Annual Black and White Gala held to
raise funds for travel abroad program
Photo by Tevin Sanson
Founder of Carter G.
Woodson, Hazel Mack.
BY TEVIN ST1NSQN
The gymnasium of
Carter G. Woodson School
(CGWS) was filled with
fun and excitement last
Friday night as dozens
came out to celebrate the
school's 19th anniversary.
Donning their best
evening attire, elected offi
cials, community leaders,
and other supporters of the
school came together for a
night of dancing, dining,
and entertainment. The
memorable event known as
the Black and White Gala
is designed to raise funds
for the school's study/trav
el abroad program.
Every summer CGWS
sends students to the conti
nent of Africa to learn and
connect with those native
to the second largest conti
nent on the planet.
On past trips to the
"motherland," students vis
ited Tanzania, Kenya,
Arusha, Dar es Salam, and
Zanzibar. While on their
visit, students have the
opportunity to create dif
ferent types of art such as
paintings, drawings, and
even poems, while interact
ing with students from
Africa
CGWS founder Hazel
Mack said the main goal of
the trip is to get students
thinking about their pur
pose in life and where they
fit in the world. She men
tioned it also allows stu
dents to connect with their
roots and learn more about
their heritage.
More than 59 percent
of students at CGWS are
African-American.
"Traveling to Africa
teaches the students more
than they could ever get in
a classroom," said Mack.
"Most importantly, after
the trip students understand
how much God has blessed
them." I
Junior Tiara Logan who
traveled to Tanzania last
summer said since the trip,
she values the life she has
here in America a lot more.
She said the things she
experienced while in
Africa are something she
will remember for the rest
of her life. She noted what
really opened her eyes was
the lack of assistance peo
ple in Africa receive from
the government.
"I value life a lot more
since the trip," she contin
ued. "In Africa, govern
ment assistance is not an
option people really don't
have in some places and
it's really sad."
' "Since visiting Africa, I
now give 100 percent effort
in everything I do in the
classroom and at home."
Junior Christopher
Price echoed Logan's state
ments. He said, "Unlike
America where we have
corruption and corrupt peo
pie, on the continent of
Africa everyone is working
towards the common goal
of becoming better people.
"Everybody is just try
ing to better themselves,"
he said, "That's what I
enjoyed most' about the
trip, that peaceful atmos
phere and connecting with
the people."
According to school
officials, this year students
will travel to Kenya and
Tanzania. For more infor
mation on Carter G.
Woodson School or the
travel abroad program,
visit the school's official
website at www.carterg
woodsonschool .org.
?4
Experts say build trust, prepare for worst with mental illness
Editor's note: May is Mental Health
Awareness Month.
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Many people in the community are
affected by mental health issues in some
way. A friend, loved one, or colleague
probably has struggled with a disorder at
some point in time.
Statistics show in 2014, one in five
American adults experienced a mental
health issue. At the same point in time, one
in 25 lived with a serious mental illness,
such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or
major depression.
With that said, mental health is still a
topic that people rarely discuss openly .
which has led to a number of misconcep
tions and myths.
Last Thursday, the Winston-Salem
Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, the Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the Psi Phi
Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
joined forces to dispel some of those
myths when they hosted "Let's Talk About
It," a community mental health forum and
panel discussion.
During the forum held inside RJ.
Reynolds Auditorium on the campus of
Winston-Salem State University, a panel
of healthcare professionals and caretakers,
scholars, and other community stakehold
ers sat down to discuss mental illness and
treatment options.
The panel also featured those who
have been directly affected by a mental ill
ness.
Moderator for the event, assistant pro
fessor of sociology and criminal studies at
Salem College Dr. Kimya Dennis, started
the conversation by asking panelists to
define mental illness in their own words.
President of the Northwest Piedmont
Chapter of National Alliance of Mental
Illness Louise Whealton said, "When it
comes to mental health, I try to take a
holistic approach to what needs to occur."
"Sometimes that means education and
other times that means treatment."
When asked about the short-term and
long-term effects of mental illness, Kathy
Cunningham said when diagnosed with a
mental illness, you are treated with little
respect.
Cunningham noted when she was
diagnosed with serve depression and bipo
lar disorder in 1996, her life changed for
ever. Not only did she lose her job shortly
after being diagnosed, Cunningham men
tioned when people find out that she has
been diagnosed with a mental illness,
that's all they see.
"You arc treated with so little respect,"
she said. "When they look at your medical
records, bi-polar is what they see first. Not
my heart attack or my diabetes, but bi
polar, and that's the way they treated me."
Cunningham mentioned the disrespect
is something she- has to deal with every
day.
According to experts on the topic,
Cunningham's treatment from peers, fam
ily members and even doctors is nothing
new for those dealing with a mental ill
ness. Founder of Our Brother Legion, an
interfaith organization which seeks to edu
cate the community to help reduce stigma
on behalf of people living with mental ill
ness, trauma and addiction, Reverend Beth
Cantrell said the people she knows with a
mental illness has the worst medical sto
ries.
While she admits at times it's not easy,
Cantrell encouraged those who need help
to go to the doctor.
"If you are sick or need help, go to the
doctor," she continued. "You will find
ways to cope, but be prepared because it
can, be worse than you ever imagined."
' Others who participated in the panel
discussion included executive director of
the Mental Health Association of Forsyth
County (MHAFC) Andy-Hagler, Winston
Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS)
program manager Kathy Jordan, licensed
professional counselor Mary Jane McGill,
WSFCS director of psychological services
Corliss Thompson-Drew, and qualified
healthcare professional Yolanda
McArthur.
Hagler, who has been with MHAFC
since 1997, mentioned a number of pro
grams offered in Forsyth County that offer
help for those dealing with mental illness
and their families. According to Hagler,
MHAFC offers support groups, crisis
intervention team (CIT) training, and men
tal health awareness campaigns, just to
name a few.
Hagler noted while seeking help may
not work every time with every situation,
it is important to try to see if it works. He
said it all begins with trust.
"Mental illness is real and very com
mon, but it can be treated," he said. "We
have to build that trust."
Happy Hill Cemetery
cleanup continues after
storm wreaks havoc
BY TODD LUCK >
THE CHRONICLE
Cleanup efforts contin
ue at the historic Happy
Hill Cemetery after a
recent storm hit the area
hard.
The Happy Hill
Cemetery Friends has been
working for the last seven
years to clean up the ceme
tery that had been in disre
pair for decades. The old
cemetery is located at the
corner of Willow and Pitts
Street, with a lower section
that's now covered in for
est off Free Street. Weeds
that at times were taller
than the people clearing
them, have been cut out of
the upper portion of it,
revealing many graves that
now bear flowers from
loved ones and flags hon
oring veterans. But a recent
storm has left large parts of
trees littering the cemetery.
On Saturday, it was just
Maurice Pitts Johnson,
who started the clean-up
efforts, and volunteer
David Gall clearing the
debris. Gall picked up
smaller branches and used
a hack saw to cut some of
the larger ones into pieces
he could carry. Neither
owns a chain saw that was
needed to cut the largest
branches. Since it's private
property, the city can't
clean it up, but can pick up
branches left on the side of
the road, which formed a
large five-foot tall pile at
the cemetery's edge.
Johnson said the
amount of help varies dur
ing the cleanups held twice
a month. Sometimes it's
just her and Gall who come
out.
"We've had some
groups to come out and
help us from time to time,
but it's not a steady flow of
*
volunteers," said Johnson.
Gall, a member of
Preserve Historic Forsyth,
said Johnson came to one
of the group's meetings
seven years ago looking for
volunteers to help with the
cleanup. He said he's been
volunteering ever since.
"I just felt like it was a
worthy project," said Gall,
who is an architect whose
projects often involve his
toric preservation. "I came
out here the first time and
saw how much work there
was to do and we've been
persistent ever since, clear
ing the cemetery and mak
ing it presentable."
Over the years, they've
had many volunteers and
groups to help, including
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints in
Clemmons, the Winston
Salem Jaycees, the
Liberian Organization of
the Piedmont, and Wake
Forest University history
students. The near-by
Rising Ebenezer Baptist
Church has been active in
the cleanup and one of its
members regularly mows
the cemetery. Johnson is
currently working with the
Wake Forest Community
and Business Law Clinic to
change ownership of the
land to Rising Ebenizer,
which has entailed a long
legal process since the
churches that originally
owned the property no
longer exist.
Johnson's grandpar
ents, Columbus and Alice
Pitts, and great-grandmoth
er, Matilda Simmons, are
buried there. Columbus
Pitts was an early land
owner in Happy Hill, who
the nearby Pitts Street is
named after. She said she
was inspired to begin
cleaning up the cemetery
when she fried to take her
grandson to the cemetery,
but found the weeds hid
her grandparent's grave
marker.
"I wanted to show my
grandson where it was and
it was so overgrown I
couldn't find it," she said.
The oldest grave in the
cemetery found so far is
that of Jerry Swepson who
was buried in 1901. The
cemetery is believed to
have more than 113 people
buried there. There were
more than that before
1965, when construction of
U.S. 52 cut through the
cemetery, causing graves
to be moved to a cemetery
in Walkertown near Oak
Grove Baptist Church.
The next cleanup is this
Saturday, May 28, at 9:30
am. Regular cleanups are
the second and fourth
Saturday of each month at
9:30 a.m. Volunteers are
encouraged to bring
gloves, chainsaws and
other yard tools. For more
information, contact
Maurice Pitts Johnson at
336-815-8417.
Photo by Todd Lock
Maurice Pitts Johnson
has been leading
cleanup efforts at Happy
Hill Cemetery for years.
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