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The Chronic le
660 West Fifth Street
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? WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, April 24, 2014
REFORM
NOW!
Local voices calling for
progress on immigration
BY LAYLA GARMS
THE CHRONICLE
Rev. Glenn Pettiford, associate pastor of
First Baptist Church on Highland Avenue,
was among the collective of local clergy
members who gathered on the steps of First
Baptist last spring to call for immigration
reform.
He and many other local residents are
joining the national immigration debate that
hinges on whether those who entered the
United States illegally
should be granted some
kind of conditional citi
zenship.
Pettiford believes
that they should.
"1 think we as
America lose a part of
people who could par
ticipate in the American
economy - the
American civilization -
more completely," he
said. "1 think we're los
ing valuable perspec
tive."
For Pettiford, bring
ing a sense of parity to
the immigration process
is a moral obligation.
"For me, it's prima
rily a spiritual thing," he
remarked. "I shall love
my neighbor as myself."
A handful of local
faith, business, educa
Pettiford
Mac-Thompson
tion and law enforce
ment leaders called for Congress to take
action on a long-stalled immigration reform
bill during a panel discussion at Winston
Salem State University on April 3.
"I support immigration reform personally
because I believe it's the moral thing to do,"
said CJ. Stephen, a former highway patrol
man who took part in the discussion. "There
are so many hardworking undocumented
immigrants in the country that deserve to be
citizens. I believe as a nation, we would view
ourselves in a better light if we did what is
right in the eyes of so many Americans. 1
believe we are all the same in the eyes of God
and should be treated the same."
The recent discussion was sponsored by
the national Bibles, Badges and Business for
Immigration Reform network and Raleigh
based Centro International; other panelists
included Winston Salem First Associate
Pastor Chuck Spong and Dr. Jack S. Monell,
Dr. Denise Nation, Dr. Edward Opoku
Dapaah, Dr. Donald Mac-Thompson and
Keenan Williams, all of WSSU.
Mac-Thompson, chair of the Social
Sciences Department at WSSU and an associ
ate professor of political science, continued
the immigration discussion last week with
students in his American Presidency class,
challenging them to pose as presidential can
didates and explain their viewpoints on immi
gration reform.
"My view is that we should focus on
immigrants that are already here, skilled
workers that could help this country," said
Bria Jones, a senior political science major.
"By giving them their citizenship, it'll be a
win-win for our country because they would
pay taxes."
Endazha Hannah, a freshman from
See Reform on A7
Photos by Lay la (iarrm
Candidates (from left) State Rep. Marcus Brandon, Curtis Osborne, State Rep. Alma Adams, State Sen. Malcolm
Graham, Ravjive Patel and George Battle.
I Mi District hopefuls plead
their cases to WS voters
BY LAYLA GARMS
THE CHRONICLE ?
A standing room only crowd heard from Democratic candi
dates running for the U.S 12th Congressional District seat that
was left vacant when Mel Watt became head of the Federal
Housing Finance Agency.
State Reps. Alma Adams and Marcus Brandon, State Sen.
Malcolm Graham, attorneys George Battle and Curtis Osborne
and former East Spencer mayor Rajive Patel took turns fielding
questions from moderator District Court Judge Denise Hartsfield
at the Rupert Bell Neighborhood Center on April 17. It was the
second in a series of pre-Primary forums sponsored by the
Forsyth County Democratic Party.
Hartsfield questioned the candidates about their strengths
and weaknesses, challenging each one to articulate what makes
him or her the best person to represent the 12th. a serpentine dis
trict that includes parts of Charlotte, Concord, Salisbury,
Lexington, Winston-Salem, High Point and Greensboro.
Battle, the general counsel for the Charlotte Mecklenburg
See 12th on A7
George Battle fields a question from the moderator.
District Court Judge Denise Hartsfield.
Jox Queen and (Ram) Countly
Miss WSSU eyes
Ebony magazine title
BY LAYLA GARMS
THE CHRONICLE
City native Vanity Oakes has already
made her reign as Miss WSSU memo
rable.
The senior marketing major was
crowned Miss
CIAA in February.
Now, Oakes, who
is set to graduate
next month, is
hoping to go out
with a bang, by
gracing the cover
of Ebony maga
zine as its 2014
HBCU Campus
Queen.
The competi
Mitchell
tion, which is based solely on online
votes, is an annual event designed to
showcase HBCU queens from across the
nation. The top 10 contenders will be fea
tured in the magazine's September 2014
edition, and the number one queen will
grace the cover. Voting is already under
way at ebony.com, and supporters may
cast as many votes as they wish for the
queen of their choosing.
Oakes. whose mother and brother are
WSSU alumni, said she always knew she
too was destined to become a Ram.
"It had a deep place in my heart," the
21-year-old said of WSSU. "Being that it
was in my community, I just wanted to
represent and celebrate the university as
much as I could. I just love the school so
much."
Oakes. a cheerleader. Dean's List
scholar and member of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority, Inc., said her experiences
at WSSU have lived up to her lofty
expectations. The crown has afforded the
North Forsyth alumna a level of visibility
that extends far beyond the campus.
Sec Oakes on A8
WSSU Photos by Garrett Garms
Miss WSSU Vanity Oakes with Mister WSSU Keenan Easter.
City enlists top brass to tout proposed bond referendum
Photo* by Todd
Luck
Residents
survey
bond
informa
tion at the
meeting.
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Residents of the Northeast Ward got an up-close
look on April 16 at what a proposed bond referen
dum would yield.
Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke, who repre
sents the ward, opened the meeting at the Carl
Russell Recreation Center, instructing residents to
visit the displays and city officials stationed around
the gymnasium to learn more about what the pro
Set Bond on A3 Vivian Burke speaks.
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