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The Chronicle
Volume41,Number29 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, April 2,2015
Photo by Erin MizeUe for The Chronicle
Winston-Salem Police Chief Barry Rountree and Olivia Sedwick, the president of Winston-Salem State
University's Student Government Association, prepare to take questions from the audience at the "Black
Lives Matter Late Night Musical" event on Friday, March 27.
City officials, coalition promote
night event with police chief
BY DONNA ROGERS
THE CHRONICLE
The event was in a
church and a pastor was in
charge, but the "Black
Lives Matter Late Night
Musical" event showcased
several city officials,
including the mayor, mak
ing a pitch to an audience
of young and old mostly
black people Friday night,
March 27.
The event started at 10
p.m. in a packed Diggs
Memorial United Holy
Church, south of down
town Winston-Salem.
Gospel choirs, a mime
group, a gospel rap group
and others entertained the
audience after a program
educating the audience on
the Police Department and
community relations was
presented.
"It is important for me
to be here as mayor of this
city to say 'black lives mat
ter,' Mayor Allen Joines
said.
The phrase vhas been
used since police killed
Michael Brown and Eric
Gamer, two unarmed black
males, last year. The slay
ings prompted outrage and
demonstrations nation
wide, including in
Winston-Salem.
The Friday event was
billed as one sponsored by
the mayor and the Faith
based Coalition, which
includes several city and
federal-level officials and
Winston-Salem NAACP
president S. Wayne
Patterson. Coalition mem
bers at the event were
Patterson, Council Member
Derwin Montgomery and
Police Chief Barry
Rountree. Diggs
Memorial's group My
Brother's Keeper, also is a
member of the coalition.
"This is meaningful for
a lot of different reasons,"
Montgomery said. He said
all sectors of the communi
ty should be in constant
dialogue.
See Lives on A2
Bill calls for oversight in citizen review boards
and diversity training for law enforcement
BY CHANEL DAVIS /
THE CHRONICLE
North Carolina House
legislators have united to
present state representa
tives with a bill that is
designed to help end racial
profiling throughout the
state.
House Bill 193 was
filed on March 10 by Rep.
Rodney Moore (D
Mecklenburg) and passed
its first reading on March
11. On the same day, the
bill was sent to the
Judiciary Committee.
The bill has been spon
sored and co-sponsored by
more
than
2 0
mem
bers of
t he
house
and
calls
for
more
diver
s i t y
training for law enforce
ment, maintenance of and
additional oversight
through Citizen Review
Boards to prevent profiling
Hants
of any type ? nationality,
race, religion, etc., by
police.
The bill comes at a time
when most Americans
See Review on A2
Winston-Salem Citizens'
Police Review Board
Winston-Salem Citizens' Police Review Board
Mayor Allen Joines is currently accepting applications
from residents interested in serving on the
Citizens' Police Review Board. The board has two
openings andThe applications must be received by April
10. The application form, along with a description of the
board, is available through the Boards and Commis
sions link at Mayor.CityofWS.org, or by calling the
Mayor's office at 336-727-2058. Applications may be
faxed to the Mayor's Office at 336-748-3241 or mailed
to P.O. Box 2511, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102.
NAACP must
have new
election for
W-S branch
BY CHANEL DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
Members of the Winston-Salem Branch of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP) finally have an answer to a long-awaited
question.
For months members have been in limbo as to what to
do about the results from an election
in January.
The state NAACP was brought in
to assist with an election in January
after Incumbent S. Wayne Patterson,
who has been president since 2010,
asked that the election be monitored,
implying that bylaws and procedures
were not being adhered to.
The complaint sent to the nation
al office stated that campaign materi
al was passed out inside of the 50
foot buffer zone and that there were
Patterson
no printed ballots, at that election. The issue of campaign
material was not addressed in the national office's letter
regarding the election results.
Isaac "Ike" Howard was elected president in the Jan.
10 election. Other winners were Doris Herrell, first vice
president; Harry James Jr., third vice
president; Stephen Hairston, assistant r~
treasurer; and Jim Shaw and Linda
Sutton, who won executive board
seats . The second vice president posi
tion is empty and neither the secre- g
tary nor treasurer positions were 1
challenged.
Those results are now null and (
void.
Patterson, a Winston-Salem [_
native, said that he feels vindicated in
his decision to call in oversight for
Howard
the election.
"The results confirmed what I said" he said. "I under
stand the policies of the NAACP and I knew that the
polices and procedures were in violation. However, after
the national office stated that we were in violation, they
mandated a new election date."
Howard said that he is just fine with holding another
election.
"Being a part of the NAACP, a civil rights organiza
tion, we follow the mandate of due process. We can't ask
for due process unless we follow the rules of due process
ourselves, on the national and state level," he said.
A letter, dated March 3, on NAACP letterhead, states:
"The National Office has received a complaint that
was postmarked within the five (5) days after the election
and signed by the twenty-five (25) members of the Branch
as prescribed by the Bylaws for Units (Article IX, Section
2 (o)). The allegation pertains to the failure to use printed
ballots. In accordance with sub-section (a), the National
Office has reviewed the matter to determine if the allega
tions, if true, would have affected the outcome of the elec
tion or if they are devoid of merit and/or frivolous.
The National Board of Directors reviewed the findings
of the National Staff at the February 21,2015, board meet
ing and directed that a new election take place..."
The letter is signed by NAACP President and CEO
Cornell Brooks, with CC's to the Rev. William Barber,
state president; Rev. Gill Ford, the National Director of
Unit Administration; and the Winston-Salem (Forsyth)
County Branch Executive Committee.
The new election will be done, again, by the state con
ference and would only be open to those members who
would've been eligible to vote on the date of the originally
scheduled election on Nov. 19,2014.
So what does that mean to those officers who were
seemly elected in January?
The letter states:
"In accordance with Article IX, Section 2(o)(c), the
See Election on A2
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Geneva Brown's legacy remains intact, daughter says
Community celebration of her life set for April 25
BY DONNA ROGERS
THE CHRONICLE
Well-known educator and former school board member
Geneva Anita Bland Brown made a tremendous mark on the
community that endures to this day, her daughter said.
"The work that she started is still going on," said Wynne
Brown, the director of student health services at Winston
Salem State University. "The impetus that she provided is like
a train that can't be stopped."
Geneva Brown died at her home at age 84 on Thursday,
March 26 after an extended illness. A public community cele
bration of her life has been scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at
4 p.m. (The family has changed the time from 1 p.m.) at
Atkins High School.
Geneva Brown's commitment to everything she did stands
out in Wynne Brown's mind.
Most people know Geneva Brown as an innovative
teacher, principal, administrator and former member of the
Board of Education for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
See Brown oil A4
Brown
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