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, speaking truth
to power, standing for integrity and
encouraging open communication and
lively debate throughout the community.
More support
is needed after
rally, march
Thousands came out to the historic march and
rally in Winston-Salem on Moral Monday, July 13.
People of all races and creeds showed up to support
the plaintiffs in the historic voting rights trial N.C.
NAACP v. McCrory. The outcome of the trial will
have an impact on voting rights not only in North
Carolina, but nationwide. The 2013 law has been
described as the worst voter suppression law in the
country.
Events before the march and rally included a
teach-in for young people at Winston-Salem State
University, meetings about voting rights in several
wards and churches, a Winston-Salem NAACP
Branch reception and mini-rally and an ecumenical
church service. On Monday, more teach-ins were
held as well as the march and rally.
N.C. NAACP President Rev. Dr. William J.
Barber II says of the trial: "This is Our Selma!" He
likens it to the moments in history before the Voting
Rights Act was signed into law on Aug. 6,1965. The
marches from Selma to Montgomery in Alabama
helped change votes in Congress from "no" to "yes"
votes for the measure.
This trial in the federal courthouse in Winston
Salem will determine whether North Carolina, and
the nation, will move forward rather than backward
on voting rights. The N.C. NAACP says African
Americans in North Carolina have fewer voting
rights today than before the 1965 Voting Rights Act
because of the 2013 law.
The trial started on Moral Monday and is expect
ed to last weeks. It will focus on how the law rolled
back previous North Carolina voting rights laws that
promoted voting.
Numerous attorneys are involved in tne trial, and
while pro bono work is involved, they have other
needs, such as food and shelter. N.C. NAACP lead
ers are volunteers who need food and shelter, too.
The cars used need gasoline. No doubt there are
many more areas in which money is needed.
On Sunday, July 12, at the ecumenical service, an
appeal was made for donations to help the fight for
voting rights. Appeals are being made continually,
and rightly so, for donations because money is need
ed to fund the fight.
How did the Movement get funded in the 1960s?
Just as hearts had to be softened, money had to be
raised to keep the fight alive.
Support for this cause should come in various
ways. Money should be at the top of the list. Without
this fight, people's votes will continue to be sup
pressed, candidates who would otherwise win will
lose, and North Carolina and the nation will regress
into another world, possibly a Third World.
Go to http://www.naacpnc .org/ for more informa
tion.
Photo by Donna Rogers
A sign motivates the faithful at the Winston-Salem
NAACP Branch reception on Saturday, July 11.
i
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Kudos to S.C.
for taking flag
down, but more
needs to be done
To the Editor:
U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC
12) today [Thursday, July 9] released
the following statement in response
to South Carolina's legislature acting
to remove the Confederate battle flag
from Statehouse grounds; and intro
duction of a House resolution to
remove any state
flag containing
the Confederate
battle flag from
U.S. Capitol
grounds:
I applaud the
South Carolina
Legislature for
signing legisla
tion into State
law that removes
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Adams
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battle flag from flying over the State
House. The Confederate battle flag
symbolizes a painful time in our
country's history; a time when men
and women were held in chattel slav
ery. For many, the flag continues to
symbolize the hatred and oppression
of that era. The recent tragedy in
South Carolina is a horrific reminder
of the work we have to do in order to
stomp out hatred and bigotry in our
country. It is past time we abandon
the usage of this offensive vestige of
the past and I am proud the South
Carolina legislature moved to do
what is right.
Now, I urge Governor McCrory
and the North Carolina General
Assembly to act swiftly in discontin
uing Confederate battle flag
embossed license plates. I stand with
many of my colleagues on both sides
of the aisle in urging Congress to
remove any item with Confederate
battle flag symbols from U.S. Capitol
grounds.
U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC
12)
Washington, D.C.
CBC applauds
S.C. vote to
remove flag
from grounds
Today, Rep. G. K. Butterfield,
chairman of the Congressional Black
Caucus (CBC), issued the following
statement commending the South
Carolina Legislature for its swift
action to remove the Confederate
Battle flag from State House
grounds:
Early this morning [Thursday,
July 9], the South Carolina legisla
ture took a decisive step toward unit
ing South Carolinians by passing a
bill to remove the Confederate Battle
flag from State House grounds.
The Confederate Battle flag has
long been a divisive symbol intend
ed to celebrate a dark period in
American history during which four
million blacks were held as slaves,
not seen as human beings, but mere
ly as property.
We cannot erase or change histo
ry, but we can, as witnessed in South
Carolina, take meaningful steps to
move forward together by removing
a painful symbol of hate, bigotry,
and oppression that has plagued our
nation. The Congressional Black
Caucus applauds the state of South
Carolina for its progress towards a
brighter future.
Congressional Black Caucus
(CBC),
Rep. G. K. Butterfield (NC-1),
Chairman
Washington, D.C.
To learn more about the
Congressional Black Caucus, visit
http://cbc-butterfield .house .gov.
Greensboro law
is horrendous,
takes democracy
from the people
To the Editor:
The North Carolina NAACP and
Forward Together Moral Movement
stand in strong opposition to the
race-based overreaching undertaken
by the General Assembly last
Thursday [July 2], In a prime exam
ple of anti-democratic actions and
bully politics, the N.C. General
Assembly pushed forward an atro
cious, race-based state bill disguised
as a local redistricting bill that will
have a detrimental impact on the city
of Greensboro for years to come.
The anti-democracy state legisla
tors think they know how to govern
Greensboro better than its own citi
zens - ignoring both the proper leg
islative process and the opportunity
for public feedback. This faction
wants to make it harder for minori
ties and working people to have
influence with their votes. But the
people of Greensboro are not fooled.
Sen. Trudy Wade, former
Greensboro City Councilwoman,
and Joyce Krawiec, from Forsyth
County, introduced Senate Bill 36,
which originally proposed the redis
tricting plan for Greensboro but
failed to make traction in the House
and ended up being stuck in commit
tee. To get around the process, the
Greensboro redisricting plan was
added to HB 263. Senator Bob
Rucho's Senate Redisricting
Committee took a rushed, hushed
vote a few weeks ago, setting the
stage for a major fight with the peo
ple of Greensboro.
Before this horrendous law was
passed, Greensboro had three at
large City Council seals and five sin
gle district Council seats. The
Greensboro mayor voted on every 1
issue, and elections for City Council
were hotly contested, since there was
no run-off.
Mnu/ Hnncp Rill pliminatpc
at-large seats and establishes eight
single-member districts; limits the
power of the mayor, allowing
her/him to vote only in case of ties;
establish a run-off election, creating
incentives for back-room deals.
Most Republicans and
Democrats in Greensboro supported
a referendum - for any changes to
the city council structure and district
lines to be voted on by the people of
the City of Greensboro. But instead,
the extreme far right in the General
Assembly voted to make Greensboro
the only city in North Carolina that
cannot change its council structure
or voting districts without permis
sion from the state legislature.
By opening the way for new dis
tricts, Rucho and his race-based
computer map-maker can draw maps
to divide and dilute minority voters.
They have already split the campus
of North Carolina A&T University
into different districts. Soon minori
ties and other vulnerable voters will
have no say in how their city is gov
erned.
The N.C. NAACP will look into
taking legal action and supports the
people of Greensboro who strongly
oppose these anti-democracy steps to
dilute the minority vote. One per
son's vote is equal to another's.
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
President, N.C. NAACP
Durham
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