OPINION 3
The Chronicle |
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www.wschronicle.com <
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Ernest H. Pitt Publisher/Co-Founder
Donna Rogers Managing Editor
elaine Pitt Business Manager
Blair Hutchinson Office Manager
Our Mission
The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the
residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth
to power, standing for integrity and
encouraging open communication and
' lively debate throughout the community.
How will you
celebrate
Black History
Month?
In January, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.
Day. Various organizations marked Dr. King's birth
day in various ways, such as forums, service days and
performances.
Now the attention turns to Black History Month.
For many African-Americans, February is a month to
take a look at where we have come from and how far
we can go. It is a time to absorb the words of wise
older people and marvel at the youth as they make
presentations and learn about the past.
This year, February could be a crucial month to
prepare for the history that could be made, history that
has a bitter taste.
This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the
1965 Voting Rights Act. President Lyndon B. Johnson
signed it into law on Aug. 6.
In the 1960s, Americans of various' hues joined
black Americans in fighting against laws that made it
hard for black Americans to register to vote. They
marched and tought
legal battles while they
were attacked and
some were killed. Then
in 1965, the Voting
Rights Act was signed
into law. That changed
the landscape for black
Americans.
For instance, some
thing that seems like an
afterthought now was
out of reach for black
Americans before the
'65 law. In the movie
"Selma," it was pointed
out that juries were all
white because the jury
* While any
racial discrimina
tion in voting is
too much. Con
gress must ensure
that legislation it
passes to remedy
that problem
speaks to current
conditions."
poois were uiKeii irum
voter registration lists. Chef Justice John Roberts
If black people aren't
registered to vote, then
they can't serve on
juries. If they are not on juries, they can't review legal
cases involving black people.
Across the country and in North Carolina, new
laws have been used to water down the federal law by
requiring specific voter identification at the polls. The
U.S. Supreme Court contributed to that effort by rul
ing in 2013 that nine states, mostly in the South, can
change their election laws without advance federal
approval, which they had to have before the ruling.
The court, in a 5-4 decision, said the country has
changed.
Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. wrote for the major
ity: "While any racial discrimination in voting is too
much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it
passes to remedy that problem speaks to current con
ditions."
President Barack Obama urged the Republican
controlled Congress to restore Section 4 of the Voting
Rights Act, but congressional leaders have indicated
that they have no intention of doing that.
Beginning in 2016, North Carolina will require
voters to show a photo identification when they vote
in person. The Voter Information Verification Act or
"VIVA" (ST. 2013-381) is the law that changes how
North Carolinians can gain access to the polls to vote.
Until 2016, most voters will not be required to show
any form of identification when they vote.
So, why change the law if you don't need an ID
now? 2016 will be the year a new president will be
chosen. We all know what happened in 2008 and
2012: Barack Obama was elected the first black pres
ident of the United States and was re-elected to a sec
ond term. Who knows what could happen in 2016:
The first woman president could be elected.
The fight against the North Carolina law already
has begun. On Friday, Jan. 30, a hearing was held in
Wake County court to hear critics of the law. North
Carolina residents and voting-rights organizations
argue that the voter ID law oversteps the bounds of the
state Constitution.
So, as we celebrate Black History Month, we
should take some time to really know our history and
then prepare for the new history that will be made.
Unfortunately, history is known to repeat itself.
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Black History becomes
personal for me as journalist
Donna
Rogers
Something
to Talk
About
I have been aware of
Black History for a long
time. I grew up in a house
hold in which my parents
and siblings made me
aware of it. When I went to
the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, I
was aware of it. I gravitated
toward the Black Student
Movement and its newspa
per, Black Ink.
When I became a pro
fessional journalist, I was
aware of it. I had to cover
the events during the
month.
But it really hit me in
2008 just how one particu
lar part of black history
affected me. That piece of
history involves the 1968
Kemer Report. I was part of
a McCormick Fellows team
that developed a presenta
tion for a national audience
at the 2008 UNITY journal
ists' convention. The forum
included a DVD we pro
duced.
President Lyndon B.
Johnson established the
Kemer Commission,
named after its chairman.
Gov. Otto Kemer, Jr. of
Illinois, to investigate the
causes of the 1967 race
riots nationwide and to pro
vide recommendations for
the future. The 11-member
National Advisory
Commission on Civil
Disorders, as it is formally
known, released its report
on Feb. 29, 1968. The
report is formally called
the Report of the National
Advisory Commission on
Civil Disorders.
I say the Kemer Report
is a part of black history
because it looked at the race
riots, which occurred in
black communities, and
determined that the lack of
black media professionals
working at "mainstream
media" companies to cover
the black community
helped foster the riots, so to
prevent them from happen
ing again, more black
media professionals should
be hired.
The report lambasted
federal and state govern
ments for failed housing,
education and social-ser
vice policies, Wikipedia
says. The report also aimed
some of its sharpest criti
cism at the mainstream
media. "The press has too
long basked in a white
world looking out of it, if at
all, with white men's eyes
and white perspective."
I am a black media pro
fessional. So, this opened
up doors for media compa
nies to even think about hir
ing me.
I have been recruited by
several white-owned news
papers on the premise that I
would bring diversity to
their operations. It sounded
like the same premise the
Kerner Commission was
operating on.
My career went merrily
along until the economic
bottom fell out of the
"mainstream media."
Suddenly, it was not fash
ionable to recruit minori
ties. Who cared about
diversity now?
Yet, I am still a black
media professional.
At that point, I looked at
another piece of black his
tory: black newspapers.
I had learned in an
African-American studies
class about the Black Press.
I still relish the textbook
used. It led me into the
world of black heroes and
she-roes, such as Ida B.
Wells, who had to print her
newspaper while running
for her life.
I often thought of what
it would be like to work for
a black newspaper. Well,
now I get to find out.
The Chronicle has been
around for 40 years. It was
built on the principles of the
Black Press. The early
Black Press spoke out for
the underserved and the
rights of black people. They
covered the riots and the
news that affected a popula
tion that has been through
so much just to have basic
rights.
^ The Chronicle had not
been founded in 1967, but
if it had been, it would have
?covered the riots in
Winston-Salem. The black
community would have
gotten the story.
The Chronicle is dedi
cated to upholding the val
ues of the Black Press. I'm
blessed to be a part of this
Black History.
Donna Rogers is man
aging editor of The
Chronicle. To see the DVD
on the Kerner Report, go to
YouTube.com and search
for "Kerner Plus 40:
Change or Challenge."
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