9 Our Ministers The second article in an eight-part series on th< black church exap>i^^4jhe black minister am his role in the y W Nhe community. Ftonf Piflc. J b=Z $-?3Z= r _j m r & ! ; rms I (J1 X M 1 LU O > -" V??pp? . > QJ t _??_B--B-,mmm^u VOL. IX NO. 2S xnS USPS. No. mmmmmmmmmmrnrnmammmmmmmm . 4Vv, . , tfuClll I I ljl)l| 1 llii Thursday, February 17, 1983 Local Black P Active In Thr |T EDWARD HILL JR. tiqff Writer Traditionally, say the history books, the black minister las not been afraid to practice what he preaches beyond he pulpit. Black clergymen have been journalists, educators and >oliticians. They also have taken the helm of the civil ights movement and almost always are mentioned by >lacks and whites alike when we speak of "black aiders." I Not surprisingly, Winston-Salem follows the pattern. While local residents and community leaders differ on vho is the most influential black minister in the city, they ill agree that the clergy wields enormous power and toluenes politicallyr spiritually and economically here. And they agreed as w^ll in a recent Chronicle poll that :here are a number of local clergymen who excel especialy in each of those areas. Politically, the Rev. Jerry Drayton, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church, is regarded as the most prominent black minister in Winston-Salem. He is chairman of the Political Action Committee of the General Baptist State Convention, the Political Action Committee of the Baptist Ministers Conference and Associates and the state Human. delations Council. He also serves on several boards, including the board of directors of Summit Communications Inc. **Firjrof all, btcause of his positions a$ chairman of Iffiitfcal Actftm Committee of the Baptist tisfe* * ferences (local and statewide), and because he has been elected to these positions several times, 1 would say that he's out in front politically," said Mayor Wayne Corpen rk*? id In Curriculum that the current course offerings are enough. Although on paper black history is provided in the other history classes. Bailev savs. he doubts that students actually are taught it. "I have children in school and 1 don't hear my kids come home and talk about some black folk they discussed in school/' Bailey says. "The curriculum is designed to teach black history but I have afeeling that"It Is being skipped over." Bailey says that one of the major reasons black history is not taught is because "some teachers just don't know about black history so they don't teach it. People teach what they are taught." "We as members of the school board and principals in the schools don't push as we should for the classes to be See Page 3 ;nts Shun Black I But Montgomery says these students may be "missing the boat." "Without a doubt, they are missing black history for its own sake," Montgomery says. "They are missing a chance to learn about their own heritage." The school's social science department offers 11 courses that include "The Negro in the U.S., Part I and Part II," which covers the Black Experience from 1619 to 1865 and from 1865 to the 1980s; "The History of Africa/' which deals with Africa, its people and the impact of Western influence on the continent from its early history to the present; "The Black Man in Urban ineral Homes Ser ing a grocery store and entering th field. He decided t>n the latter and cl tuary science, he says, because it requ id, owner of Ryan years in school and he wanted to hel] listens to radio brother to college. part of his early- Hooper's and Strickland's are on Winston-Salem's nine black funeri lewcomer to the ci- which also include Clark Brown ho has owned and Funeral Home, Forsyth Funeral H< says he chose this Howard-Robinson Funeral Hoi to help the bereav- Johnson 8c Sons Funeral Home Ii ~ Funeral Home, Russell Funeral H owner of Hooper Johnson's Home of Memory. torn between open- And with nine homes serving a blac - ~ - . * . V ? Negative Picture t columnist Walter Marshall reviews daily paper coverage of the November election what he feels are concerted attempts by local media to divide the black communit?U. Ptft 4. v . ^ onicle * 25 cent* 32 Page* Thie Week Ministers ee Arenas ing of Drayton. Corpening added that Drayton's political involvement is a valuable asset to the black community, socially and economically. 44Rev. Drayton is the choice (as the most powerful) politically, although, frankly, I don't know them all," said Thomas ElijaK7 director oflhe Winston-Salem Urban League. Added a local community activist, 44My first choice is the Rev. Jerry Drayton because he is highly respected Our Black j Churches An eight-part I series examining Winston-Salem's black churches among the ministers themselves." Drayton, who has been pastor at New Bethel for 38 years and serves with several local and state church organizations, said he is surprised by that assessment. 44Why I am perceived as a person of power and where they got that from, I don't know," Drayton said. "I aon i mm* in terms 01 power omer man economic power. Power is perceived as the person who has control ovtf the economic purse strings. Instead of asking me ceiled** power fill, isk the people who named me. They have to answer that question.** Other ministers who were mentioned as being politicalSee Page 5 Staff Writer ^ ^ thcy had votccl me UB I would have gone peace," the fifth pastor of Dreamland Park Baptist W ?L * Church says of his recent ^ ouster from the church by JU V its deacon board. But the Rev. Ellis Austin says that although he feels | that the deacons overstepped their jurisdiction by Austin see rage 3 4 listory Classes America," which looks at the political and sociological experiences of blacks in urban society from 1945 to the 1980s; "Materials & Methods of Research in the Black Experience," which gives black students the opportunity to research black history; "The Black Man in the Americas," which covers black history in the United States, South America, Central America and the West Indies; "Afro-American History," a seminar on the black African and American experiences and cultures, and "Black Political Thought," which analyzes black political expertise, organizations, philosophy and tactics See Page 3 ve Many Roles e medical tion of more than 40,OCX), black morticians see hose mor- no need for more black funeral homes to set up ires fewer shop here. p send his Blacks entered the funeral home business for pretty much the same reason as whites: to bufy ly two of their dead. But why did the black homes' il homes, number soar to nine when the white homes and Sons grew only to two (Hayworth-Miller and Frank ame Inc., Vogler and Sons)? ne Inc., Because many blacks who wanted to go into ic., Ryan business saw operating a funeral home as a [ome and lucrative venture. Winston-Salem got is first black-owned :k popula- - See Page 5