OPINION
The Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-2015
617 N. Liberty Street
336-722-8624 I 41 \
www.wschronicle.com #
Elaine Pitt Business Manager
Donna Rogers Managing Editor
wali D. PlTT Digital 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.
United Way,
reconsider
Urban League
grant cuts
The Winston-Salem Urban League, a venerable
institution in the black community and city of
Winston-Salem, has had a rollercoaster ride this
week. ?
As the organization prepared to name James
Perry as its president and chief executive, reports
surfaced that its budget is expected to be greatly
affected by a change in the way the United Way
awards grants.
A huge amount of the Urban League's budget
comes from the United Way.
Starting next summer, the United Way of Forsyth
County will begin targeting grants for programs
designed to tackle specific issues of health, educa
tion, financial stability and reducing poverty.
According to chief executive Cindy Gordineer,
"We realized we needed to start investing in services
and programs that will address the root causes of
why people are struggling."
But die Urban League helps people who are
struggling and is helping to change one of its root
causes: lack of jobs. Its main program provides jobs
for older people who are struggling to find jobs
because of theiF ages and other factors. The
Chronicle file photo
Urban League offices in downtown Winston-Salem
Chronicle has reported on what the Urban League is
doing. Here are some headlines:
* Winston-Salem Urban League joins national
movement to end senior hunger
*Big Four Alumni, Urban League unite for serv
ice (giving professional clothes to needy so they can
go to job interviews)
*Winston-Salem Urban League receives
$1,778,090 grant to employ older adults
*W-S Urban League celebrates seniors from 18
counties
The cuts in grant money will hurt an organization
that helps a great number of people. The expected cut
should be re-evaluated. The increased focus on
poverty by Mayor Allen Joines should mean non
profits that battle that aspect of life should be getting
more money, not less.
Urban League board Chairwoman Evelyn Acree
said, "The cuts will be very severe for us. This will
definitely be a major setback."
The good news is that effective Jan. 4, James
Perry will be on board.
Perry will replace Don Williams, who has served
as interim president and chief executive since
February 2014. Before recently relocating to
Winston-Salem, Perry led the Greater New Orleans
Fair Housing Action Center for ten years.
Building job opportunities for residents in the
Triad ranks high on his to do list.
"We will continue to serve the Triad as we have
always done," Acree said. "We have an excellent
team and with the addition of James, we're going to
continue to impact the residents who are often over
looked."
Many of the people who are often overlooked are
the people who are in poverty. The United Way
should take another look at the Urban League's mis
sion to help fight poverty through job opportunities
and change its plans for huge cuts in its grants for the
organization.
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of com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Reynoldstown
article brings
back memories
To the Editor:
I enjoyed the article about
Reynoldstown. I saw, in the news,
the unveiling of the historical marker
for Reynoldstown.
My father worked at R.J.
Reynolds in the chewing tobacco
department. He applied for a house
as soon as they were finished and we
became one of the first black families
to move into Reynoldstown.
Our address was 901 Baltimore
Street. That was the one street for
blacks. The
IsiaewaiK was
paved and the
street was
covered with
cinderblocks.
A board fence
separated the
street for
blacks from
other streets.
My sister
Rachel and I
used to peep
through the cracks to see what games
the white children were playing. We
could hear them having fun but could
not fully see them. So we enjoyed
watching them through the fence
cracks.
Baltimore Street dead ended at
10th Street oh the north and a stream
of water on the south. We called it the
"the branch," people walked across a
little foot bridge to catch the Fifth St.
Street Car to go downtown.
My mother did laundry work for
several white families that lived in
the white section. She washed and
ironed for them at our house and car
ried them back at the end of the
week. That way, she could stay at
home with us. One family she
worked for was the Gilley family.
Mrs. Gilley was special to us. She
gave us lots of clothes when her chil
dren outgrew them. Some of- the
other black families that moved in
later were the Perrys, Ashes,
Covingtons, Daniels and the Shaws.
I believe that the street name was
changed from Baltimore Street and
I'm not sure what the new name is. I
don't get out much anymore. It may
be called Jackson Avenue, I'm not
sure. Being 101 years old, I enjoy
thinking about the old days. Enough
memories for now. Hope to write you
again.
Adeline Richardson Hodge
Brief Bio
Public School- Columbia Heights
High School Diploma Graduated
1930, Winston-Salem Teachers
College B.S. Graduated 1942, Starr
Stenographic School, 1945, North
Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University Master's Degree
Graduated 1960
Occupation- Retired School
Teacher Stokes County School
System
Church Affiliation- Member of
Shiloh Baptist Church since 1927 (88
years)
How can the NCAE
endorse Roy Cooper
who hasn't support
ed teachers and
education?
To the Editor:
First, I always have and always
will respect the NCAE [North
Carolina Association of Educators]
Spaulding
Richardson
??????? and the
CAMPAIGN work it
has
5 j^l ^ ^?f ?Ur
school
teach
ers.
Second, I find it very strange that
the NCAE would make an endorse
ment of anyone before the filing
deadline has passed and before they
knew all the candidates who would
be running in the Democratic
Primary for Governor.
Third, the rank and file teachers
all across North Carolina have been
telling me over the last two years that
they will not vote for Roy Cooper
based on Roy Cooper and his office
siding in court with the Republicans
and Pat McCrory against public
school teachers and their "teacher
tenure" and Roy Cooper's support in
court for "private school vouchers."
Fourth, teachers have indicated to
me that they cannot support Cooper
because of his stand in court in sup
pressing the voting rights of teachers
and other North Carolinians.
Fifth, unfortunately the NCAE
has yielded to the "establishment "
wing of the Democratic Party to
attempt to short circuit the people's
right to decide for themselves who
can best represent all the people of
this state.
Sixth, the Democratic Party's
establishment wing's continued
effort to "strong arm" the people of
our Party and Unaffiliated voters
across this state is the very reason
why the Republican Party has gained
control of the positions of U.S.
Senate, Governor, Lt. Governor,
N.C. House and N.C. Senate and
many other offices.
Seventh, the attempt by the
Democratic "establishment" wing of
our Party through the endorsement
by the NCAE will not deter me from
filing for Governor {he filed on Dec.
14] and will not deter me from fight
ing for our rank and file public
school teachers to reinstate "teacher
tenure" and will oppose "private
school vouchers," which are bleeding
money away from our public
schools.
Ken Spaulding
Democratic candidate for
Governor
Durham, N.C.
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