OPINION / FORUM
No sanctuary: \khy black churches are still under attack
Matthew
Drayton
Guest
Columnist
Like most Americans, I
woke up this morning
[June 18] to the news of
another attack on a Black
church. Nine people were
shot to death during Bible
study in Charleston, South
Carolina. This time, the
alleged shooter is a 21
year-old white male who
looks like he wouldn't
harm a fly.
While the motives for
the attacks are still unclear,
and under investigation,
early reports indicate that
this was another hate
crime. FBI statistics from
2013 show that of 3,407
single-biased hate crime
incidents, 66 percent were
motivated by anti-black or
African-American bias.
Blame churches have
been under attack for hun
dreds of years, dating back
to slavery. Be it bombings
during the civil rights
movement, or Black
churches being set on fire.
the Black church has been
under perpetual attack
since its inception. Why is
a place that is supposed to
be a sanctuary constantly
under attack by people who
want to exercise their racial
hatred? How can people be
that evil to go to a house of
worship to murder and van
dalize?
Do those who attack
and vandalize churches do
it because they feel church
goers are peaceful, non
violent, and weak, or do
they do it because of the
symbolism, and to break
their victim's spirit? Since
as early as 1758, the Black
Church has played a major
role in the Black communi
ty, at times being the only
place where Black people
could get a break from
oppression and express
themselves.
What would make a 21
year-old shoot and kill nine
people in a Black church in
2015? Trained hatred is
likely the cause of this
attack. A person born in
1994 cannot possibly hate
persons of another race
enough to murder them in
cold blood, unless they
were taught that hatred
from the time they were a
child. Babies don't come
into this world hating any
one!
It's clear the Black
Church is still viewed as
the foundation of the Black ?
community. It's al$o still a
prime target for those who
want to hurt the Black
community, and make a
strong statement while
doing so. The difference
now is Black churches can
do more to prevent these
attacks, than they could
during slavery and the
Civil Rights
Movement. Intimidation
didn't work then, and it
won't work now.
The time has come for
Black churches to imple
ment security measures to
protect themselves. I real
ize locked doors, metal
detectors and armed securi
ty don't look good at a
house of worship, but
Black churches have been
victimized too long. I truly
believe no one would think
twice if security measures
were put in place at Black
churches. Churchgoers
should be allowed to wor
ship without the fear of
being attacked.
How many senseless
hate crimes must we wit
ness before we realize we
are all in this together? I
have spent the majority of
my adult life working with
people of all races and eth
nicities and have learned
that, if you invest a little
time in getting to know and
understand those who are
different, you become more
tolerant. Unless we stop
teaching hate to our chil
dren, there will always be
hatred in America.
If the alleged shooter in
the Charleston murders is
found guilty, his life and
his family's lives will
change forever: The people
who are responsible for his
views and behavior will
have to live with that. The
nine victims of this tragedy
have already paid the ulti
mate price, and their fami
lies lives will never be the
same.
My heart goes out to
the victims, their families,
and the people of
Charleston. The time has
come for Black church
leaders to protect their
parishioners, and adapt to
the times we live in. That is
the only way the Black
Church will become the
sanctuary it is intended to
be.
Retired Army Sergeant
Major Matthew R. Drayton
is a corporate speaker, life
coach, consultant, leader
ship expert and author oj
Succeeding While Black.
He has also been mentor
ing youth for over a decade
and is currently the
Executive Director oj
Great Oak Youth
Development Center, a
Fayetteville, N.C.-based
non-profit organization
that mentors at risk youth.
For more information, visit
wwwMattDrayton .com.
Mother Emanuel AM.E. Church, Charleston, S.C.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We must move
in new direction
to end intolerance
To the Editor:
I offer my sincere condolences to the
families of the nine members of
Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist
Episcopal Church who were murdered as
they worshipped.
For those of us who lived through seg
regation and its violent aftermath, the pain
and hurt re-emerge at times like this.
On the same day and in the morning,
we watched America's first African
American woman be sworn in as the
Attorney General of the United States of
America; and later on the same day in the
evening, we watched the news accounts
regarding nine African American wor
shipers being gunned down in their church
as they studied their Bible. From joy and
progress, we returned to unimaginable
pain and suffering.
We can only hope that together, we can
all recognize how
far we have come,
yet also realize
how far we have
NOT come.
These are the
times that we as a
nation, a state and
a community must
strongly move in a
new direction of a
sustained and ?
determined effort |f
to end racial intol- ?
erance and not let
tne nana ot a tainteo
past pull us back or tarnish our future.
Our future is truly in all of our hands.
Ken Spaulding, Democrat
N.C. gubernatorial candidate
Durham
Spaulding
Community groups unite to increase diabetes awareness
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in Forsyth County, and is linked to
adult blindness, kidney disease and leg amputations, among many other health problems.
African-Americans are more than twice as likely to develop diabetes compared to
whites. To try to increase awareness of diabetes in the community. Next Level
Productions, Gramercy Research Group, DRL Toons and the Maya Angelou Center for
Health Equity are partnering to host the Busta Brown's Summer Music Festival Diabetes
Awareness and Health Fair on Saturday, June 27 from 12 to 4 pun. at the Liberty Street
Market, 1591 N. Liberty St.
The event is part of the Irene Wharton Lecture Series supported by funds from
Wharton Gladden. The lecture series is named after Ms. Irene Wharton, a former resi
dent of east Winston-Salem who died from complications of diabetes. The event is free
to the public and will be co-hosted by local media personalities Busta Brown and Debra
Terry. Musical artists will be on hand, including Adrian Durell, Michael Goldsmith,
Karon Click and the Hotlicks, Genre, Dalton Village and Morning Glory. A fitness dance
will be led by Praize Craze. Health screenings will also be available.
"This is a very important event for our community," said Dr. Ronny Bell, director of
the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity at Wake Forest Baptist Health.
??1? . ????l
Mayor urges Winston-Salem residents
to support Charleston victims' families
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
Mayor Allen Joines is
urging city residents to
support the family and
friends of the victims of
the shooting at Emanuel
A.M.E .Church.
"I encourage every cit
izen of Winston-Salem to
support those here who
have been personally
affected by the loss of
family and friends," Joines
said, "and to keep them,
the victims, their families
and the citizens of
Charleston in their
thoughts and prayers."
On behalf of the City
Council and the citizens of
Winston-Salem, Joines
expressed his condolences
in a letter sent June 18 to
Charleston Mayor Joseph
P. Riley.
Joines is also urging
city residents to donate to
two funds that have been
established in the wake of
the tragedy.
These funds are:
?The Mother
Emanuel Hope Fund.
This fund, established by
the city of Charleston,
will provide direct finan
cial support for the
funeral and burial
expenses of the nine vic
tims. Any funds remain
ing after the funeral and
burial expenses are paid
will be donated directly
to the Emanuel A.M.E.
Church for use as deter
mined by its governance
board. Donations to this
fund are not tax
deductible.
' These donations can
be made:
-By sending a check
to Mother Emanuel
Hope Eund, c/o City of
Charleston, Post Office
Box 304, Charleston, SC
29402
--By stopping by any
Wells Fargo Bank
nationwide and making a
donation to the fund.
-By going to
www.hidr.co/prayfor
charleston or texting
"prayforcharleston" to
843-606-5995. Bidr is a
company based in
Charleston that helps
raise funds for organiza
tions and events.
?Lowcountry
Ministries - Reverend
Pinckney Fund. This
fund will be adminis
tered by the Palmetto
Project (a South
Carolina nonprofit dedi
cated to improving the
lives of South
Carolinians). All dona
tions to this fund will
support initiatives that
Pinckney was passionate
about, including his
home church, vulnerable
populations and youth
projects. Decisions on the
use of these funds will be
made by a committee
comprising members of
Pinckney's family, col
leagues, representatives
from Emanuel AJMJS.
Church, and other mem
bers of the community
selected for their specific
expertise/These dona
tions will be tax
deductible. Donations
can be made:
Joines
Have a Story Idea?
Let us Know news@wschronicle.com
I. ' ,
Carter G. Woodson School
K-12 | Enroll Today for 2015-2016!
437 Goldfloss Street | 336-723-6838
www.cartergwoodsonschool.org
Dual enrollment in High School/Forsyth Technical College
A Staff Committed to
Academic Excellence
Small Class Sizes
An Active Board of Directors
A Graduation Coach Model
for Grades k-12
Virtual High School
Available
. : ?1
Community Library
Student Clubs
Study Abroad Program
An Active Marching Band
An Enhanced Strings
Orchestra
Strong Music Program
Sports Program
> /
AP & Honors Courses
Technology Usage for
Students, Grades k-12
,_.i : :
Educational Parent Skills
Workshops Available
Tuition Free
-