate when they were submitted,"
said Clayton.
He says that reports dated in
the spring may be summary
reports, which are written by the
lead investigator based on infor
mation provided by other offi
cers.
Because the nightclub had
heavy attendance on the night
that Plouff died, hundreds of
interviews were conducted by
numefous investigators.
Clayton said. All of those inter
views, regardless of what infor
mation the witness provided,
were included in the documents
the department turned o\?r
Clayton acknowledges the
concerns that Rabil and others
have about the length of the
turn-around time for police
reports, hut he says the depart
ment has improved. Recently,
the department acquired the
technology to produce so-called
"e-reports," which include digi
tally-recorded witness state
ments.
Rabil's reputation among
many people - the Carter fami
ly included - is that of a giant
slayer - a David who has stood
against the Goliath that is the
criminal justice system. He
doesn't think of himself in those
terms, but is proud that his
experience has given him a
unique insight.
'After 20 years with the
Hunt case, I feel 1 am able to put
those lessons to work for other
people," he said.
Despite her son's lawyer's
almost mythical status, Kim
Carter is still uneasy. She has
seen and heard of far too many
young black men like her son
who have wrestled with the
criminal justice system and lost.
When asked if she has faith
in the system, she thought about
the question for only a few min
utes.
"My faith is in God," she
said.
The office of District
Attorney Keith was contacted
for this story. The Chronicle did
not receive a response before
press time.