Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Nov. 13, 2008, edition 1 / Page 12
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Bishop ponders issue of race in Post-Obama Era BY LAYLA FARMER THE CHRONICLE In addition to being his toric, America's selection of Sen. Barack Obama as its next president was symbolic for many, proof-positive that the country is overcoming the racial scars of its past and moving into a more tol erant society. Two days after the elec tion, Bishop Woodie W. White examined the state of race and racism in a nation that is soon to be led by a black man. White, the bishop-in-res idence at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., served as the second speaker in Winston-Salem State University's 2008-2009 James A Gray Lecture Symposium. He spoke last Friday morning at the Albert H. Anderson Center on the school's campus. Themed "Religion and Ethics in 21st Century America," the four-part lec ture series has landed some of the most well-known cler gymen of the 20th and 21st centuries. Indeed, the election was on the minds of seemingly everyone who took the stage prior to White's talk. Dr. Eric Greaux, assistant professor of Religion and Social Studies at WSSU, prayed for the President Elect in his invocation, and the famed Burke Singers incorporated Obama 's name into their rendition of "The Old Ship of Zion," singing, "It has landed, Barack Obama..." Dr. James Feree, former district superintendent of the United Methodist Church in North Carolina, also refer enced Obama in his intro duction of White, who became the _ first African American bishop of the United Methodist Church when he was elected to the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in 1984. "I think that (Obama) ship has landed for a whole lot of us since Tuesday," he commented, "...we have a lot to shout about this morn ing." Feree, White's longtime friend, characterized the President-Elect Obama bishop as "an outstanding ' leaden" "He has been on the bat tlefield," said Feree. "He know.s what it means to stand firm." White's lecture, "Race, Racism and Common Ground," probed the preva lence of racism in American society and the variant forms it can take, from attitudinal and behavioral to what he sees as the most pervasive manifestation: institutional racism. "It's important to under stand the complexity of racism so we will know what we are attacking when we are attacking it," he remarked. He stressed the impor tance of finding ways to eradicate racism of all kinds. "There is this desperate need for finding common ground," said White. "The reality is we have to live together ... we depend upon and rely upon one another in ways that we're not even aware (of)." Despite electing its first black president, America still has a long, way to go in the pursuit of true racial equality. White cautioned. "Racism has had a 400 year rootage in our system," he pointed out. "To think that it will disappear overnight ... would be naive." Nevertheless, the elec tion of Sen. Obama is a step in the right direction, White believes. "God has given the world a glimpse of what we can be and do when we find com mon ground," he declared. "Race still matters, make no mistake about it, but I would add, not as much ... we can achieve common ground." Salem from page A1 Appalled at what her daughter had told her, Brown's mother, Julia Brown, a 1994 alumna of Salem, contacted the school. "After I called voicing my concerns, I was being told that this did not hap pen," she declared. "Why would these students jnake this up?" Although she was dis heartened by her daughter's story. Brown said she was not completely surprised. She remembers the good and the bad from her days at Salem, one of the nation's oldest female colleges. "I was there when they were really pushing for greater diversity in the school; there was strong resistance from the old regime," she said. "You could tell they didn't want us there - you felt that - but you did what you had to do to let them know that you weren't going anywhere." Salem President Susan Pauly said she is proud of the school's diversity (about one quarter of the population is nonwhite, non Christian, or hails from another country). "When I arrived at Salem, I was very pleased at the diversity that was preva lentron campus," said Pauly who is in her second year as the school's president. "My impression was that they were highly committed to diversity and inclusion." Pauly says the school would not stand for its stu dents being mistreated. "This is a place where students need to learn to communicate in enhanced ways across differences," she asserted. "That is funda mental, in my mind, to the mission of this college ... we do not tolerate any kind of harassment or discrimina tion." Pauly says she's heard "rumors" about the alleged incident on campus, but she is adamant that no formal complaints have been filed. Nevertheless, she fired off two campus-wide e-mails in the days following the elec tion. The first, dated Nov. 5 at around 6 p.m., invited stu dents to attend "a special opportunity for conversa tion, personal reflection and dialogue" about the election. Though she did not attend, Pauly says adminis trators reported that the meeting was a success. Pauly's second email, dated November 7, begins,"In response to ques tions and concerns of stu dents, I want to be clear that Salem College is a commu nity of honor, and students are expected to show respect for the community by behav ing with honesty, integrity and civility..." Pauly says that the e mails were intended as a proactive response to the post-election turmoil that has been felt nationwide and not as a response to any par ticular incident. She urged any student who feels perse cuted to report their experi ence to the school adminis tration. The penalty for a student engaging in activity that goes against the school's Honor Code of conduct is evaluated on a "case-by case," basis, Pauly said. She declined to comment as to what, if any, ramifications might arise for a student that is found to be in violation of the code. WSSl' Photo by Garrett Garms Bishop Woodie W. White addresses a crowd at WSSV. 1 See what the buzz is about - More HD channels coming, more features, more programming and more on the way! ? Experience TV like never before. Digital Cable At Hme Warner Cable, we think you should have easy access to hundreds of channels and the power to watch all your favorite shows on your schedule - all for an equally impressive price. Sign up for Digital Cable with On Demand and high definition and enjoy a new level of entertainment that fits your lifestyle and budget perfectly. ? ? 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