Newspapers / The AC Phoenix News … / April 1, 1990, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page 4, AC Phoenix, April 1990 Empowering , continued from page 3 community and gave an impression that I’m a leader, a black leader. I don't consider myself a black leader. I consider myself a servant of this community who has given of my time and whatever skills and tal ents I have. I feel that because of what this community has done for me, the kind of educa tion I was provided, the kind of religious influ ence that it had upon me, and the kind of sac rifices that I saw black people making for the good of our commu nity,...! was obligated to give something back.” Sumler is a former classmate with Jessie Jackson at A&T University. He finished cum laude and has at tended Howard University, Wake Forest University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Warnirig that the black community must not be lulled into letting others decide who represents it, he sees much yet to be done to empower it politically. “The black community in Winston- Salem politically is in to tal chaos," Sumler be lieves. “You have peo ple that used to work together in the Democratic parly and for the good of the black community as they saw it that can’t even speak to each other now...They refuse to meet with each other.” The result, in his esti mation, is “a total lack of toist on the part of some black elected officials who are so-called 'leaders’ and other business leaders and religious leaders." Pointing out the ef fect that the political bickering and egos “running rampant” is having on young peo ple who are the next generation of voters, Sumler surmises that “our young people...will suffer because we have black egos that cant get along because of ‘I, I’ and ‘What I've done’ atti tudes. He also sees blacks who are in a posi tion to recommend other blacks to boards and commissions con tinuously selecting the same people from a sort of “inner circle" to serve in those positions. “Time and time again (they) always pick the same people. We over work the same people to death on these boards and commis sions...We need to give other blacks, especially poorer blacks and younger blacks, a chance to serve and learn and grow on boards and commis sions and not use the same people over and over again.” Despite attempts to undermine his political and civic involvements, Sumler continues un daunted. “Our system doesn’t bother black people who are doing nothing for themselves or black people who are hurting other blacks. Today, in America, any black man who is trying and having any success in helping blacks is a candidate to be investi gated." mmiffl) f lUlMlUl BIlll itnTmm urmw im FURNITURE PLUS JENNY LIND CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE 5 PIECE SET *399®® INCLUDES CRIB CHANGING tAfliE HIGH Chair CRADLE CHILDS ROCKER Available In Maple, Natural White and Cherri CRIB CONVERTS TO DOUBLE BED FREE LAYAWAYS • DELIVERY AVAILABLE Located Between Toys ’R Us & Circuit City 3808-C High Point Rd. (ED KELLY PLAZA) GREENSBORO, 855-6304 Mon.-Sat. 10-6 Aside from his regis trar’s position in the Lowrance district, Sumler is actively and heavily involved in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). “I spend a fourth of my time work ing with the NAACP,” says Sumler. For 15 years he has been the chairman of the Labor and Industry committee for the local branch. “We’ve helped thou sands of black people over the last 15 years. We have from 5-7 com plaints a week coming to us. My responsibility...is such that any time any body comes to the NAACP saying they’ve been discriminated against on their jobs be cause of race, sex, reli gion, etc., I head the in vestigation...so there fore, I have a lot of cor porate people and businesses that de spise me because I come in to investigate the charges that people bring." He adds that the committee has been in strumental in winning back jobs and monetary settlements for many people. In addition to his du ties as local Labor chairman, Sumler is the second vice president of the local NAACP chapter, a state board member, chairman of the state NAACP press and media committee, and is on the national committee for Fairshare agreements and eco nomic development. Fairshare agreements provide contract oppor tunities for minority and women business own ers with major corpora tions, as well as, in Sumter's words, provid ing “promotions arid equity in giving and sharing in all aspects of business with minority communities." @1AT? ROOMS BY RODNEY $60 TO $70 PER \^EEK Call Today I 761-1060,727-1171 CD OAKWOOD MOBILE HOMES.M(X 4130 N. Patterson Ave. W-S, NC 27105 767-7150 MIKE CASHION MANAGFR $21,759.00 3 Bedroom 2 Bath Large Spacious Rooms Rcizzak Distributors iOO% Perfume Body Oils Opium, Giorgio (men & women), Obsession (men & women), Egyptian Musk (aged), Kush, Atiicon Peach, Bijon (men & women) Baby Powder, Eternity, Polo and many more... Complete Line of Dudley Quality Products Ad & E Hair Condition, Deluxe Shampoo, Complete Facial aeonser Set, Wave Dressing, Curl (Sore-Complete Line. Castile Body Soaps with olive oil Clean and Fresh Product Produced by Nation of Islam, Hair Conditioner, Shampoo, Bath Liquid Soap, Deodcffcmt, Hand & Body Lotion This is the mctn, Call Asim. Call 723-0104 For Home Delivery Asim Rahim Razzak
The AC Phoenix News (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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April 1, 1990, edition 1
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