The Chron.
Vol. XXXVIII No. 17 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, December 22, 2011
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Kwanzaa
kicks off
on Monday
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Winston-Salem is gearing up for its annual City
Wide Kwanzaa Celebration, a long-standing tradition
of observing the cultural holiday for many in the
local community. The seven day celebration will be
staged at venues across the city, beginning with the
opening ceremony at the Winston-Salem Urban
League on Dec. 26.
"We're really excited about this year's Kwanzaa
celebration. We have a lot of new locations and a lot
Submitted Photo
Writer / storyteller
Judy Marie Willis
ot new programs,
said Cheryl Harry,
founder of Triad
Cultural Arts,
convener of the
event since 2007.
"We think the
community is
going to really
learn a lot and
have a deeper
appreciation for
African American
culture."
The 6 p.m.
opening celebra
tion at the Urban
League will
include the obser
vance of "umoja,"
(unity) the first principle of Kwanzaa, and a special
tribute to State Rep. Larry Womble, a longtime sup
porter of the city celebration who remains in critical
condition after a Dec. 2 car accident.
New to the celebration this year is a name-chang
ing ceremony that will be performed on Tuesday. Dec.
27 during the observance of the principle "kujichagu
lia," which means self-determination. The event is
sponsored by Victory in Life, a local organization
that instills self-esteem, cultural pride, proper eti
quette and other values in youth.
Five individuals will take on new African names
as part of the ceremony, which is scheduled for 6
p.m. at Sprague Street Recreation Center. Victory in
Life Founder Masika Braithwaite and Nana Vee led the
group through self exploration and educational activ
ities designed to help them find names that reflect
See Kwanzaa on A 10
Picture-Perfect
Official White House Photo by Pete Soy /a
The First Family of the United States has a new official portrait. President ttarack Obama, First Lady
Michelle Obama, and their daughters , Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10, posed for the photo on Sunday, Dec. II
in the White House's Oval Office. The First Family's last official family portrait was snapped in 2009.
Weight-loss journey includes
heartache and triumph
King-Scales turned to
food as her husband
fought to stay alive
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Loss affects everyone differently.
For Winston-Salem resident
Johnnie King-Scales, the passing of
her husband of 1 7 years was a wake
up call.
The Rev. James W. Scales was an
assistant pastor at Bethlehem Baptist
Church when he passed away in
January.
For five years. King-Scales, an
office assistant at Educational Loan
Servicing, said she had turned to
food for comfort as she grappled with
the melancholy that accompanied
caring for her ailing husband.
"When he was sick, eating kept
me going," confessed the 59-year
old, who grew up in Boston. Mass.
After Scales' death. King-Scales,
who weighed 300 pounds and was
dangerously close to contracting dia
betes, says she began to think about
her own health for the first time in
Sec Kinu-Scali's on A9
Photo by Lay la Farmer
Johnnie King-Scales shows off the sou
venirs from her first half-marathon.
Pastors preach about church s stoned history
Photo by Todd Luck
Rev. Darryl Aaron speaks. Also
pictured is Rev. Prince Rivers.
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
St. Philips African Moravian Church, the old
est still-stanchng black church in North r
Carolina and one of the oldest in the coun
try, celebrated its 150th anniversary last
Thursday during a spirited service that fea
tured music and a slew of special guests.
The original church buildings are
located at Old Salem Museums and
Gardens. The church was started by slaves .
and free blacks in the 1820s. They first I
worshipped in a church made of logs. In I
1861, the congregation relocated to an
adjacent, larger brick church. Today, the
St. Philips congregation worships at church on
Bon Air Avenue, miles away from Old Salem, but
still holds services several times a year at Old
Salem.
Old Salem has done restoration work at the
church site, and it has become one of its many his
French
torical attractions. Old Salem President and CEO
Lee French said during last week's anniversary
service that St. Philips should not only be celebrat
ed for its longevity, but for the many
men and women who made the church
special and sacred.
"It's not just a historic building," he
said. "It's a place of God and a place of
people."
Both God and the strong faiths of
the people who worshipped at St.
Philips were highlighted during the
service as several local pastors reflected
on the church's legacy from the brick
church's pulpit.
Union Baptist Church Pastor Sir
Walter Mack Jr. served as master of ceremonies,
first introducing Pastor Darryl Aaron of First
Baptist Church on Highland Avenue. Aaron spoke
about the Union Calvary chaplain who announced
at St. Philips on May 21, 1865 that slavery had
See St. Philips on A2
Leaders
vow to
address
concerns
Burke says Public Safety
Committee will take up
checkpoints issue next month
BY LAYLAFARMfiR
THE CHRONIC! I
In the wake of a growing public
outcry over a seeming Winston-Salem
Police Department practice of staging
most of its license checkpoints in
minority communities, city leaders
say that they are working to find a
solution inai
will help allevi
ate the strain
between police
and citizens who
feel their lives
are adversely
affected by the
checkpoints.
Mayor Pro
Tempore Vivian
Burke, chair of
the city's Public
Safety
Committee, and
City Council
member James
Taylor. who
serves as vice
chair, both said
they had not
known the
checkpoints
were a concern
until the ACLU
Burke
Joints
of North Carolina brought the issue
to the forefront a few months ago.
Taylor, whose Southeast Ward is
the most affected by the checkpoints,
says his ward has also seen the great
est reduction in crime in recent years.
Taylor said many in the community
have thanked him for the added police
presence.
"The black community, they do
feel good when they see police pres
ence," Taylor related. "But I am learn
See l eaders on All
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Keep it here.
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