Vol. XXXVII No. 20
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
THURSDAY, January 13,2011
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Muhammad: Girls taught to be
strong instead of marriage-worthy
Marriage expert from CNN's
" Black in America 2}" speaks at
local relationship Boot Camp
BY LAYLA FARMER
I HI CHRONICLE
Nisa Muhammad's kind smile is familiar
to many after it and her powerful advices
about saving black marriages were featured
on CNN's "Black in America 2" last summer.
Muhammad brought her sage advice to
Winston-Salem Saturday. She led a workshop
that dealt with the merits of marriage at the
First Annual BIRTH (Building Interfaith
Relationships Through Healing) Interfaith
Relationships Boot Camp.
A native of Washington. D.C. and the
founder of the Wedded Bliss Foundation.
Muhammad said she began her work to
improve marriages in the black community
because she was fed-up.
"I kind of got tired of hearing all the neg
ative stuff about black people and marriage,"
said Muhammad, referencing African
Americans' low rate of marriage. "1 started
thinking, 'I know we can do better.'"
Held on the campus of Winston-Salem
State University, Muhammad's workshop,
"Why Marriage?," talked about the impor
tance of the institution of marriage in build
ing communities. She also addressed some of
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Photo by Layla Farmer
Nisa Muhammad addresses Boot Camp attendees on Saturday.
the factors that threaten marriage in today's
society. Though marriage rates are down in
all communities. Black America has suffered
the most severe decline, said Muhammad,
who is Muslim but counsels couples of all
faiths.
"I just want to see some change in our
community so instead of marriage being the
exception, marriage can be the rule." she
said. "...I'm not saying marriage is for every
body but at least we need to consider it more
See Boot Camp on A2
File Photo*
Left: Locals
take part in
last year's
annual
MLK Day
March.
Right: A
historic
marker is
unveiled at
Odd Fellows
cemetery
last summer.
Local events to honor MLK plentiful
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Those looking to honor Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. on Monday will have a multitude of
events from which to choose.
A federal holiday honoring Dr. King has
been observed nationwide since 1986. The
holiday falls on the third Monday in January,
around the time of the legendary civil rights
leader's birthday on January 15. King
would've been 82 years-old this year.
New events will join longtime events this
MLK holiday season. On Saturday. Jan. 15,
the N.C. Black Repertory Company will hold
its 26th Annual MLK Birthday Celebration at
7 p.m. at the Arts Council Theater, 610
Coliseum Drive. It's a free night of entertain
ment for those who bring three non-perish
able food items, which will be donated to
Second Harvest Food
Bank of Northwest
North Carolina. It will
feature a wide variety of
performances including
music, dance and poetry
by local stars and new
comers alike.
"It's for all ages; it's
for all ethnicities," said
Geraldine Patton, execu
tive director of the Black
Rep.
Patton
On Sunday, Jan. 16, the Minister s
Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity
will hold its annual MLK service at 7 p.m. at
St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church, 5()0<)
Noble St. The Rev. Ann Dalton, chaplain at
the Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, will be
the keynote speaker at the service, which acts
as a fundraiser for the Ministers Conference's
scholarship program.
On Monday, Jan. 17, The Chronicle will
hold its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Prayer Breakfast from 7-9:30 a.m. at the
Benton Convention Center, 301 W. Fifth St .
The breakfast will feature local pastors and
speakers as well as the Winston-Salem State
University Burke Singers. Ernie Pitt, The
Chronicle's Publisher and co-founder, said
the breakfast helps set the tone for a day of
See MLK on All
' mm
deferred
Bill that would have aided
young undocumented
workers has uncertain future
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONIC! E
Local supporters of the DREAM Act.
which woutd've given some undocu
mented immigrants living in the United
States a path to education and citizen
ship, are lamenting its failure to pass in
Congress.
"The majority of these kids didn't ask
to come here to this country, so due to the
fact that they're here, they have to make
the best of it." said Wayne Patterson.
president of the
Winston-Salem
Branch of the
NAACP. "Their
civil liberties are
being violated
because they don't
have the opportuni
ty to find" employ
ment, they do not
have the opportuni
ty to seek higher
education."
Castro
The DREAM Act. which stands for
Development. Relief and Education of
Alien Minors, is designed to help undoc
umented immigrants who were brought
to this country hy their parents as chil
dren. Those who entered the country
before the age of i6: have lived here con
tinuously for at least five years; have no
criminal record; and a high school diplo
ma or GED would qualify for conditional
nonimmigrant status. That status would
allow them to attend college or serve in
the military. Those who complete either
two years of military service or school
could qualify for permanent residence
status, which can lead to citizenship.
The DREAM Act has garnered the
support of the National Education
Association and more than 70 presidents
and chancellors of colleges and universi
ties. The national NAACP has endorsed
See DREAM on A5
WSPD Photo
Members of the BLET Class 60.
Rookies ready for Their Close-ups
Reality series to show what it takes to become a cop in W-S
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
fc ? ' ? '
When city native James
Singletary signed up to join 'the
Winston-Salem Police Department,
he didn't know he was also audition
ing to become a reaiflfy TV star.
But that's exactly what happened
to Singletary and the 31 other mem
bers of the WSPD's 6()th Basic Law
Enforcement Training Class.
Frank Elliott, a producer at city
j)\vned I v-l j, and his crew taped tne recruits
as they navigated through the stringent train
ing process for the forthcoming series, "Class
Elliott
60." The recruits were followed by cameras
from their first day of training - oig
sept. in. zwuv to tnetr last izh
days later. The crew dropped in on
the recruits an average of two to
three times a week and often did
one-on-one interviews with the
recruits to capture their personal
sentiments about the experience.
"We are very excited about the
'Class 60' project." Police Chief
and Co-Executive Producer Scott
Cunningham wrote in a,n email to
The Chronicle. "X< is designed as a reality
See Class Ml on A 12
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