Submitted photo
Leaders of the
Concerned Students
for Kalvin Michael
Smith show a banner
outside Attorney
General Roy Cooper's
office at the
Department of Justice
in Raleigh on Monday,
March 7. In the photo
(L-R) are Jaylon
Herbin of Winston
Salem State University,
Virginia Parnell of
Salem College and
Hayden Abene of
Wake Forest
University.
Smith
from page AT
they should have read the
report and dissected it... I
still find it hard to believe
that it wasn't compelling
enough for them to exer
cise their discretion that
they have on appeal," the
former FBI director told
The Chronicle. "So I don't
buy that idea that they
don't have any discretion
whatsoever on deciding
whether to appeal or not to
appeal, or oppose an appeal
for example," Swecker
said.
On Monday, the student
organizers took both their
banner and a letter with
them into the N.C. Dept. of
Justice building in an effort
to meet with Attorney
General Cooper. According
to the students, they were
refused entry by the securi
ty guard, and despite
numerous phone calls to
the office, were refused
having the attorney gener
al's personal assistant to
come out and retrieve the
banner, letter and other
materials.
"Ultimately, we left the
banner, the letter, and the
other documents with the
security officer at the front
desk, but had no visual
confirmation that the mate
rials made it to Mr.
Cooper's office," a subse
quent press statement by
the student organizers said.
In the past, the Attorney
General's Office has said it
"understands the communi
ty's concerns and we want
to work with them on sys
tematic issues in the crimi
nal justice system. But at
this point in the' legal
process, only a court of law
can overturn Kalvin
Smith's conviction and
release him from prison,"
later adding,"... our office
has a duty to represent the
state in this particular mat
ter."
But the Free Kalvin
Smith student organizers
see it differently.
"The refusal of
Attorney General Cooper's
office to take just 60 sec
onds to meet with us and
receive a banner signed by
over 200 students demon
strates Mr. Cooper's utter
disregard for the concerns
of students and North
Carolina citizens," the
group said in a press
release.
"Though Mr. Cooper's
office demonstrated cow
ardice and irresponsibility
by refusing to listen to the
concerns of hundreds of
North Carolinian students,
we hope Mr. Cooper will
have the courage to pub
licly respond to his previ
ous inaction, which has
upheld Kalvin's wrongful
conviction, and will ulti
mately join the Defense in
petitioning the Superior
Court to vacate the convic
tion."
The statement goes on
to say that the injustice
Smith is facing directly
exhibits how Cooper has
continued to ignore the
issues facing the African
American community
which has largely remained
supportive in the past.
Last month Winston
Salem State junior Jaylon
Herbin told The Chronicle
that he and other students
shave been studying
evidence in the case for
months. Herbin said as an
African-American male,
the evidence in the case is
terrifying.
"It's hard to believe that
Attorney General Cooper
can look at this evidence
and not even think about
doing the right thing,"
Herbie said.
Wake Forest student
Corrine Sugino noted that
what has happened to
Smith could very well hap
pen to anyone. She also
said the students wili con
tinue to do everything in
their power to ensure jus
tice is served and that
Cooper, who is running for
governor, does the right
thing.
"We have an innocent
black man sitting in jail and
somehow Cooper mysteri
ously doesn't have the
power to do anything," said
Sugino. "We will not stop
until Kalvin is free."
Other local organiza
tions and community
groups have joined the
fight to free Smith as well.
The president of the
Ministers' Conference of
Winston-Salem and
Vicinity, Bishop Todd
Fulton said he stands in
solidarity with those stand
ing solid for justice.
Darryl . Hunt, who
served 19 years in prison
for a murder he did not
commit, said he was
delighted to see the stu
dents fight for what's right.
"Kalvin gets his
strength from you," he
said. "We must continue
this fight against racial bias
and injustice."
Chronicle staff writer
Tevin Stinson contributed
to this report.
Photo by Tevtn Stmsoo
Mayor Allen Joints presents Flonnie Anderson with
a plaque during a dedication ceremony on March 5.
The auditorium at Parkland High School was
renamed to honor Anderson, a retired teacher in the
Winston-Salem Forsyth County School System.
LETTER ?
TO THE
EDITOR
One Great _
Candidate r~
is Running
To The Editor:
During this bizarre
2016 election campaign, it
is a pleasure to be able to
wholeheartedly endorse,
one candidate. We highly
recommend Mark Johnson,
Republican, for N.C.
Superintendent of Public
Instruction.
Mark is running for
Superintendent to focus our
education system on teach
ers, not testing!
He currently serves on
the Winston Salem/Forsyth
County Board of Education
so he has experience navi
gating "the sysfem." Mark
began his career as a public
school teacher so he per
sonally knows the chal
lenges teachers face. He
has vision and passion and
the determination to ljelp
create better schools and a
better future for N.C.
We are proud to count
Mark and his wife as per
sonal friends. We are grate
ful that a young man of
such integrity and passion
has dedicated himself to
improving our state by
improving our education
system.
Mark has provided
some clear explanation of
his vision on his website.
www.remark
ableschoolsnc .com
We highly recommend
that you vote for Mark
Johnson for N.C.
Superintendent of Public
Instruction. If you can't
vote in the Republican
Primary ... remember to
vote for Mark Johnson in
November!
Marian and David Bell
Winston Salem NC
Anderson
from page Al
During the ceremony, a
number of Anderson's for
mer students took to the
stage to talk about how
Anderson impacted their
lives.
"Mrs. A was a real per
fectionist who expected
nothing but the best from
her students," said Chris
Thore, a former drama stu
dent of Anderson's.
"She was more than a
teacher, she taught us les
sons that will last a life
time, like how to carry our
selves and how to treat
each other."
A number of former
students who went on to
become teachers them
selves said Anderson
played a major role in their
decision. Teresa Hairston
said Anderson was one of
her role models growing
up.
"Just the way she
would carry herself and
treat everyone with respect,
I wanted to be just like
her," she said. "I still look
up to her to this day."
Mayor Allen Joines
spoke during the dedication
ceremony as welL He also
presented Anderson with a
plaque marking the historic
l
event. Joines led an effort
to have the auditorium
named for Anderson.
Mayor Joines said after
writing a letter to the
school board, the member
voted unanimously in favor
of the renaming.
"She is a great role
model for young people
throughout the city of
Winston-Salem," said
Joines." I am honored to be
here today on this joyous
occasion."
During the ceremony,
students from the drama
program at Parkland per
formed a skit. The skit
addressed overcoming
stereotypes and racism.
Following the. perform
ance, Anderson rose to her
feet and shouted, "This is
what it is all about."
When asked about her
many accomplishments on
and off the stage over the
years, Anderson said she is
happy that throughout her
life she was able to do
something that she truly
loved.
"I never imagined that
something like this would
happen to me," she said. "I
was just doing what I loved
and what I thought was
right. 1 am truly grateful to
everyone who made this
possible."
Have an Opinion? I
Let us Know
lettmQwxkrmlejcm
Have a Story Idea?
Let us Know news@wschronicle.com
Vote |
JOHN LARSON
on March 15
for South Ward
11 V A ? ? a ? A ? A H A ^A ^^A
_
f '? 5
Community Leader for the South Ward
Business Experience as
Vice President of Old Salem
South Ward Resident For Past 40 Years
Promoting Connectivity in Our City
Planner for Our Best Future
Values the Economic Importance of Tourism
Military Veteran, Captain US Army
Endorsed by Retiring Hon. Molly Leight