OPINION ,
The Chronicle i
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Ernest H. Pitt Publisher/Co-Founder
donna Rogers Managing Editor
elaine Pitt Business Manager
Our Mission
The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the
residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth
County by giving voice to the voiceless, speak
ing truth to power, standing for integrity and
encouraging open communication and
lively debate throughout the community.
Backyard for
the have-nots
is becoming
hard to find
4
4
On Monday, May 4, Winston-Salem City Council
delayed a vote on the rezoning of a daycare in East
Winston. That rezoning would allow The Salvation
Army to purchase the property and move its Center
of Hope for homeless families to 939 Cleveland Ave. ?
The Salvation Army requested the delay to allow E
the agency to look into other options. Council has
given the agency 60 days to work things out with the
area's stakeholders or find another option for its
Center of Hope, which is on Trade Street.
Meanwhile, City Council allowed the public
hearing to go on. What happened during that public
hearing was eye-opening. It appears that residents
near the daycare center in East Winston wanted to
vent their frustrations about how their community
has been treated in the past, as a dumping ground for
the have-nots, and they want better.
City Council members chimed in about how they
don't know what to do with the have-nots, but they
don't want them in their neighborhoods.
Who is speaking for the have-nots, the homeless
women and children at the Center of Hope who now
must share space with another of The Salvation
Army programs in the same building, the re-entry
program for federal offenders? Although carefully
regulated, this is not the best way to work with either
group.
On any given day at The Salvation Army's Center
of Hope for homeless families, 50 percent of the res
idents are children.
The Salvation Army's goal is to quickly rehouse
shelter residents into permanent housing and help
them improve and stabilize income so that they can
make an even greater positive impact on the commu
nitv.
The Salvation Army found what it needed for sale
at 939 Cleveland Ave. It wants to turn it into an esti
mated 90-bed facility. The Greater Cleveland
Christian Church is willing to sell The Salvation
Army the property. All that was needed was a rezon- |
ing approved by City Council. The Planning Board
already approved the rezoning by a 7-to-2 vote.
This issue appears akin to housing discrimina
tion. Just as a family who seeks housing with all the
required paperwork is rejected because of who that
family is, so has a community rejected The Salvation
Army's request because of who it is: an agency that
helps the have-nots. Housing discrimination based
on familial status is illegal, according to federal law.
At the Council meeting, there was a great deal of
talk about homeless shelters, which house unsavory
people, according to many at the meeting. The home
less are lazy and are up to no good, if you hear what
the public is saying. 1
But The Salvation Army says the families who
live in its shelter are offered 24 hour access to a safe
place with three meals each day and essential servic
es such aS transportation assistance, clothing, and
tutoring and homework help for children. Shelter
residents are required to be in the building by 8:30
each evening unless working, attending church or
other community meetings.
The facility is supervised 24 hours a day by paid
Salvation Army staff. Families receive case manage
ment services upon arrival and are referred to the
Continuum of Care's Coordinated Intake Center for
further programs and services. The Salvation Army's
goal is to quickly rehouse shelter residents into per
manent housing and help them improve and stabilize
income so that they can make an even greater posi
tive impact on our community.
This doesn't sound like an atmosphere that breeds
unsavory people..
The Housing Authority and some residents talk
about a plan for the area and say that moving the
Center of Hope to their area would disrupt the plan.
Does the plan include housing discrimination? Does
that mean only people with money can move into
their neighborhood?
The inference that has been made is that the resi
dents of the Center of Hope need to move into a "bet
ter neighborhood." What if the Center of Hope resi
dents could make the Cleveland Avenue area better?
The community should note that The Salvation
Army is a Christian-based organization. It begs to
wonder what Jesus would do in this situation.
THE cn;aotiiq? ?aofa
m
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Swift, decisive actions
against police
applauded
To the Editor:
The Congressional Black Caucus
tpplauds the swift and decisive
ictions by the Baltimore City State's
Attorney in
conducting a
thorough and
independent
investigation
of the events
surrounding
the death of
Freddie Gray,
t- This is
the first of
many steps to
begin the
process of
mending the
fractured
relationship between law enforce
ment and the people of the City of
Baltimore. Every citizen has a right
:o due process of law, and we are
jleased to see the legal system is
working. We continue to call for
:alm in the weeks and months ahead
is we await the outcome of these
:ases.
U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield
(NC-01)
Chairman of the Congressional
Black Caucus
Butterfield
Charges against
Baltimore
police are encouraging
To the Editor:
We applaud State's Attorney [for
Baltimore, Marilyn] Mosby for
beginning the process of securing
justice for Freddie Gray and his fam
ily. This is the kind of accountability
that the people of Baltimore have
been demanding in response to years
of police brutality and abuse.
Like any other community that
has been wronged, Baltimore is
seeking simple justice and for
authorities to seriously investigate .
the highly problematic and suspi
cious circumstances of Gray's death.
This common respect for Black
lives was not shown in Ferguson
after the death of Michael Brown,
nor in Chicago after the death of
Rekia Boyd, nor in New York after
the death of Eric Garner, nor after
the killings of so many people of
color at the hands of law enforce
ment.
And while the State Attorney's
decision to file charges against the
officers responsible for Freddie
Gray's death is encouraging,
Baltimore remains mired in systemic
issues around its police department,
with a police force that has paid $5.7
million to settle brutality cases over
the past four years, and victims
forced to keep silent afterward.
We are
heartened by
today's
[Friday, May
1 ] announce
ment, which
signals a shift
- that the
protection of
brutalized
citizens is
finally being
prioritized
over the pro
tection of the
police. This
Mosby
is exactly
what should happen, and we remain
cautiously optimistic as the case
moves to trial.
Co-Director Judith Browne
Dianis
Advancement Project
Baltimore violence
is counterproductive
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Congressional
Black Caucus Foundation Inc., I
extend heartfelt condolences to the
family of Freddie Gray and to the
residents, families, business owners
and civil servants in Baltimore.
The community outcry is valid
and can be heard around the globe.
However, the violence and destruc
tion that disrupted Baltimore yester
day [Monday, April 27] is counter
productive. It is important to remain
peaceful in protest and encourage
productive dialogue while we await
the findings of the Department of
Justice investigation.
The CBCF joins with other com
munity leaders who are committed to
exploring solutions that enhance
community trust and address the
conflicts in modem, urban policing.
A. Shuanise Washington
President and chief executive
officer
Congressional Black Caucus
Foundation
Washington, D.C.
Thanks and kudos,
committee says
To the Editor:
The community of Winston
Salem contributed to the universal
world of music and international
acclaim by having the "Home Town"
Sensations, The "5" Royales induct
ed into the International Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland,
Ohio, on April 18,2015.
Your contributions and input
made this event a reality and contri
bution to the community of Winston
Salem. Thank you. This effort was
supported by the Vintage "04" and
Friends of the Library (Malloy
Jordan) to make this reality a histori
cal event.
We look forward to your support
to establish a scholarship at the
N.C.S.A. in music to benefit the
future of music and genius. Vintage
"04," a community-based organiza
tion, and Friends of the Library look
forward to your participation in the
development of our civilization,
locally nationally and internationally.
Thank you.
Bobby Ray Wilson
"5" Royales Committee
i r ? -
"S" Royales
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