Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Feb. 4, 1988, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
PaaeA2 Winston-Salem Chronicle Thursday, February 4,1988 Town copes with 'racist' label By DEAN GOLEMBESKl Associated Press Writer ROCKY HILL, Conn. - Police Li. John C. Herbsi began his personal campaign against racism in this affluent Hartford suburb when he called back a patrol car that was sent to investigate "two Puerto Rican-looking fellows." It was April 7,1987; Herbsi said no crime had been reported and argued that the police dispatcher had acted largely on the appear ance of the two men, who were seen near a car in a department store parking lot. A town council member complained when it turned out that a car had been stolen. Two days later, Herbsi filed a complaint against a police sergeant who allegedly used the word "nigger" during conversation in headquarters. Herbst, who is white, criticized the "pervasive racism” in the department. The lieutenant's fight snowballed into a bitter dispute with local authorities and helped prompt an investigation by the state Commis sion on Human Rights and Oppor tunities. The commission concluded Jan. 14 that the police department and town government are plagued by discriminatory attitudes and behavior. "They don't think they’re being bigoted or racist. They think it's OK," said Herbst. "They must think it's OK because they made the same comments to a human rights investigator. That shows how entrenched it (discrimination) is here." Some of the comments residents and employees made to the inves tigator were that blacks and Puerto Ricans are responsible for most crime in this town of 15,600 resi dents. According to the 1980 cen sus, only 331 of them were black out of a total 4 percent or 600 minorities. The human rights com mission said it found one family with a Hispanic surname. The lone black employee in the police department of about 50 people, a female dispatcher' referred to as a "crow" in a police radio transmission last July, resigned last week. She declined to be interviewed. Meanwhile, the report by the human rights commission has embarrassed some in Rocky Hill, while others have tried to rational ize its findings. "I don't see any more of a racist problem here than I see in any other town.... Obviously that's not a good thing," said the Rev. Bus Contract From Page A1 examinations. He said the union’s executive board will present the compromises of the mediation to the membership for final accep tance. Ritchey said that he never really expected the situation to get to the point where a strike would have been necessary and likened the parties’ disagreement to that of a misunderstanding between two good friends. "We had an honest disagree ment between friends and I believe we've settled it," said Ritchey. "I believe this compromise will work well for us." Dunlap agreed that the two sides have settled their differences and will pul the dispute behind them. 'We respected his position and he respected ours,” Dunlap said. ’We came to an impasse and that's why we called for mediation. Now we agree and we’re back on good terms." CORRECTION In the Jan. 14,1988, edition of the Chronicle, Mr. Ricardo Rozier’s name was misspelled on the advertisement of the Morehouse Men saluting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. We regret the error, and hope it has not caused any inconvenience. Michael Motia of St. James Roman Catholic Church. "The report indicates that there's some lack of sensitivity, and I think it’s the same here as it is in most suburban communities,” said Town Manager Dana T. Whitman Jr. But Arthur L. Green, executive director of the commission, said it's a "silly argument" to say the town has the same problems as others. "You could assume it’s else where, but we have not looked at other communities. And I don’t want to suggest that it doesn't mat ter because it's happening else where. That’s an immoral atti tude," Green said. In his 11 years on the force, Herbst says, some officers made it a practice to stop minorities on the street on the assumption that they were up to no good. He recalled an incident a couple of years ago in which police responded to a call to check out a suspicious person at, a bus stop. Police found a black man dressed in a three-piece suit waiting to take the bus to work. But Herbst's lone stand has met with fierce resistance. Soon after he called back the patrol car last April, a member of the town council filed a complaint questioning Herbst's actions. A car had been stolen from the parking lot, although it was never deter mined if that was the car that the "Puerto Rican-looking” men were near and no suspects were ever found. Herbst defended his actions in an internal report to Police Chief Philip Schnabel, complaining about "pervasive racism” in the department. Town council members made the report public, reacting bitterly to the comment on racism. They demanded a public apology and ordered the chief to penalize Herb st. Herbst refused to apologize, and the chief sided with him. "Everything I said I was able to document," Herbst said. Outside the police department, the town has one black and one individual with a Hispanic sur name among its 97 full-time employees, the state commission' found. Town officials told the commis sion that Rocky Hill’s high cost of living has kept minorities out. The town’s per-capita income was $13,356 in 1983, compared to a statewide average of $11,897, according to census figures for that year. In response to the commission report and recommendations, the chief has issued written policies forbidding offensive comments by police officers and the stopping of individuals because of race or eth nicity. "It's not a problem of training," Schnabel said. "It's an attitude, a lack of awareness that constitution al rights apply to everyone." WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY PRESENTS AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH LECTURE SERIES February 10 Former Mayor Richard Hatcher of Gary, Ind. i Campaign Manager lor the § Rev. Jesse Jaefc^n w. 10 a.m,. Lecture Room" Hall-Pa tterson Communications Building RICHARD GORDON HATCHER February 22 Ms. Clenora F. Hudson, Ph.D. Candidate Director of Black Studies, Delaware State College 10 a.m., Lecture Room, R.J, Reynolds Center February 24 The Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. Deputy Director, United Church of Christ Commission on Racial Justice 8 p.m., Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium ALL LECTURES ARE FREE AFTER-INVENTORY CLEARANCE! aOAYS^ON!^ OUR ENTIRE STOCK OF °7nD WINTER MERMAN ^ Thurs. - Fri. - Sale Does Not Include Spring Merchandise, Denim Wear. Turtle Necks, Accessories or Formal Wear. No Layaways Hurry In For These Fantastic Savings!!! HOURS: 9 .A Mon.-Fri. 10-9 Sat. 10-6, Sun. 1-6 inston-Satem • High Point • Clemmons • King • Statesville • Jonesville ♦ Mt. Airy We accept MasterCard, VISA, Discover The photographic art of FERN LOGAN "ARTIST PORTRAIT SERIES" February 7 - February 29 Milton Rhodes Gallery at the Sawtooth Building 226 North Marshall Street Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m! Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. "MEMORIES IN NON-SILVER" February 7-March 12 ' Delta Arts Center 1511 East Third Street Monday - Friday: 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Opening Receptions February 7-5 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Delta Arts Center and the Sawtooth Building Presented by Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts Inc, and Urban Arts of The Arts Council Inc. Tbis project is supported by funds from The Arts Council Annual Furd Drive and from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency. PkTi Pay Shoes Spring Preview SALE WOMEN’S DRESS... Three sensational new styles give your spring wardrobe new direction. Reg. $14.99 Your Choice • Padded collar •Oil resistant sole MEN’S WORKBOOTS... 6” Workboot... • Genuine goodyear welt construction M5 ’ Genuine Leather Workboot... • Genuine goodyear welt construction • Podded insole • Oil resistant sole *25 1.99 CLEARANCE' Men’s Insulated and Weather Boot Clearance Reg. $22.97 Now $15.00 Reg. $29.97 Now $22.00 Reg. $39.97 Now $27.00 WHILE QUANTITIES LAST M S REG. $18.99 and $1^ MAN MADE LEATHER Wj* CUGA» HI-TOPS- ALL MISSES’ REG. $11.99 and $12.99 CUGA KIDS» ■TOPS... ^ Shop these Winston-Salem areo stores 1. East Winston Shopping Center. 570 Claremont Ave. 2. 2853 Norlli Liberty Street 3. Loehmann’s Plaza, 3614 Reynolda Rd. 4. 2942 Waughtown Street MEN’S LEATHER HI-TOP... Genuine Leather Cugo Royol® basketball shoe with fully and non-marking sole. Reg- S22.9V K-Mart Plaza, 2670 Peters Creek Parkway 8255 South Main St., Lexington K-Mart Shop. Ctr., Lexington ...and PIc’n Pay stoles everywhere. lyiaslerCord or Visa. Open evenings and open Sun. -1-6 pm.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 4, 1988, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75