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In Our 31th Year Issue No. 2006 March 2014 Associate Consultants Serving the Triad
Triad Commute
Challenge Getting
Underway
Time to ditch some oid habits and spring
into a new way of saving money and heip-
ing the environment! The 8th Annuai Triad
Commute Chaiienge, hosted by the Pied
mont Authority for Regionai Transporta
tion (PART) and Triad Air Awareness, chai-
lenges you to NOT drive aione! By trying
an aiternate mode of transportation like
riding the bus or train, carpooling, vanpool
ing, cycling, walking or teleworking at least
one time between April 5th and July 5th,
you will fulfill your pledge and be eligible
to win prizes like gift cards, electronics or
entertainment tickets compliments of event
sponsors!
According to Chantale Wesley, PART TDM
Manager, last year more than 6,000 people
took part in the Triad Commute Challenge
to Share the Ride and Clean the Air! High
lighting the 2014 kickoff will be the free 5K
Run/Walk Commuter Dash event held at
9AM on April 5th at the Leonard Recreation
Center, 6324 Ballinger Rd in Greensboro. All
those who register will be pledging to take
the Triad Commute Challenge!
Persons wishing to register for the Com
muter Dash event or pledge to take the
Challenge can do so by visiting a Triad
Commute Challenge event table, www.
triadcommutechallenge.com or by calling
336-291-4321.
Who Said Black
People Don't Read?
By John Rayt
Eveiyday is an
Opportunity to Learn
Cuundn Bakor-Durhom,
Tawana Lamon and Ella McCollum
Have you read a good book lately? Now,
tell me some truth: do you or don't you
like to read? Mention reading a book to
some people and they suddenly develops
collective amnesia. They might actually
think you have bumped your head, or lost
control of your five senses.
Well, you could call Karen Waiters, Lasheera
Lee and Ella McCollum three bona fide soul
sisters who Just love to talk, share and read
books. These are some down home, warm
blooded, friendly, outgoing but serious-
minded women who have share a common
thread; they love to read books, all kind of
books.
Instead of profits, these women read for the
sheer Joy that springs from reading a good
book, and meeting to chat and exchange
information about what they read or what
revelations they derived from reading certain
books. Some of them read with such passion
and single-minded dedication that they
often referto themselvesas"bookJunkies"or
"book addicts".
So somebody, a lady said recently, told a big
fat lie when they said, "Black people don't
read". Then she went to point out another
popular, but untrue and politically incorrect
expression; "if you want to hide something
from Black folks. Just put it in a book!"
This sordid tale of half-truths, sorry dia
logue and mis-information has been mak
ing the rounds for years, almost unchal
lenged. Now, it is true that some black
people, like some other groups, will quick
ly opt for the radio, TV, internet or
[continued on page 747
Urban League
Employment
Training Program
Helps Seniors
Succeed
rVi ■■■■.;
Patricia Sadlar, Program DIractor
rafari Zoyla M. T. Harnandaz to a
clarical aidftant pottlon
While the North Carolina unemployment
rate shows some minor improvement, it
doesn't give much hope to a segment of
the population that is among the highest
rate of the unemployed... They are mature
adults 55 and older. The Winston-Salem
Urban League operates an employment
and training program which some seniors
have called a"life line"toaddress this group's
employment needs. The Urban League
Senior Community Services Employment
Program (SCSEP) is offered in 18 counties
and will serve 210 seniors by June, 2014,
This innovative program recruits, enrolls,
trains and places seniors in non-profit host
agencies to gain work experience. While in
the employment training program they are
paid at the minimum wage for 20 hours per
week. Program participants are assessed to
determine their skills levels, and to identify
any barriers that might prevent them from
becoming gainfully employed. Based on the
assessment, an Individualized Employment
Plan is developed for each senior to follow.
[continued on page 7 0]
msideThis Issue
I Was 8 When My Mother Was
Sent To Prison 3
12 Places Where You Meet Germs 4
Quincy Jones Brain Aneurysm 8
Time Is A Gift 10
Over 100 000 African American
Parents Are Now Homeschooling 11
Bobby McFerain: Be Heathy 12
12 Years A Slave And Voting
Rights 14