Photo by J.R. Reed
Fourth- and fifth-grade students affiliated with the Winston-Salem Jack and Jill Chapter are shown in a section of the newsroom at The Chronicle. Publisher
Emeritus Ernie Pitt and Managing Editor Donna Rogers are in the background.
Students visit The Chronicle for up-close look
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
A group of nine fourth
and fifth-grade students
affiliated with the Winston
Salem Jack and Jill
Chapter saw the success of
a local decades-old
African-American newspa
per this week.
Jack and Jill of
America is a membership
organization of mothers
dedicated to nurturing
future African-American
leaders.
The visit to The
Chronicle with entrepre
neur and Publisher
Emeritus Ernie Pitt was
designed to inspire the
children by exposing them
to people in their own com
munity who are similar to
them culturally and who
have succeeded in ways
they can only dream of.
The children visited
The Chronicle's office and
spent time with Pitt person
ally. They heard the story
of how he came to start the
only African-American
news publication in
Winston-Salem still in
publication.
The children were also
able to learn more about
the media industry, which
is something they are usu
ally only exposed to as
consumers.
Donna Rogers, manag
ing editor, gave the stu
dent's a tour of the news
room and discussed the
many facets of journalism
as a career. She told the
students that she began her
career in journalism in the
seventh grade, with the
publications at her school.
The students asked
thoughtful questions, such
as: "How does The
Chronicle help the black
people?"
Pitt answered: "We
love who we are, we love
our kids, and we want oth
ers to see what's going on."
He also explained that
the newspaper tells people
who are in power that it's
not right to mistreat those
who don't have that power.
When recapping what
they took away from their
visit, Mark Oliver remem
bered Pitt saying: "Don't
be afraid to do whatever it
takes to get to your dream."
Lauren Oliver and
Bailey Buckhannon both
chimed in that they learned
"that The Chronicle focus
es on positive news stories
about African-Americans
instead of the negative stuff
we might usually see."
Jordan Shegog and
Conner Lessane recalled
Pitt's wise words: "Hard
work pays off. If you hate
what you're doing every
day, maybe you're doing
the wrong thing."
A few parents also were
present during the visit.
The event was organ
ized by Pam Oliver, who
currently serves as Jack
and Jill Chapter program
chair.
She noted: "It was an
honor to have an opportu
nity for our children to
meet Mr. Pitt and to see the
inspiration they received
by talking with someone
who has achieved so much.
We hope to offer a similar
experience for youth in our
community later this year
when we partner with com
munity agencies to organ
ize a Career Fair. Many
children have a limited
knowledge of what their
career options could be
later in life. We hope that
by exposing them to a
diverse selection of careers
early in life, they will be
motivated to continue
achieving in school and to
keep their options open as
they progress through life."
Jack and Jill of
America is dedicated to
nurturing future African
American leaders by
strengthening children
through leadership devel
opment, volunteer service,
philanthropy and civic
duty.
Locally, the qiembers
of the Winston-Salem
Chapter participate in cul
tural, educational, social
and spiritual programming
that will strengthen the
family unit and benefit the
African-American commu
nity through service and
outreach.
Pam Oliver contributed
to the report.
Photos By Tevin Stinson
Residents listen closely to President Barack Obama's final State of the Union
speech on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Carolina Vineyards and Hops located at 1111 S.
Marshall St.
President and CEO of the Winston-Salem Urban League James Perry
welcomes people to the watch party held at Carolina s Vineyards and Hops.
The event was held to celebrate the final State of the Union address by
President Barack Obama.
Address
from page AT
a close, Obama said he
wanted to spend his final
months in office working
toward a better future.
"I don't want to just
talk about next year," he
said. "I want to focus on
the next five years, the next
10 years and beyond. I
want to focus on .our
future."
The president went on
to mention that he will
dedicate his remaining
time in office fixing a bro
ken immigration system,
protecting children from
gun violence and raising
the minimum wage.
i"All these things still
matter to hardworking
families. They are still the
right things to do, and I
will not let up until they are
done."
Following the address
to the nation, a number of
people said the president's
speech was exactly what
the people needed to hear.
Sonjy Daniels of
Winston-Salem said the
speech was very relevant
to the times. She also
praised the president for
addressing issues that were
important to the people in
the inner cities.
"With this being his
last address, 1 think he han
dled it with grace and
class," she said.
Future
from fag* fil
over 50 years.
"The Urban League is
organized with a founda
tion that makes it particu
larly important." he said. "I
like to think of it as the pro
fessional civil rights organ
ization."
Unlike the Urban
League, which maintains a
paid staffs most civil rights
organizations do their work
on a volunteer basis. Perry
mentioned, "Although
those organizations get
incredible things done,
they can only be as effec
tive as the free time of their
members allow.
"Equity and achieve
ment are not things you can
obtain in your spare time,"
he continued. "That's the
f
thing that makes the Urban
League uhique. We actual
ly pay people to make sure
there is equity and the com
munity is empowered."
Before relocating to
Winston-Salem last year,
Perry served as chief exec
utive of the Greater New
Orleans Fair Housing
Action Center for 10 years.
During his tenure, he man
aged to lead the center
through the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina.
During a recent sit
down with The Chronicle,
Perry said the position he
held in New Orleans fully
prepared him for some of
the issues he may face as
president of the Urban
League.
According to Perry, his
new position requires a true
leader who can bring peo
ple together, a? well as
someone who can'make
sure financial books are in
order. Both characteristics
Perry displayed during his
tenure in Louisiana.
Although he hasn't held
the position for a" full
month, Perry already has a
number of plans in place
that he believes will allow
the organization to reach
more citizens in the area.
Perry mentioned
although a number of sen
iors know about the servic
es provided by the organi
zation, many citizens
between the ages of 20 and
40 need to be introduced to
the many programs offered
by the Urban League.
"One goal 1 have is to
make sure the younger gen
erations understand that the
Urban League can deliver
on their behalf," Perry said.
While the nonprofit
currently has a program
designed to help high
school students find sum
mer jobs, in the coming
months they will also offer
a similar program for
young adults looking for
employment or who are
looking to start their own
businesses.
The newly appointed
president has a plan to
make up for less funding in
the coming months as well.
Last month the Forsyth
County United Way
announced it will begin tar
geting its funding toward
programs designed to tack
le specific issues of health,
education, financial stabili
ty and reducing poverty.
As a result, the Urban
League is ope of many
local organizations , that
will receive less money
^rom the non-profit, mov
ing from about $430,000 to
$100,000 for the 2016-17
period, for workforce
development. Perry said
under his watch, the Urban
League will engage in new
activities designed to raise
funds and allow the organi
zation to be more self-suf
ficient.
"This is the direction
the Urban League needs to
go in no matter what hap
pens with our funding," he
said, "nonprofit has to learn
to be somewhat self-suffi
cient and not rely solely on
funding from others."
Perry said his wife,
MSNBC host and Wake
Forest University Professor
Melissa Harris-Perry, fully
backed his decision to step
into his current role at the
Urban League. He men
tioned she allowed him
space ^ pursue what
makes him happy.
"My wife has been
extremely supportive," he
said. "She knew it would
take some time for me to
get to know the community
and figure out what I would
enjoy."
The couple has two
daughters, ages 1 and 14.
When asked how he
wants to be remembered by
the people when his tenure
as president is over, Perry
said it isn't about his own
legacy, but the legacy of
the organization.
"There are a lot of
things I want to happen
during my tenure," he Itat
ed. "But, my maj? goal is
to make this chafker of the
Urban League tfje best in
the nation." /
' J