OPINION
The chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-2015
617 N. Liberty Street
336-722-8624
www.wschronicle.com
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.
We have much
to be thankful
for this year
While the election results might make many peo
ple say, "Say what?", we have much to be thankful
for this year.
*Kalvin Michael Smith has been freed from
prison, although he-still plans to fight to clear his
name. The Chronicle reported.(http://www.wschron
icle.com/2016/ll/judge-sets-kalvin-micliaei-smith
free-fight-will-continue/) that after a Nov. 9 hearing
that freed him, Smith left prison Nov. 10.
"God is good," shouted Augustus Dark, Smith's
father after the ruling that freed Smith from prison.
Dark said, "This is a day I have been looking for
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Photo by Tevin Stinson
Volunteers help fill boxes with a week's worth of
food on Saturday, Nov. 12. Operation Thanksgiving '
Blessing, an annual event that provides food for
families in need, was sponsored by The Chris Paul
Family Foundation and the Triad Dream Center.
ward to for a long time. I can't put into words all the
emotions that are going through my head."
Smith was sentenced to 29 years in 1997 for the
robbery and brutal beating of Jill Marker inside the
Silk Plant Forest store that left the pregnant woman
with severe brain damage and blindness. The entire
time Smith has maintained his innocence and much
of the evidence unveiled in recent years proves that.
While the judge's ruling makes Smith a free man,
he is still not considered innocent legally. The
motion filed only addresses the sentencing on the
armed robbery charge and the judge ruled that Smith
had served enough time on that charge. Smith sup
porters say they will continue the fight.
?The community had the pleasure of spending
time with several community stalwarts before they
left this earth this year, namely: former N.C. Sen.
Earline Parmon, Darryl Hunt, Mo Lucas, Rodney
Ellis, Rolland Greene, Carl Wesley Matthews, Carl
Russell Jr. and Mildred Peppers. These people influ
enced so many others, so we will be hearing from
them through others. For instance, the Rev. Alvin
Carlisle, pastor of Exodus Baptist Church, has said
Parmon influenced him to run for the presidency of
the Winston-Salem Branch of the NAACP. Look for
results of the election in the Dec. 1 issue of The
Chronicle.
?There are many organizations that help the poor
and homeless in Winstqn-Salem and Forsyth
County. There are many good-hearted people who"
contribute to those organizations.
?We have had eight years under the first African
American president in the United States. This presi
denf did not have scandal in his administration. He
fought as hard as he could for the American People,
but Republicans fought him at every turn. We are
thankful that President Barack Obama will have a
rest from the daily politics of the presidency as of
Jan. 20,2017.
?Readers of The Chronicle, who keep us ground
ed in our mission, and advertisers are supporting us.
Thank you and we look forward to continuing to
serve you.
?After this election season, we are thankful that
God is still in control.
? '
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3 WoX BEEN COUNTED I
3 QOVEMOR J
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
White teacher
wants to help
in the fight
against injustice
To the Editor:
I am an Exceptional CTfildren's
teacher at a combined middle/high
school in East Winston, where nearly
all of the students qualify for free and
reduced-priced lunch.
On the day after the election, one
of my African-American students
asked me whom I voted for. After 1
explained my dismay that my candi
date didn't win, she asked, "Why are
you worried? You're white."
I responded that I don't think it's
fair when people are judged or treat
ed poorly based on the color of their
skin, which seemed to satisfy the stu
dent for the moment. But because the
classroom isn't the best place to
express political views, we moved on
to the literary analysis and the rest of
the day's lesson. I want to give a
more complete answer, though, and I
hope you won't mind if I use this
forum to elaborate a bit.
First of all, I want to acknowl
edge the amazing bravery in the stu
dent's question. The students and I
are only just beginning to get to
know each other, and there is a fair
amount of risk involved for a student
of color to ask a white teacher to
examine her own white privilege.
Secondly, I have already seen the
fear on student's faces and heard
their voiced concerns. [President
elect DonaldJTrump has given us
plenty of clues about his governing
style before the election, and I
believe we should expect that he will
follow through on his threats to
deport immigrants, expand racial
profiling programs like "stop and
frisk," and continue to stereotype and
objectify women and others not part
of the majority culture.
Not only do I think this is unfair,
but I think there is a good chance
Trump and his supporters may undo
or set back what little progress we've
made toward equality for all
Americans in the little time he may
spend in office. So I am not happy
about that - not at all. I fear for all of
us, but I don't intend to sit on the
sidelines. I intend to fight.
Friends, this is where I need your
help. I know that my whiteness
blinds me each and every day to the
true experiences that people of color
face. I appreciate the patience you
have showed me in my interactions
with you and I will continue to cele
brate with you the small successes
both in and out of the classroom with
students.
Please allow me to walk along
side you in the fight against injustice,
bigotry and hate. Tell me how I can
help and be most useful.
Brooks Jones
'Winston-Salem
Note: Brooks Jones is an educator
in Forsyth County and a graduate of
Salem College.
Ministers' Conference
t
grateful for help with
Disaster Relief Project
Dear Mr. Ernie Pitt:
On behalf of the Ministers'
Conference of Winston-Salem and
Vicinity (MCWSV), I would like to
thank you for your generous support
in making our Disaster Relief Project
a success. _
m
Our efforts to assist those affected
by hurricane Matthew would not
have been effective without your
kind donation of basic living essen
tials and your propensity to publish,
in The Winston-Salem Chronicle, the
message of this collaborative work in
our community.
We consider your contribution, to
be an expression of your confidence
in our faith organization to serve our
community and beyond, for the
greater good of the people.
With your donation of goods and
solicitation for others to participate,
we successfully delivered, 23 pallets
of needed living essentials in
Goldsborq, North Carolina.
The Winston-Salem Chronicle
reporter, Mr. Tevin Stinson, served
with outstanding professionalism and
kindness.
Thank you again for your charita
ble contribution to the Ministers'
Conference of Winston-Salem and
Vicinity.
Bishop Todd L. Fulton
Ministers' Conference of
Winston-Salem and Vicinity
Preside/it
Senior Pastor at Mount Moriah
Outreach Center
Kernersville, NC
Let's use our
reason to continue
building
local coalitions
To the Editor:
Sunshine and rain ...
As a non-profit civic educational
organization founded by Imam W.D.
Mohammad(AS), [American
Coalition for Good Government]
ACGG encourages all of our associ
ates and community members to stay
engaged in your civic responsibility
to make America a "more perfect
union." Assess, plan and implement
your local efforts to improve your
local communities based on the
quantifiable needs of your communi
ty
The Presidential elections have
resulted in some citizens feeling like
it's raining on them and others feel
like the sunshine is favoring them. As
people of faith, we know that both
rain and sunshine comes from the
Most Merciful and Gracious Creator.
That reality grounds our emotional
response in reason instead of rage.
Let's use our reason to continue
building coalitions with others who
accept the universal principle that
"every human being-is endowed with
certain unalienable rights ... among
which are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness."
Continue to assess, plan and
implement your local efforts to
improve your local communities. Be
2
mindful of the political climates
which may impact your local com
munities and plan accordingly to
continue building the model commu
nity for the benefit of humanity.
Civic engagement is more para
mount and needed from every local
community. ACGG is a non-partisan
organization and reminds all citizens
to reflect on the source of both rain
and sunshine.
You are invited to listen to
American Muslim 360 on Tuesday
from 9 p.m.-10 p.m to stay informed
and engaged in your civic responsi
bilities.
Contact us at www.theamerican
coalitionforgoodgovernment.org, ,
Fleming El-Amin, Mid-Atlantic
Regional Coordinator,
Fleming07.fea@gmail.com; 336
575-0895.
Fleming El-Amin
Mid-Atlantic Regional
Coordinator
American Coalition for Good
Government (ACGG)
Winston-Salem
Trump selection
of Jeff Sessions
for AD is'alarm
ing choice'
To the Editor:
We face an alarming choice in the
selection of Senator Jeff Sessions to
serve as the chief law enforcer for the
United States of America. Senator
Sessions' civil rights record is
appalling and should disqualify him
from Senate confirmation.
Senator Sessions has continuous
ly obstructed the progress that we've
made since the historic Civil Eights
legislation of the 1960s. Senator
Sessions has blocked legislative
efforts to ensure racial equality in
minority communities, including his
opposition to President Obama's
judicial nominations and full
enforcement of the Voting Rights
Act.
Having previously been denied a
nomination by members of the U.S.
Senate over concerns about his views
of African-Americans, Senator Jeff
Sessions will very likely face an
uphill battle in being confirmed as
the next Attorney General of the
United States.
The Attorney General must run
the Department of Justice with a total
commitment to the rule of law and
must guarantee minority citizens
their fundamental constitutional
rights. The Congressional Black
Caucus stands ready to oppose
Senator Sessions' confirmation, as
we adamantly believe his appoint
ment will set us back in the advance
ment of civil rights and race relations
across the country.
US. Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D
NC)
Chairman, Congressional Black
Caucus
' k Washington, B?. -
.-J*
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