Continuing the conversation
Photo by Tevm Stauon
North Forsyth
junior Kameron
Ban makes a
point during part
two of the stu
dent race rela
tions forum held
at Parkland
High School on
Wednesday, May
18.
:;>v/; ..
High schools con
tinue discussion
on race relations,
other important
issues during
forum
BYTEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE __
For the second time this
school year, students horn
area high schools came
together last week to dis
cuss the state of race rela
tions in area schools at
Parkland High School.
During the first forum
held last September, the
Human Relations
Department gathered a
diverse group of students
from public and private
schools in Winston-Salem
and Forsyth County to dis
cuss peer relationships,
perceptions in classrooms,
and stereotypes.
This time, students took
the conversation to the next
level.
Senior at Calvary
Baptist Day School and
moderator for the event
Logan Short asked the stu
dents a number of tough
questions that sparked con
versations and intrigued the
minds of the students.
When asked about diversi
ty, North Forsyth senior
Diego Garcia said as
Americans we should make
sure all cultures are recog
nized. Garcia said, "Lack
of diversity leads to lack of
inclusion.
"Diversity allows stu
dents to connect more," he
continued. "That's what I
like most about North."
The students also had
the opportunity to voice
their opinions on House
Bill 2 (HB2), the contro
versial law that was passed
in a one-day General
Assembly session earlier
this year. With the law.
North Carolina became the
first state to require public
school and university stu
dents to use only those
bathrooms that match the
gender on their birth cer
tificates.
"It's not a well-written
bill at all," Paisley Magnet
School freshman Carine
Miller said.
"It's creating more
hatred among people.
That's one of the main rea
sons why it should be
repealed."
While holding the mic,
Miller, who defines herself
as "pro everything for
diversity," said HB2 is not
just about the LGBT com
munity, but all discrimina
tory laws across the state.
West Forsyth senior
Josh Ballin mentioned the
restrictions the law places
on local governments. HB2
restricts local governments
from having discrimination
ordinances that go further
than state law.
"This bill can, and will,
tear communities apart,"
said Ballin. "That's what
we have to think about
when discussing HB2."
After answering a num
ber pre-screened questions,
members of the audience
were given a chance to ask
the students questions
before the close pf the
event. Human Relations
Director Wanda Allen
Abraha who helped organ
ize the forum said she was
excited to see' the students
open up and discuss what
was on their minds.
"Students today are fac
ing something that older
generations can't even
imagine," Allen-Abraha
said.
"That's why it is impor
tant that we have these con
versations," she said, "The
students made a number of
interesting, points here
today."
Following the forum,
students said what they
enjoyed most about partici
pating in the forum was
interacting with students
from other schools and
learning how they deal
with issues of race and
diversity.
Early College of
Forsyth junior Izabela Rika
said similar forums should
be held at each school in
the district.
"This generation is very
aware of our surroundings
and ready to make a
change," she said. "Every
school should be having
this same conversation
because every school has
their own issues."
"The only way to make
a difference is to communi
cate. That's what is most
important."
Happy Hill celebrates
200 years with event
Photo by Todd Luck
Members of
the Happy Hill
Neighborhood
Association
came together
to throw a
200th anniver
sary celebra
tion for their
community on
Saturday, May
21.
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The Happy Hill
Neighborhood Association
(HHNA) held a celebration
of Happy Hill's 200th
Anniversary at Sims
Recreation Center.
The event- which fea
tured, games, food, historic
trivia and music- encour
aged residents to sign up
for the group. HHNA had
gone dormant for a few
years, but started holding
meetings again this year.
HHNA already has big
plans. The group is partner
ing with the Liberian
Organization of the
Piedmont in hopes of
building a community mul
ticultural center that will
include a dormitory for stu
dents from Liberia attend
ing local colleges.
HHNA is also doing a
mentoring program for
boys, an intergenerational
reading program that
brings youth together with
seniors, and has plans to
bring fresh produce into the
community. The group is
also supportive of rehab
bing the historic shotgun
houses, located on Alder
Street, into a museum and
shop, and the efforts to
restore the Happy Hill
Cemetery.
HHNA President
Amatullah Saleem was
U
raised in Happy Hill and
has lived there off and on.
She said when she came
back to Winston-Salem in
the 1970s, Happy Hill had
become a public housing
project plagued by drugs
and crime. Now that she's
moved back to retire, living
at Alder's Point, she said
Happy Hill now has far less
crime but also less sense of
community.
"It's now totally differ
ent," she said. "However,
what is missing is the cohe
siveness of the communi
ty."
Happy Hill has been
many things over the last
two centuries. In 1816, Dr.
Friedrich Schumann relo
cated his farm and slaves
outside the town of Salem
to what would become
known as Happy Hill. In
1836, he freed his slaves
and paid for them to
migrate to Liberia. African
Americans eventually set
tled into the Happy Hill
area and created a commu
nity that was also called
Liberia.
In 1952, Happy Hill
Gardens was completed
and became the state's first
federally funded housing
project. The project was
demolished in 2004 and
Hope VI funding allowed
for the construction of new,
low-income housing:
Alder's Point senior apart
4.
ments and Providence
Place apartments. There are
also residents living in
Habitat for Humanity
homes and other home
owners in the neighbor
hood.
Happy Hill now has
residents of different cul
tural and economic back
grounds. Bringing them all
together is a challenge for
the HHNA.
"If we work together,
we support each other, we
can empower, educate and
encourage each other
through our trials and tribu
lations." said Antonia Imes,
an HHNA member who
lives in Providence Place
with her four children.
HHNA past president
Edith Jones, pastor of
Ecclesiastes Deliverance
Center and owner of R-U
Happy Child Care on
Liberia Street, grew up in
Happy Hill in the 1930s
and returned to the neigh
borhood 17 years ago. She
said in her youth, Happy
Hill was a close-knit com
munity, where neighbors
looked after each other's
children. ?
"It was really great
growing up," she said. "I
have no complaints."
HHNA members said
they're hoping to make it a
great place to grow up for
the children who are there
now.
BANKRUPTCY
Logol Hotp For Your Dabt Probtomo
DONALD R. BUIE,
Attorney At Law
domm ?. auk www.donaldrbuie.com
J 7 * Km- Initial Consultation
J. * Stop Repossession & Foreclosure
Ike Law Office of
DoaaM R. Bale Is a
Federally deaigaated
Debt Relief Ageacy
aader THIt II Uahed
Stales Code Section
528(ai. We help peo
ple (lie fee bankruptcy
relief uader the
bankruptcy rode.
773-1398
8 W. 3rd St., SU-. 100
WmmM Mon-Fri
11-3
ofceta's Restaurant Sundav
102 West 3rd Street, Suite Lp5 ? "
Winitou-Salem, NC 27101 22-4
Phone: (330) 750-0811
WI W t L COM F
NEW PATIENTS
Our iAn
? (itMIXU ? WwrvM ? PltlOki ? (M?'l ?> |M?tU I
?*M>I (?*?!? DriH?T<
? Dwtu iMPlAWft ? *?? ?flfRN?.UMi Iwitl
Wr Kttfl ??M fcrw ol IMUTMCT
(336) 744-1300
www.M4lcrsmUw.cOM I
ErleSENtoon
Attorney At Lm*
It Your License Revoked or
even Permanently Revoked?
I May Be Able to Get You a
Driving Privilege.
Is the Ball Bondsman Too
Expensive? Maybe You
Need to try a Property Bond.
Call Mel
112 North Marshall Street
Winston Salem. NC 27101
I Just Sorth oj hi Slrrrli
Phone OM>) 72.L7.t70
. l ax. (.t.tb) 72.t7.t72
ellisutilaw&carthltnk net
_J
"Dadicatad To Providing You T/ia Bast SarvicST*^?
; jigiaw iMiiW^ >K *ti?i"?i; .
Do you have a loved one graduating from
College, High School, Middle School, Elementary
School, Kindergarten or Pre-K?
The Chronicle would like to congratulate all
graduates by offering a one-time 2 col. X 2-inch
ad for only $64.80.
The ad will include a photo of your loved one
and will be printed in Full Color. Please see an
example of the ad below.
I Graduated from/Win be
I graduating from I g
I on . JHjap|Ma
Spacial Mwigi tram Family. ?S23g^^^EjE
t 1