VIEWPOINTS editorials • columns
MEMBER
NORTH CAROLINA
BLACK PUBLISHERS' ASSOCIATION
The War for our Hearts
You’ve seen or heard the catchy public service
commercials which describe hypertension as a major
problem among black people.
The ads are informative: some may even make you
dance; but they usually don’t provide much in the way
of advice beyond making a visit to the doctor, an
important step, but one which is not particularyly
appealing.
However, here in Winston-Salem, the Patterson
Avenue YMCA has launched a unique program
designed to help people come to terms with the threat
of heat disease and have fun at the same time.
It’s called the cardiovascular fitness program and it’s
located in the basement of the “Y.”
Elmmanuel Osei-Antwi, director of health services at
the “Y,” has put together a program backed up by an
impressive assortment of exercise equipment. The
assortment includes computerized stress testers,
weights, bycycles, etc.
Participants in the program are first given a physical
examination, tested to determine the amount of
exercise they can handle, and then given a tailor-made
exercise program which fits in with their schedule.
The regular exercise helps to strengthen the heart by
developing more blood vesselks to relieve the pressure
on existing vessels and by reducing the sodium (salt) in
one’s system because of the sweating. Salt is one factor
linked with hypertension.
According to Osei’Antwi, one of three black exercise
physiologists in the country, two persons in imminent
danger of having heart attacks were detected because
they entered the program.
This cardiovascular fitness program is the only one in
the Southeast and the only one located in a black YMCA
nationally. The project was begun to deal with
hypertension in the black community.
Should it make an impact on cardiovascular disease
in our community, the project will likely be duplicated
This exotic looking machine Is the stress-tester used in
the cardlo vascular program at the Patterson Avenue
YMCA.
elsewhere.
In the words of Osei’Antwi, “The Patterson Avenue
YMCA is waging war against cardio-vascular diseases
by changing lifestyles as the essense of preventive
medicine.”
The war against heart disease is one we would all do
well to join in.
Our OvercrowdedPrisons
Much attention has been drawn to the North Carolina
corrections system, particularly because of two of its
prisoners; Rev. Ben Chavis and Joan Little.
However, the notoriety attached to their cases
obscures a more fundamental fact about the system.
Approximately 14,000 prisoners, 56.8 per cent of them
black, are housed in a system that has the capacity for
about 10,000, according to corrections secretary Amos
Reed.
North Carolina has more prisoners per 100,000
population than any other state in the Union.
Yet even, if there were only 10,000 prisoners in the
system, many of them would still live in half-century-
old buildings neglected over the year. The worst
example would be Central Prison in Raleigh, a
1000-capacity institution which houses 1,500.
Steps are being taken to ease the overcrowding
problem and the maintenance backlog. The construc
tion of a new Central Prison is due to start soon, the last
session of the General Assembly approved the
construction of more than 1,000 units at other prison
and additional funds for maintenance.
The legislature also approved the hiring of 11,100
new personnel for the Corrections Department. To the
department’s credit, about a third of those new
employes have been black.
Bricks and mortar, new guards and chaplains, etc.
only deal with the symptoms of the problem. Part of it is
rooted in outdated laws which send misdemeanor
offenders and others who should not be in jail to state
prisons.
Speaking Out
with Tracy Singletary
tali tv'o
twc p«ty
Part of it lies in inadequate facilities in local jails.
The biggest factor is that our state, as an organized
society, has not included all its citizens as productive
memers of this society. Unfortunately, crime is the
most lucrative avenue for advancement available to too
great a proportion of our population.
There is a need for communities to come to grips with
crime, not only from the stand point of providing
greater opportunities for those who have not had them,
but from the standpoint of making crime more difficult
through better residential and business security and
increased cooperation between citizens and police.
Otherwise, we will be building prisons and more
prisons until they outnumber our schools.
The Twilight Zone
Have you noticed the
aldermatic meetings? We ate
system at work.
By forming an alliance with the Republican
members of the board, Mr. Little, Mrs. Burke and Mrs.
Newell will be able to make meaningful appointments
and pass legislation that will impact positively on East
Winston.
This is a refreshing change from the usual “do-all
black” method of picking token sole Blacks to serve on
board and commissions.
By appointing citizens that have demonstrated a
concern for the community you have individuals that
will accept the appointment as a challenge and not as
an opportunity to enhance their resume’. And will set
about making Winston-Salem a better place to live for
all citizens.
This new trend should releive some of the apathy
caused by the feeling of only being included when there
is work to be done and could serve as the catalysis for
increasing meaningful citizen participation.
We are about to enter the count-down stage of ft
Novlember elections. Now is the time to take a go«
hard look at the candidates. We have a lot of fenti
walkers in the field this year.
We must make them realize that if they are plannin]
on dancing to victory November 7, they must pay ft
our votes by dealing with issues that affect us and mail
good all promises.
If we make it a policy to vote for the man and not fti
party by the time the next election roll around you wi
see a willinest of all serious candidates to address ft
issues that affect East Winston.
We must also start identifying individual to run i
“80”. We need to assist them in getting their a(
together and by providing financial support.
Unfortunately progress seems stymied. More Blacb
are being replaced than appointed. Shape up and getoi
the stick commissioners, you have an election this ye#
remember.
The last day to register to be able to role in ft
November 7 election is October 9.
Taranoid Fever'
Middle-income people have slipped into an economic
No-Man’s-Land somewhere between independent af
fluence and government assistance. It is a paradox of
this country’s economic system that people who are
very poor and better off than those who are only
“slightly poor.”
If you make over $12,000 a year, you will probably be
able to live comfortably on your income. At least, you
ought to be able to make ends meet if you are not
extravagant. If you make less than $6,000 a year, the
government will help you out. You will get food stamps,
a chance to buy a house, assistance with your utilities
bills, and cut-rate day care. If you make between $6,000
and $12,(XX) a year, heaven help you.
Consider the poor soul who makes $7500 a year, a
single parent with a child. She doesn’t make enough
money to have any savings for disaster, or to really feel
economically secure--and she isn’t poor enough for
“Big Brother” to step in. She’ll pay full utilities costs,
ordinary high rent, and regular prices for groceries.
She might actually end up with less spending power
than a low-income person reeeividng assistance.
this is an obseravation without the offer of a solution.
We don’t have anv easv answers. This “Twilight Zone”
for middle-income people has apparently happened
without the contrivance of anyone. Inflation has made
the situation worse, of course.
The “Middle” folk are the ones who dread the
coming of winter. To the rich, winter may mean snow
scenes viewed from the warmth of your den, and the
poor can look to various agencies for assistance with
fuel bills. The “Middle” folk see another chunk carved
out of an income that seems stretched even in the
summer.
Don't forget that many of the people caught in t his
income level are black. They hold so many of the
“intermediate jobs”: secretary, cook, sales clerk,
waitress...
We wonder how long people can continue to be
honest and hardworking, when they see that they are
coming in last? Some might make the effort to reach a
higher bracket-but for many people it can’t be done.
How much easier it would be just to slow down, let
yourself slide just a lilttle lower in the income bracket,
and let the government take up the slack.
We hope somebody comes up with some hope for the
middle-income people, they may be an endangered
species.
“Paranoid fever” is in
the air. They’re after me, or
they’re out to get me or
they don’t like me are the
symptons of the fever.
There is no certain time
when the fever hits. It can
hit in the morning or at
night. When it is hot or
when it is cold. It can hit
the young, old and the
middle-aged.
1 think 1 first got the feveT
a couple of weeks ago. The
fever hit me when I was
driving along in my car. I
began to notice that
every other car I saw looked
like the one I was driving.
The first sympton quickly
disappeared, but I soon
developed the second “P.
fever” symptom. I was still
driving in my car when it
hit me. 1 then began to
think that all the people in
the cars following me were
out to get me. Although I
was only driving 35 miles in
a 45 mile zone hardly any of
the cars bothered to pass
me. And . when^^ev did
pass they passed very slow
ly. Although I couldn’t
make out the people in the
cars 1 knew they meant me
harm.
The “P. Fever” symp
toms hit me continuously
from then on. They hit me
quickly and disappeared
almost as fast. 1 could be
asleep or eating, at work or
at home when the fever hit.
The “they don’t like me
sympton was the most se
vere. 1 began to imagine
that every person 1 came in
contact with didn’t like me,
or were plotting to get me.
Finally when 1 could
stand the fever no more, I
looked up the cure in a
medical book, entitled, “If
You Think You’re Going
Crazy,” by I.M. Anutt. The
cure according to Dr. Anutt
was to turn off all the
lights, sit in a small con
or closet and quickly bi
your head against the wi
The cure worked,
longer feel paranoid bt
do have a big
headache.
Bv Yvette McCuUoi
The Winston-Salem Chronicle
Founded 1974
Ernest H. Pitt
Editor & Publisher
Isaac Carree n
General Manager
John W. TempleW
Executive Editor
Yvette McCullough
Photo Editor
Sharyn Bratcher
Managing Editor
Myrtle Cornwell
Production Supervisor
Robert Eller
Sports Editor
Ndubisi Egemonye
Co-Founder
Contributors: Azzie Wagner; Naomi McLean; George Bed
Joey Daoieis, Luoile Douthit