Bridge over troubled waters I
Photo by Ifevin Stinsoo
Residents listen as an officer with the Winston-Salem Police Department makes suggestions on how to
improve the relationship with residents during the Black & Blue Town Hall on Thursday, July 28.
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem Urban League (WSUL) is looking
to bridge the gap between the African-American commu
nity and law enforcement here in the city and throughout
Forsyth County.
On Thursday, July 28, the nonprofit organization
kicked off Part One of the Black and Blue Community
Town Halls, a three-part open forum designed to bring
both residents and police together to discuss ways to
improve their relationship. WSUL President and CEO
James Perry said, "Resolving tensions between police and
the African-American community is of the utmost impor
tance.
"African-American residents in Winston-Salem seek a
trusting relationship with police and the Winston-Salem
police department is committed to protect and serve," he
continued. "I am confident that through constructive dia
logue, we can overcome challenges and prevent the atroc
ities that have affected Baton Rouge, Dallas, St. Louis,
Feiguson, Chicago, New York and countless other cities."
To begin the forum held at the WSUL headquarters,
Dr. Corey D.B. Walker, Winston-Salem State University
dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, gave a brief his
tory on the distrust between the Winston-Salem Police
Department (WSPD) and the African-American commu
nity.
Walker's history lesson began downtown in 1895 with
an African-American named James Tuttle, who was
accused of killing an officer during a scuffle. As a result,
a race riot broke out and several blacks lost their lives pro
tecting Tuttle from white residents who were angry about
the officer's death.
According to Walker, the riot received national media
attention.
In many ways we think about policing in a context
when we have institutional policing," he continued. "We
have laws, we have a legal apparatus, and a judicial appa
ratus. But, that grows out of a long history of struggle on
how to control black bodies."
The travel through time then moved on to an incident
in 1-918 where five African-American men were killed by
police officers. The lesson ended in 1967 with the death of
James Eller, who was hit over the head by a police officer
while sitting on his front porch. A warrant filed for the
officer responsible for Eller's death was denied by the
WSPD.
Walker noted that it's not only the legacy of slavery
that becomes the issue but the way people think about
black people in America has become encoded in our insti
tutional structures.
He stated, "Our laws, our criminal justice system,
becomes designed to contain black bodies to a particular
space, place, and identity."
Following Walker's presentation, the crowd of more
than 100 attendees were broken into several groups. Then
forum moderators - founder of the Institute for
Dismantling Racism, Rev. Willard Bass Jr., and Salem
Cpllege assistant professor sociology and criminal studies
Kimya Dennis - presented questions regarding recent
news reports about police brutality, and suggestions on
how to improve the relationship between law enforcement
and the community.
When asked how she felt about the recent nse in
reports showing blacks being killed while in the custody
of police, city native Kenya Harley said she tries not to
look at it because she knows the harsh reality, that it could
happen to one of her family members.
"It's hard to look at that type of stuff on the news," she
continued. "Because that could be my brother, or my
cousin, or another member of my family. It's sad but that's
what we are faced with in the black community."
Isaac "Ike" Howard, president of the Winston-Salem
NAACP branch, said, "Along with addressing the crimi
nology aspect of the issue, we must not forget to address
the issue of poverty.
"If we don't address the growing issue of poverty in
African-American communities across the nation, we will
never see any changes."
After the forum, Birmingham, Alabama, native Tim
Jackson told The Chronicle that what we are seeing today
is nothing new. Jackson said, although he has never had
any run-ins with police, as a young boy growing up in
Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights Movement,
he saw injustice on a daily basis.
Jackson mentioned that he decided to attend the forum
because he believes to make a difference, every voice
must be heard.
"I tell people all the time, the only difference between
then and now is, today everybody has cameras to record
what is really going on," he said. "We know this has been
going on in our communities for generations. Now it's
time that we come together and think of some real solu
tions."
According to a representative with the WSUL, Part
1\vo of the forum, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 18, will
focus on presenting possible solutions gathered from Part
One to members of the WSPD.
While an exact date has not been set. Part Three will
be held sometime in the fall and will feature 2014
Stanford University professor Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt as
the keynote speaker.
,jf.V /?" ?> ' ' ' t ' -'J* ~
I ?=_ k
Have an Opinion?
Let us Know letters@wschronicle.com
i
TRIPLE SEVEN
Hauling Services
Junk Hauling
336-987-2099
www.triple7hauling.com
? Residential and
Commercial
? Year-round Bulky item
pick up
? Single item pick up;
Truck load pick up
? No job is too small
Trailer & Truck load;
Trailer loading
? Attics; Basements;
Garages; Sheds
Pods; Storage Units
? Tennant Abandonment
? Evictions; Foreclosure
? Free removal of old
appliances
? Move jobs
? Labor for hire
? Load/unload;
pack/unpack;
shrink wrapping;
furniture transport
and rearrangement
? Brush, limb branch and
leaf removal
A man 's word is still good.
100%
FRESH
OR
DOUBLE
YOUR
MONEY BACK
- HOWJ
[REFRESHING
FOOD
HON
I '