tH ClSoNIcS: ?? & cS Volume41,Number 13 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. ? THURSDAY, December 4, 201JJ* g Phoios by Todd Luck Rev. Willard Bass speaks as S. Wayne Patterson stands at his side. Ferguson outrage hits home Local leaders dismayed and encouraged to fight for change BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE Local leaders have joined the chorus of voices condemning a grand jury's decision not to indict white former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager. The Winston-Salem branch of the NAACP invit ed city officials, members of the Ministers Conference of Winston Salem and Vicinity and others to Shiloh Baptist Church on Wednesday, Nov. 26 - two days after the grand jury's decision was rendered - to address the contentious case, which has sparked protests and uprisings in the St. Louis suburb and through out the nation. Dr. John Mendez. pas tor of Emmanuel Baptist Church and a noted social Michael Brown justice advocate, said the grand jury process in the case, which he called "a circus and a farce," angered and disappointed him. He accused Robert McCulloch, the prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County, of acting as Wilson's defense attorney for employing the unusual tactic of presenting a moun tain of evidence - some of it contradictory - and wit nesses to the grand jury, even when it did not support' his case. Normally, prosecutors only present grand juries with evidence that supports probable cause for their case going to trial. Brown was killed on Aug. 9 after Wilson con fronted him and a friend about walking in the street. (Shortly before the confrontation. Brown had allegedly strong-armed a store owner and taken cigars, but it is unclear if Wilson knew about that incident when he stopped Brown.) There were sever al nights of protests, some of which escalated into violent rioting and looting, after the shooting as incensed black residents reacted to the death of the unarmed 18-year-old who many say had his hands up when Wilson fired some of his shots. While he doesn't agree with rioting, Mendez said the uprisings helped to draw attention to a case that may have otherwise drawn no national attention. "If it had not been for the riots, this thing would have been swept under the nig," he said. Mendez also took issue with Wilson's descrip See Ferguson on A8 [ Black Saturday ] f wf Photos by Todd L.uck Dana Suggs rings up customers at Body and Soul on Saturday. Bus tour takes shoppers to black-owned businesses BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE In observance of Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29, a bus shop ping tour made stops at several local black-owned businesses. The Winston-Salem Black Chamber Commerce sponsored the tour. About 10 people boarded the bus Saturday morning at Winston-Salem State diversity Enterprise Center for a three-hour long tour that would take them to the businesses of many Black Chamber members. Black Chamber President Randon Pender said she hoped partici pants got two things out of the tour: "They'll understand the importance of supporting small business and for the community to support black businesses." The Black Chamber has 60 members, but Pender said that's only a fraction of the 1,500 black-owned business across the city. She said peo ple often want to support black businesses, but don't know where they are. The tour was part educational, designed to showcase and expose the wide array of local black-owned businesses. The bus simply stopped in front of some businesses - like the first stop: Southside United Health Center, a low cost clinic with a black CEO - so that riders would be Sec Tour on A2 Serenity Pender shows off her purchase. A SEASON OF GIVING FOR HANES BY CHANEL DAVIS THE CHRONIC I E It has been a busy couple of ^w^fcks for State Rep. Ed Hanes Jr. Two weeks after winning a second term in the N.C. House of Representatives, Hanes was practic ing the kind of hands-on service for which he is quickly developing a rep utation. "I represent the entire community of the 72nd District, so when I have an opportunity to engage with busi nesses and the community at the same time, I try to do that," Hanes said after spending several hours on Thanksgiving Eve delivering holiday meals. Delivering food donated, in con junction with the Knollwood Street The UPS Store, and prepared by Noble's Grille has become a tradition for Hanes, who was elected to the General Assembly in 2012 to fill the seat Earline Parmon vacated after she was elected to the N.C Senate. More than 200 meals were deliv ered to nonprofit agencies for their clients to enjoy. The people and agen cies that benefited stretched beyond his district; Hanes likes it that way. He feels part of his mission as an elected official is to build bridges. "It is an opportunity for me to introduce one side of my community to the other side and do it in a way that they can meet people, engage and create relationships that can be ongo Seo Hanes on A9 Photo by Chanel Davis (From left) The UPS Store's Walker Houchin coordinates with Noble's Grille manager Spence Wilcox and Rep. Ed Hanes Jr. Lawyers practice grilling at soup kitchen Silver BY CHANEL DAVIS THE CHRONICLE Grill Team Six, a group made up mostly of attorneys that provides and prepares food for local nonprofits, spent several hours on Monday, Nov. 24 grilling turkeys in the parking lot at Samaritan Ministries. The more than 30 birds grilled by the group were donated by two local churches and served last Thursday for Samaritan's Thanksgiving celebration. (They also grilled hot See Lawyers on A7 Photos by Chanel Davis Jones Byrd minds the turkeys on the grills. rs ? ? ? ? = < ~ ? ov = a = ? g Z: H a ? 2? ? - u _i - ^ OS z. O K N ? ?r ? * gf6?!'1!' ? ? ii^JirenPffiWP W.1. "T^XJi ' ' STORAGEES&59 ? of Winston-Salem, LLC ?jti|j|i(Urik^ ?? l i ,?>