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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1992
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RISE, SEPT. 3
36 PAGES THIS WEEK
A true legend
Local minister and community
laadar leaves hia legacy.
PAQE C6
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f/a
Winston-Salem Chronicle
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77ie Twin Citys Award-Winning Weekly'
VOL. XVIII, No. 53
Community describes
Police conduct topic
of recent public forum
By Travis Mitchell
Chronicle Staff Writer
The N.C. Human Relations
Commission held a public hearing
that created images of police dogs
attacking African-American babies,
black males being preyed upon by
police and a police department act
ing like members of Hitler's mili
tary regime, but this meeting was
held August 25, 1992 ? not 1942.
About 300 people attended the
public hearing in Winston-Salem
State's Anderson Center on Tues
day. City officials including Chief
Sweat (briefly) were all in atten
dance as citizens told the commis
sion tales of terror, rage and bitter
ness. A few individuals did express
support for the department, but the
general feeling was one of anger.
One man told the commission that
he had received a citation from the
city for volunteer work that he and
his wife were doing in 1991, but
even that was not enough to spare
him from police brutality.
"I was walking down the street
_ one day and because of mistaken
identity I was arrested," said John
L. Hunter* "My arm was twisted
behind my back and some muscles
were torn, and because of this I
have been unemployed, can't work
and I have a wife and three children
. . . How am I supposed to live off
of $500 a month." Hunter, a Chris
tian who began his statements by
quoting verse from the Bible, said
that he was tired and angry and
wanted some answers. He pulled
out four bottles of medication that
he was taking and said that
although he has received a letter
from Chief Sweat about the inci
dent, he has not received any mone
tary damages.
Please see page A2
NEWS
BR
Shrine Queen struts
LOUISVILLE. KY. ? Janie Holifield of
Huntsville, Alabama, dressed as an Egyptian
queen, leads the parade of the Ancient Egyptian
Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine In Louisville
last week. The 99th annual convention ended
Sunday.
Registration deadline nears
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. ? The deadline
to register to vote for the November 3, 1992
General Election is Monday, October 5. This Is
the deadline for new registrations as well as for
address changes.
It's finally over!
FORT DIX, NJ. ? Drill Sgt Felix Blanco
quiets his platoon of recruits after graduation cer
emonies for the last basic combat training class
at Fort Dix, New Jersey last week. A 75-year-old
tradition that began during World War I came to ,
an end last Friday as the last class graduated. .
News Briefs
Compiled from staff and AP reports
terrifying incidents
w ? - ? ? ?
man arrested as he took
shortcut thru parking lot
By TRAVIS MTCHEU.
Chronic* Staff Wrttor
A mentally disabled man
was arrested early Tuesday mom
ing while coming home from the
grocery sloe.
Charles S. Sample, Jr., 24,
who resides in the Little Creek
Apartments was arrested around
3 a.m. Tuesday morning as he
was returning to his home after
purchasing a stick of butter torn
the 24 -hour Kroger Grocery
Store on Silas Creek Parkway.
Sample said that he was taking a
short cut across the parking lot of
Hanes Mall when he was stopped tification they accused him of
by police officers and asked for trying to break in to Hanes Mall,
identification, When he informed
them that he didn't have his idea- Please see page A2
:
Black leaders say,
'We are fed up!'
By Travis Mitchell
Chronicle Staff Writer
Members of the N.C. Human
Relations Commission got an 'ear-full'
from black leaders who say they are
fed up with the police department's
treatment of African- Americans.
Rev. John Mendez, Citizens
United for Justice: "If there is
racism in the police department, then
that officer doesn't stop being racist
when he puts on a blue suit and a
badge." Alderman Nelson Malloy,
North Ward: "We have in this situ
ation is a cancer that is eating away
at our city ? the police depart
ment" D. Smith, Urban League:
"America is not a big melting pot, as
long as you have racism in this
country... Just as you recognize a fly
in the buttermilk, you recognize me
Chief answers critics
as an individual by the pigmentation
of my skin." Alderman Larry
Womble, Southeast Ward: "It was
not important that Ms. McKellar had
the HIV virus or was a prostitute,
but the important thing was that she
was a human being and died in the
custody of the police department."
Walter Marshall, school board
member: "My son is a student at
Carolina aond every time he comes
home in his car that I bought, you
(the police) stop him. Everyone you
see with a Malcolm X hat turned
around backwards, riding around
with loud music is not a criminal."
Rasheed Bey, cultural advocator
"Sweat has a diplomatic flair for
turning legitimate complaints from
the black community into racially
motivated statements labeling them
as divisive to the city."
page A3
Shhh! Dor# talk about
By SHERIDAN HILL
Chronicle Managing Editor
[Second in a bimonthly series of inter
views and commentary J
Leaders in the black community
constantly decry the lack of awareness
of racial problems in Winston-Salem,
and have publicly condemned the
actions of police that led to the death of
Sheila Ann McKellar who died, bound
and gagged, in police custody July 20,
and the subsequent cover-up.
But what does the white leadership
say?
Ed Pleasants, owner of Pleasants
hardware, president of the Winston
Salem Rotary Club and husband of
Northwest Ward Alderman Nancy Pleas
ants, dodged the question by saying, "I
am in a unique position. My spouse is an
alderman, and I have to be very careful
that I don't step in her dbmain. 1 am as
McKellar or racism
anxious as the Chronicle to see a better
way of solving problems, and I have
some ideas, but I can't go into iLN
David Neill, 31, owner of Bob Neill
Inc. auto dealership, said he feared com
menting because he might be misunder
stood. He did say that, "If Winston
Salem is going to move forward, race
relations have got to improve. I learned
that in Leadership Winston-Salem."
Neill described Leadership Winston
Salem as, "the greatest thing that ever
happened to me regarding sensitivity and
race relations. I also went through the
Share a Ride program with the police
department, too, and it was the most
unbelievable experience of my life."
Speaking about McKellar's death
and preferring not to be quoted, one
white male who runs a highly successful
business ventured to say, "I happen to
know Chief Sweat, and I think that will
Please see page A2
Sumler, Hairston, Mack
appeal sentences
By SHERIDAN HILL
ChronM e Managing Editor
Appeals have been filed for three local leaders sen
tenced two weeks ago to prison terms for political cor
ruption.
Political consultant Rodney Sumler has appealed
his 70-month prison sentence for extortion and related
cnarges.
"I'm going to continue to fight until my innocence
is proven and my reputation is cleared," said Sumler.
He maintains that a tremendous amount of evidence
that would have proved him innocent was not submit
ted.
"They took my records in 1989 and required that
an attorney be present before I could look at my
records, but I couldn't afford to pay $100 every time I
wanted to see them." He says his records still have not
been returned.
Sumler said his testimony suffered because "I was
never prepared to testify, I was on the witness stand for
five days, my attorney kept me up all night one night I
tried to be cautious and they tried to show me in the
Please see page A2
Morningside Center
stays open ... for now
A Neighborhood childre
By TRAVIS MITCHELL
Chronicle Staff Writer
Some use it as a meeting place,
some use it for fun, some use it for.
'something to do' and others use it jusftQ
'chill', but soon the doors at the Morn
ingside Neighborhood Center may be
padlocked.
"If the center stays open then all the
people in the center won't be on the
street causing trouble," said 14-year-old
April Penn, a Glenn High School fresh
man who frequently visits the center.
The Morningside Neighborhood
Center was scheduled to close last Fri
day, because the Board of Aldermen did
not appropriate funding to continue
operation past September, according to
city authorities.
The center was originally the prop
erty of the Winston-Salem Housing
Authority (WSHA)^but in 1987 the
Housing Authority decided to turn over
operation to the city.
"The housing authorities were the
n say center is needed
original owners until 1987 and as a part
of the agreement with the city," said
Winston-Salem Parks and Recreation
Director Nick Jamison, "they wanted the
option of first refusal (option of continu
ing the lease)." Southeast Ward Alder
man Larry Womble said that he called
Housing Authority Director Art Milli
gan, to see if he could intervene.
Womble also tokl the Chronicle that
he would work closely with other city
officials to see that the center remains
open.
"It's ours (the center)," said Jackie
Till President of the Morningside Neigh
borhood Association, "and we won't let
them take iL"
According to June Leake, an assis
tant director of the Housing Authority,
the administration has decided to grant
the center a 30-day extension at the end
of which they will review the attendance
numbers and decide the center's fate, but
the center's director, Sharon Frazier says
Please see page A3
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MornlngskJs Csntsr supporters say thsy wont 1st csntsr closs. Plctursd (1
r) srs Brsnds Ystss, April Psnn. Sharon Frmri+r ? J ~
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