OPINION
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Ernest H. Pitt Publisher/co-Founder
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elaine Pitt Business Manager
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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.
HBCUs need
new advocates
on UNC board
State-supported historically black colleges and
universities (HBCUs) are under attack.
They are graduating thousands of students who
are productive and outstanding citizens. They are
employing hundreds of people. They are pouring
millions, perhaps billions, of dollars into their local
communities.
Yet Republican lawmakers in North Carolina and
South Carolina have targeted these stalwarts of the
black communities for closure.
Republican lawmakers in both states have intro
duced bills to close state-supported universities in
their respective states. Just last week a bill was intro
duced to close South Carolina State University in
Orangeburg. A measure in the North Carolina Senate
to close Elizabeth City State University was taken
out of a final bill last year.
These lawmakers say that they are moving to
close the universities because of money issues. They
say the people running the universities are not using
the money wisely.
How many other state divisions are not financial
ly sound? Have the lawmakers moved to close them?
Money seems to be the issue with the HBCUs.
However, the entire UNC system has a bulls-eye on
it. Just last month the UNC Board of Governors
announced the resignation of UNC system President
Tom Ross, who has said he does not want to leave his
job. Ross, who is from Winston-Salem, has been a
friend to the state-supported HBCUs. Who will be
there to speak up for them if when he leaves?
In an interesting development, the N.C. Senate
announced Thursday, Feb. 12, that it is accepting
nominations for eight seats up for election on the
UNC Board of Governors. Ross answers to this
board. The nomination process closes Monday, Feb.
23 at 5 p.m.
The UNC Board of Governors is the policy-mak
ing body legally charged with governance of all
affairs of the 17 institutions making up the
University of North Carolina system, including
Winston-Salem State University.
The 32 voting members of the Board of
Governors are elected by the General Assembly for
four-year terms.
Citizens interested in being nominated should
contact their state senator. In Winston-Salem, one of
those would be newly elected state Sen. Paul Lowe
Jr. of District 32, who on Saturday, Feb. 14, met in
Raleigh with a delegation of about 25 students from
HBCUs, including Winston-Salem State University,
to talk about issues.
Winston-Salem State University is part of the
University of North Carolina system.
The topics Lowe and the students discussed
included sustainability, financial management, alum
ni engagement, state support and HBCU appeal.
Lowe noted the significant contributions of many
alumni graduating from HBCUs and the urgent need
for financial support from private, state and federal
sources for sustainability.
Who will apply to serve on the UNC Board of
Governors? We hope it will be people who will speak
up for the HBCUs and work to stop the move to end
a valuable part of Black History.
A list of senators, along with the counties they
represent, may be found
atnttp://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/member
List .pi ?sChamber=senate.
The Black Press strives
to serve the community
Almost 190 years ago, prominent free black men
met in New York City to discuss forming a vehicle to
communicate their views on issues that affect the
Black community. Up to that time. Black Americans
had been denied usual channels of public media.
They decided to publish Freedom's Journal, the
first newspaper produced by Black Americans. Rev.
Samuel Cornish and John B. Russwurm, who attend
ed the meeting, became the paper's editors.
While the editors of Freedom's Journal acknowl
edged that white citizens sometimes defended the
honor of Black Americans in public forums,, they
proclaimed in the first issue. "Too long have others
spoken for us ... We wish to plead our own cause."
The Chronicle is proud to be a part of that legacy.
. 1
A tale of two cynics: Obama,
Harvey share views on slavery
Bill
I\iraer
Guest
Columnist
President Obama and
popular game show host
Steve Harvey both spoke
briefly, but profoundly,
recently about the subject
of slavery in America.
The difference between
their views was
Dickensian: the best of
times/the worst of times,
wisdom/foolishness,
bel ief/incredulity,
light/darkness,
hope/despair.
President Obama's
point was a no-brainer;
Harvey's was brainless, at
best, and perverse, at
worst.
Speaking before the
National Prayer Breakfast
in Washington, Mr. Obama
reminded Americans - the
vast majority of whom are
Christians - that terrorism
is not something exclusive
to some followers of Islam.
"Slavery and Jim
Crow all too often was jus
tified in the name of
Christ."
The outrage from some
Republicans over the presi
dent's remarks, pre
dictably, approached calls
for his crucifixion. Mr.
Obama's constant critics
chafe most when he cai^
tions against the belief that
the USA is superior when
compared with other coun
tries. He may just as well
have used Scripture to
make his very sophisticat
ed point: "If any one of you
is without sin, let him be
the first to throw a stone."
Former Virginia Gov.
Jim Gilmer, a Republican,
cois4 tWi> nmci
3cuu uiv piv-ar
dent's
^hTks most "I don't really care
offensive I've for slavery!
heard a presi- J
dent make in Steve Harvey (
my lifetime,"
adding, He has onended
every believing Christian
in the United States." The
right-wing sharks on Fox
News and the echo cham
bers known as conservative
think tanks gathered for
their
habitual
Obama
feeding
frenzy.
O n
the same
day of the
presi
dent's
com
ments,
comedi
Obama
an Steve Harvey was asked
by a white woman on his
show for a strategy to han
dle her dis
comfort
when she is
engaged by
"somebody
who wants to
talk about the
past."
Of all the
people,
themes,
events and milestones
along the long arc of histo
ry that Mr. Harvey could
have latched onto, he sug
gested she respond to his
tory buffs by telling them,
"I don't really care for
slavery!"
But, he couldn't stop
there; maybe because the
laughs were too stimulat
ing, he pranced around the
set and went on to say,
next, "I don't give a damn
about slavery."
His studio audience
erupted in laughter and
seat-bouncing applause.
What a great, sponta
neous, one liner; a belly
shaking zinger that marks
the spot of a polished fun
nyman. But, what if in his
wisecrack Mr. Harvey had
used the word Holocaust
ins
tead of slavery?
*' Would it have been as
hilarious? Would he be on
television mouthing some
feeble ' expression of
regret?
Undoubtedly, more
"Slavery and Jim
Crow all too often
was justified in the
name of Christ."
President Obama
V
people viewed Harvey's
shaky shot at sarcasm than
those who saw or read
what President Obama said
about slavery and
Christianity.
With the exception of a
few black-oriented Internet
sites, the report of and
reaction
t o
Harvey's
monkey
business
neither
made the
national
news and
nor was
it the
subject
Harvey
topic of
commentators.
Steve Harvey not only
trivialized slavery, but he
disparaged and dishonored
those whose hands once
picked the cotton
that K&G Fashion
Superstore uses to make
the suits they target to
young black men,
using his name as
brand.
y Mr. Obama will be
remembered for the brav
ery and courage it took to
hold the mirror of slavery
up to a self-righteous
crowd of cynics and skep
tics.
Slavery will be long
remembered after
Mr. Harvey is
enshrined in the hall of
jesters, of foolish men who.
will say anything for a
laugh, for a dollar.
Uood tor clown Steve
Harvey, however, that his
slave-held ancestors were
Christians who will forgive
him, just as they did those
who held them in slavery.
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