OPINION
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The Chronicle i
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-2015
617 N. Liberty Street . c6*brj^
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Elaine Pitt Business Manager
Donna Rogers Managing Editor
. wali D. Pitt 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.
1
GUEST EDITORIAL
Gov. McCrory
needs to call
Bob Brown
When you reflect on the low point North Carolina
is mired in for passing a law striking down
Charlotte's L.G.B.T. anti-discrimination ordinance,
Mr. Robert J. "Bob" Brown of High Point is proba
bly not the first person that comes to mind.
Neither most of the Tar Heel state's high brows
nor its NASCAR enthusiasts with names like Cletus,
Crystal, and Dale may have heard of Mr. Brown, but
they have heard the concise but astute observation
of George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember
the past are condemned to repeat it."
Surely, however, N.C.'s Republican Gov. Pat
McCrory has heard of Mr. Brown, a Republican
insider who has often been written up as die most
powerful behind-the-scenes black powferbroker since
Booker T. Washington. Mr. Brown, 80 - through his
public relations firm, B&C Associates International,
which is headquartered a few miles from where his
grandparents raised him - for more than half a cen
tury, has advised some of the world's most powerful
people, to include having served as domestic policy
advisor to President Richard Nixon, Martin Luther
King Jr., President Nelson Mandela, President John
F. Kennedy, and Maya Angelou; but, in addition, this
self-effacing and soft-spoken master diplomat and
negotiator has had the ear of corporate America's
one percenters, often on the world's Augusta
National-like golf courses.
Now the "What if."
What if the sponsors of House Bill 2 and Gov. Pat
McCrory had remembered N.C.'s center stage role in
the past where civil and human rights are concerned?
If so, they would have thought of what Mr. Brown
said to the Board of Directors of F. W. Woolworth
when the Tar Heel State was in eye of the storm of
societal change ushered in on February 1, 1960,
when NC A&T students stood up against unlawful
activity and sat down at the Greensboro Woolworth
lunch counter.
In an interview recorded recently Dy tne
Smithsonian Institution, Mr. Brown reoalled what he
said: "I told them that they needed to change and that
there was a change .coming and they needed to get
with it and have their thing, stay in front of it, so that
they could remain a viable entity in America, and
indeed, in the world, if they wanted to do that."
Not only was Mr. Brown hired by F. W.
Woolworth as principal adviser to guide them
through the minefields they'd created as segrega
tionists, High Point's first black policeman facilitat
ed them and other Fortune 100 corporations to
address their most perplexing business risks and
maximize their profits - grounded on having a max
imally diverse workforce and treating all employees
and customers with respect and fairness.
The metro Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem,
and Charlotte areas are the virtual buckle of The
Sunbelt. Then, according to last week's New Yorker,
faster than you can say "condemned to repeat it,"
executives at 80 companies - including Apple,
Pfizer, Microsoft, and Marriott - signed a public let
ter to Governor McCrory, urging him to repeal
House Bill 2.
Not only does House Bill 2 eliminate L.G.B.T.
protections, but it also does away with key compo
nents of the civil rights agenda which Mr. Brown
helped to shape. HB 2 prevents local governments
from enacting nondiscriminatory employment poli
cies, takes away citizens' right to sue for employ
ment discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and
it prohibits cities from adopting a minimum wage
higher than the state's minimum wage or requiring
other employment benefits.
HB 2 has put N.C. is on its heels, stuck it in the
tar of an outdated value system. In the manner of
speaking used by President Ronald Reagan - the
standard bearer of the modern Republican Party -
who said famously, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down mis
wall!" I say, "Mr. N.C. Governor Pat McCrory, give
Mr. Bob Brown a call!"
Dr. Bill Turner is the guest editorial writer. He
called Winston-Salem home for many years. Reach
him at bill-turner? comcastnet.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Award recipient
shows giving back
is important
Steele
To the Editor
So many times you hear negative
stories about young Black men. *1
would like to share with each of you
my firsthand experience with a posi
tive Black man who is very impor
tant in my life. He is my husband
Antwan Steele Sr.
Antwan is a selfless and phenom
enal person. When we met, 1 always
knew he was special and could bring
so many positive attributes to our
community.
My husband has been volunteer
ing in the Winston Salem community
for the past five
years. During
this time he has
coached football
with the AYF
league; with the
Fulton YMCA
he coached bas
ketball, soccer,
referee many
games and is still
an active coach
with the Fulton
YMCA for about four years now.
On top of all of this, he spends
his free time working with many
middle and high school guys, with
school work, sports or just an ear to
listen.
Because of these accomplish
ments, and Antwan Steele's dedica
tion to our community he was recog
nized on April 19 by the YMCA
Northwest Chapter and was given
the STRONG award from the Fulton
YMCA.
It is one thing to just volunteer
but it is another when you become
positive influences in young men's
lives. This is what my husband has
done,what he will continue to do and
what he stands for.
I love my husband so much and
because of his passion in making a
difference., we will continue to dedi
cate our time and attention to differ
ent organizations throughout our city
that make a difference in our youth,
because they are our tomorrow.
Raising kids ourselves, he always
would say, *1 want to make sure our
kids know why community and giv
ing back is so important. You don't
have to have money to make a differ
ence; you just have to give the most
important gift God gave us; time."
Thank you Antwan for showing
us that giving back is important.
Leah A. Steele
Winston-Salem
Nonprofit helps
community to
bolster education
To the Editor:
I agree with Donna Rogers'
opinion that transforming education
takes a collaborative approach.
We can't just rely on parents to
teach their children at home. We
can't expect teachers to do it all at
school. We need community part
ners like READWS to work with
parents, students and teachers to
ensure the success of our most vul
nerable students.
READWS, started as the
Augustine Literacy Project, is a
nonprofit organization dedicated to
providing free tutors to underserved
students with reading problems. We
have since expanded our mission.
The mission of READWS is to
reach, teach and advocate for strug
gling readers by training tutors, edu
cators and parents to use the evi
dence-based best practices of a mul
tisensory. structured literacy
approach. We focus on students
who are at an economic disadvan
tage. ?
Over 160 Augustine Literacy
tutors currently serve economically
disadvantaged children in more than
35 public schools and afterschool
programs in Forsyth County. These
volunteer tutors teach twice a week,
and their students are learning. Last
year, Augustine tutors provided over
7XXX) hours of free, direct instruc
tion in our local schools.
We hope some of you reading
this will decide to join us as tutors,
supporters and advocates. We need
everyone to be "all in" for our
WSPCs students.
Tonya Nealon, Augustine Tutor
READWS staff
520 Summit Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-723-4391, ext. 1507
Tonya@ReadWS.org
http://wwwjeadws.otg/
Note: Learn more about
Augustine Project tutoring, on
Tuesday, May 17, at Carl Russell
Recreation Center, 3521 Carver
School Road., from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
RSVP is required by calling
336-723-4391, ext 1506 or emailing
pam@readws.org.
Harriet Tubman
on $20 biU
is big milestone
Adams
(
To the Editor:
I'm glad Treasury listened to my
call, and the calls of many other
members of Congress and the
American people, in keeping
Alexander
Hamilton on the
$10 and putting
a woman on the
$20. Harriet
Tubman, a
woman who
through sheer
perseverance
and fearlessness,
led hundreds out
of captivity,
ieserves this
great mem.
This decision is a major mile
stone to recognize the contributions
women have made to this nation.
The other changes to honor lead
ers of the women's suffrage move
ment, such as Susan B. Anthony,
and the civil rights era, such Martin
Luther King Jr., are a testament to
their shared significance in moving
our nation forward."
U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams
(NC-12)
Washington, DC
Note: Adams sent a letter to
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in July
urging him to keep Alexander
Hamilton on the $10 dollar bill and
put a woman on the $20 dollar bill.
Adams is also a cosponsor of
H.R.2147, the Woman on the
Twenty Act.
, ' _ . ? *
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