OPINION
The Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-2015
617 N. Liberty Street
336-722-8624 * j
www.wschronicle.com '?fy
Elaine Pitt Business Manager
Donna Rogers Managing Editor
wali D. pltt Digital Manager
1 1
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.
Reflect on
the labor ahead
this Labor Day
Labor Day is Monday. While many people are
looking forward to a day of shopping and relaxation,
we should take time to reflect on Labor Days past.
According to History.com, Labor Day has been
paying tribute to the contributions and achievements
of American workers as a federal Holiday since
1894. It was created by the labor movement in the
late 19th century.
America's labor force in the South consisted of
mostly slave labor before 1865. The African slaves
had all kinds of skills, which were not used for them
selves but for the economic boost of their slave mas
ters. There were free black people, who eked out a
living. The wealthy African-Americans would come
later.
Post-1865, black people had to find ways to sur
vive, seeing that they were no longer slaves. African
Americans used their ingenuity and the skills they
had learned as slaves to become self-sufficient.
Except, forces arose to thwart their efforts, such as
the Klu Klux Klan.
Then the Jim Crow laws came to try to keep them
down.
But African-Americans couldn't be kept down..
Until now.
Back in the day, the day of segregation, education
was paramount. Teachers rose to the top of the list
and were counted as prominent, along with preachers
and lawyers. It was a noble profession to be a
teacher. And reading and writing were priorities. It
appears that is no longer the case.
This Labor Day, the African-American communi
ty in Winston-Salem needs to take some time to
remember the good old days when there were no
schools with mostly black children ore a list of under
performing schools, let alone 11 of them. Take a little
time to reflect. Then resolve to get to work to help
Winston-Salem schools get back on track.
Andrew Snorton is doing his part. He held a proj
ect to promote reading in East Winston on Saturday.
The Wake Forest University alumnus from
Snellville, Georgia, took hours to travel from
Georgia and spend 2 Vi hours of his time at the East
Winston Library. He thinks it's important for people
to read, because reading leads to higher-level skills.
Higher-level skills lead to higher-level jobs.
This Labor Day is a time to develop a plan of
action to combat the new forces against African
American students: complacency and lack of inter
est. Poverty has been blamed for a lot of things, but
it's hard to blame it for poor reading when the
Forsyth County Library system provides free books
to check out. And electronic reading devices such as
tablets and computers also are increasingly available
from libraries (die East Winston Library is trying to
raise money for some to help students with home
work).
Television and the Internet have stolen the inter
est of children these days, but African-American
children can't afford to allow that to continue to hap
pen. They can't let history repeat itself, becoming the
new slaves in the economy.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Donate to help
students learn
and enjoy library
in East Winston
To the Editor:
We are writing this letter on
behalf of the Friends of the
Malloy/Jordan East Winston
Heritage Center, (formally named
East Winston Library). We are in
need of donations to help support the
programs that we assist for this
library.
Over the years, East Winston
Library has served in the support of
providing funds
for the children's Summer
Reading Program, assistance with the
back-to-school supplies and food,
free and low-cost books, documental
movies. DVDs, CDs and otheripro
grams.
We also were responsible for the
celebration of the 60th anniversary of
the Heritage Center, and in May
2016, we are proud to have spear
headed the unveiling of the Historical
Marker for this library.
Many of the children in our city
don't have the access to computers,
books and other research items in
their homes, so they are able to come
here and feel safe to get help with
their homework, read a book, men
toring and the use of the computers.
This has been made possible
through the generous funding that we
have received from our members,
fundraising, our community and citi
zens like you.
? As our end of the year is fast
approaching, we are still in need of
additional donations to continue our
positive works at the Heritage Center
and in the commu nity.
We believe that it has been the
spirit of giving that has allowed this
library to remain, and we would like
for you to make a generous contribu
tion to support our efforts through
check or money order payable to:
Friends of the Malloy/Jordan East
Winston Heritage Center, P.O. Box
20022, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
For further information, call 336
749-5090 or email
mjewslibrary@gmail.com.
Friends of the
Malloy/Jordan
East Winston Heritage Center
Rev. Andrea Walker, President
?w mm unk
Poetry event
involving children
shows promise
for future
To the Editor:
If you missed the Youth Poetry
Slam on July 28 at the W. R.
Anderson Jr. Community Center, be
sure to attend next summer. The cre
ative energy in the room was palpa
ble as children ages 5-12 spoke their
poems from the stage to an audience
of friends and family.
I was honored to represent
Winston-Salem Writers at the judges
table. The hard work that staff mem
bers Betty Wallace and Bryant
McCorkle had done was evident, and
the serious work on the part of the
children warrants recognition.
These children may look like fun
loving summer campers ? and they
are. But more importantly, they are
young poets, already discovering
their voice. Somewhere among them,
you will find the next Lucille Clifton,
the next Langston Hughes.
To these writers, I say, "Keep
writing, and continue to develop the
voice only you have been given."
Donna Wallace
President, Winston Salem
Writers
www.wswriters.org
donna@wswriters.org
m ft ?
1 rump's plan
v
on undocumented
immigrants is
dangerous
To the Editor:
Donald Trump reinforced today
[Aug. 25] that he would deport 16
million people, including every
undocumented immigrant and
American citizen born here to undoc
umented parents. Confirming what
we've seen from the start of his cam
paign: Donald Trump will be Donald
Trump. No one can change his hate
ful rhetoric or dangerous policies to
send a deportation force into
American communities, rescind
DACA and DAPA, end birthright cit
izenship, and even ban remittances to
families in Mexico in order to help
build his giant wall.
He may try to disguise his plans
by throwing in words like "humane"
or " fair," but the reality remains that
Trump's agenda echoes the extreme
right's will - one that is fueling a dan
gerous movement of hatred across
the country.
Enough is enough. Donald
Trump must stop playing games with
the lives of law-abiding immigrant
families in order to save his cam
paign. These are families who con
tribute to the greatness of our country
and that need a president who will
fight to keep them together - not
someone who will denigrate them
and tear them apart.
Jennifer Palmieri
Hillary for America
Communications Director
Clinton plans
will help rural
North Carolina
To the Editor:
Last week, U.S. Rep. G. K.
Butterfieid [D.-lst District] and
Greenville, N.C. Mayor Allen
Thomas released a new report on
how Hillary Clinton's economic
plans will benefit the economy of
rural North Carolina.
The plan cites an analysis of an
independent report by a former eco
nomic adviser for U.S. Sen. John
McCain.
Butterfieid said: "Hillary Clinton
and Tim Kaine are running to build
an economy that works for all peo
ple, not just those at the top. And
when they say 'all,' they mean it.
Analysis based on the findings of a
former economic advisory to John
McCain found that Hillary's jobs
plan could create more than 325,000
jobs here in North Carolina. She
focuses on the fundamentals of
growth that we've known here in
North Carolina for a lorig time - her
plan will invest in our small busi
nesses, invest in our roads and
bridges, combat rural poverty, and
support North Carolina's farmers."
Arial Ruffin
North Carolina Press Assistant
Hillary For America
Raleigh/New York
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