Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Nov. 22, 2012, edition 1 / Page 10
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. v ; "IP Watkins from paf* A1 be a part of young people,"* said Watkins, who is a grandfather many times over. "I extract the energy that they have. They keep me going." Watkins, the coy founder and board chair of Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, served as the guest speaker of Neighbors for Better Neighborhood's (NBN's) "Pursuing Peace from Broken Pieces" event at Salem College last week. The Nov. 16 event, held in | the Elberson Fine Aits Center, was part of a weeklong cultural celebra tion NBN has dubbed, "We've Got Roots." "I support and believe ... that peace will come when justice prevails," Watkins said. "...It's about how we're going to create a system of justice, fair dealing with each other, and I think once we begin to do that, we'll usher in the peace, little by little." We've Got Roots was expanded from one day to a full week for the first time this year, organizers said. We really wanted to folks to learn to celebrate themselves and the work that they do," said Program Officer Dee Washington. "We are a society of doers, but we seldom look back on the work we've created. We thought it was impor tant that people recognize the roots that they have created that give wings to the people behind them." Jackson, Miss.-based Southern Echo has worked extensively on efforts to block redisricting efforts that seek to dilute the black vote, environmental justice issues, and advo cated for meaningful edu cation reform. "He was influenced by some things that were already happening around him," NBN Executive Director Naomi Folami Randolph said of Watkins. "But be took it a little fur ther, from the grassroots to the institutional level, as the founder of Southern Echo. For us, that was the perfect storm to make sure that the work continues." Southern Echo also serves as a funding source for similar grassroots agencies, including Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods, which is completing a three-year grant the organization awarded to help NBN con tinue its 22-year tradition of building the capacity of local communities through grassroots efforts that are designed and led by the people who live in them. "Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods is one of our best groups that we love. That is why we con tinue to fund them," Watkins declared. "We make an effort to get to know the people that we fund. It's not just about funding, it's about sustain ing and making those changes within the com munity." TV CtULlIla OlIU JWUU1U1I Echo Community Organizer Marilyn Young addressed the modest assemblage of community organizers and citizens via a candid conversation with facilitator Rev. Willard Bass, founder of the Institute for Dismantling Racism. Young, the president of the 'Tunica County (Mississippi) School District Board of Education, warned the audience not to leave youth out of the equation when planning for a brighter future. "If we're going to make this social justice system (work), we have to make sure that we bring these young people into the process*" she remarked. "...You have to allow them to do that so that the work can be car ried on." Watkins told the com munity organiz ers to practice "aggressive patience" in their pursuit of social justice. "We definite ly need to work as hard as we Can work, doing all of the things we can do, but not get discouraged when things do not come overnight. We are dealing with people who have been in bondage for 40 years," he said. "...The work has to be done, we have to be committed, and we have to instill those genes into our children and grandchildren." In order to be effective in their chosen movement, grassroots leaders must create strong, lasting rela tionships based in truth and exercise "good, clear communication" at all times, Watkins concluded. "One of the things that 1 think we have to do is tied directly into organiz ing and mobilizing. Too 1 iia .-iiriilAi often, when we look at that, we forget that the major aspect of this has to do with building a rela tionship and building a relationship that will last," ? . ? . _ j ne remaritea "We have to begin to dia logue and engage one another in the things that they see, the things that they feel, and understand also that we I are all human beings." The We've Got Roots celebration also included a floating reception, a work shop about accessing healthy food and the Aits for Social Change spoken word event. The program culminated with an awards banquet at Goler Memorial AME Zion Church's Enrichment Center on Saturday. For more information about NBN, visit wwwjibncommunityorg or call 336-602-2519. For more information about Southern Echo, visit http:Usouthernecho org. Pholm by Layli Gvnu City Council Member Dan Bette (standing, far left) welcomes the audience. Seated (from left) are Rev. WiUiard Bass, Hollis Watkins and Marilyn Young. Naomi Folami Randolph Washington Coleman concedes CHKON1CUB STAff REPORT Linda Coleman, the democratic nominee for Lt Governor, conceded the race to her opponent, Dan Forest, on Monday. Ccdeman had been hold ing off on bowing out because her campaign insisted that provisional bid lots could give her the edge over Forest. But after provision al ballots w e r e/' counted, she still trailed Forest by more than 6,000 votes. "Our post-election effort has, so for, shined a bright light on the flaws of our provisional ballot counting process. Together, we helped get at least several hundred additional ballots counted," Coleman said Monday, reading from pre pared remarks delivered at the North Carolina Democratic Headquarters in Raleigh. "I'm proud to live in a state that made history during this campaign by nominating the first-ever African-American woman to seek statewide executive office." Nutcracker frontpage AS The full performance schedule for the UNCSA production of The Nutcracker is: Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 pjn. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 at 7:30 pm.; Saturday, Dec. IS at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 16 at 2 pm and 7 pm. Tickets start at $25 and are available at wwwjmcsaedu. CtUmmm mrp " i*?!*?? imi ,L*1 " ? ?rr+4* . .^?b?^^^t Lk-./<iltn ? W^Bff, j [' Vfttij> ? C* - *' " mSH ? V* *. . I'. ??\'A LA^Vj^^^S ^uaton-S^^?? ; #?',.. ??j5fi E^mpPPI Bfctjj? ||^ii^ ^ .v^? r?ii^i':>]S jU v >*C/- ;'<a| I jpaJ Hf. C?-c?*/'?>fl 8L jftV?[ 1 ^ v>B?% <V*v\V*IK p* v^ny^SHH k *';' ? *3 ^IBHIHHI ?tW ? HHIHH MBBMBBBBB I ^Bfe^HkV ?MV*?ii^lM^K^Sa^HivJ^VS^BlK^^K^W i^E B|- :^^HHHH|f ?|0MHIHIK1 ? MlB* ?
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