ON THE
AVANT GARDE
BY TANG NiVRL
Two Little Knuckleheads!
They really are two little knuckleheads. Legs barely long enough
to touch the floor as they scramble to convince me that they are tall
enough to drive the family van. They pretend to be touch guys,
unafraid of anything short of King Kong and Godzilla, until of
course it gets dark, when they find themselves unable to fall asleep
unless I leave the lights on. They insist that they hate girls, having no
interest in them whatsoever, yet when I sneak up on them, perhaps
overhearing a word or two on the telephone, they are always making
plans, scheming and deeming about the opposite sex. When con
fronted with the truth, they always react with incredulity, as if "I
have it all wrong," that "it was about homework." They think they
are better than I am in basketball and enjoy challenging me in a game
of horse, or even two-on-one. Whenever we play, however, I remem
ber always to bring extra alphabets so that I can spell the word h-o-r
s-e-s-h-o-e-s or horse and b-u-g-g-y. I have not figured out if they are
bad sports or just dreadfully awful spellers. In any case, they have
yet to beat me.
Eating Whoppers at Burger King
"What about hamburgers?" I asked. "Yes!" they shouted. I knew
the boys would be hungry since they had been playing all afternoon
in the YMCA after-school program. There wouldn't be time to go
home for dinner since tonight they would be performing in a concert
at school. I suggested we try the "two whoppers ? two dollar special
at Burger King, where the two of them could fill up. (hopefully)
before I ran out of money. They were dressed like most 1 2-year-olds:
one wearing baggy pants and an imitation polo sweatshirt; the other '
wearing shorts with a signature T-shirt and both with named-brand
sneakers much too expensive for my taste. The two little knuckle
head boys cracked jokes about the size of each other's head, laughing
about things that had happened earlier in the day, giggling about stuff
that didn't make any sense.
They Didn't Notice
The two boys probably never noticed those who watched as they
climbed out of the van and walked toward the door ? but I did. The
crowd was mostly older whites who had come for their evening
meal. I let the boys go ahead. I didn't need to interfere with their free
dom of being together. These were good kids, and I wanted others to
see them for who they were. They didn't need me to validate them,
but just in case, I would be standing there dressed in a blue, pin
striped suit with a business-red paisley tie ? living proof-impri
matur, -if needed, to those who wondered if these two boys should
pass go, not to jail. I imagined everyone wondered where the boys
would sit. "Will they come near us?" perhaps "they feared. We sat
next to a retired white couple. They didn't seem to mind.
The two hungry boys dove into their hamburgers and french
fries while I listened and smiled and thought about their^oung lives
... and mine.
What it MustjBe Like
Watching them made me wonder once again what it must feel
like to eat a hamburger in peace, to eat french fries without wonder
ing what others are thinking about you when you march up to the
counter and ask for more ketchup or napkins. How do whites feel
when they sit down to drink a milk shake, laugh, play, and generally
just act up without worrying that their behavior will reflect on any
one other than their family, instead of on every other person who on
the outside looks just like you ? but who on the inside would be far
different! I imagine again that eating hamburgers without such dis
tractions is better for one's digestion, that perhaps you don't eat as
fast, that it is more of a pleasure. I remember how as a child I wished
I could sit in a restaurant and eat a hamburger like the teen-agers did
on the "Dobie Gillis Show." I look at the boys, smiling, and encour
age them to enjoy themselves at the expenses of my suit and tie.
I laugh as I correct one of the boys who lapses into slang, incor
rect subject-verb tense. I want them to speak properly and not to be
judged on the basis of their speech ... knowing that some of their own
kind will call them "white." Never mind that
I Wanted to Tell Them
I wanted so much to tell those who glared silently that these two
boys weren't really knuckleheads, that they really were two good
boys. That even tonight they would be playing in the 8th-grade band,
even though they were only in the seventh grade. That their mom and
dad really made sure that they went to church every Sunday! That
they were good students in the local middTe school. That next week,
one of the boys would be traveling to Florida, where he would be
studying marine life with other students. That he was going because
he and his parents had sacrificed their hard-earned money so that he
would have the opportunity to learn more.
That the other boy, although only 12, had taken the SAT exam
and scored in the upper 19th percentile for children his age in the
whole United States.
That they were just two little boys who wanted to eat hamburg
ers, then go home and be afraid to turn the lights off at night, scared
to watch horror flicks.
I wanted to tell them but I just didn't know how.
Single Copy 75e
Mail Subscription Rates
(payable ordvr)
In County
2 years $40.95
1 year 30 72
6 mos 20.48
3 mo? 10.24
Out of County/State
2 years $45.95
1 year 35.72
6 mos .' 25.48
3 mos 15.24
? Ves. please send me the Chronica.
Name _
Address
City
. St. Zip.
? Check endoaed tor
? 2 ymrt ? 1 ymr ? 6 month* ? 3 month*
Mail to: Winston- Salem Chronicle
P.O. Box 1636
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102
The Wlneton-Selem Chronicle is
published every Thursday by the
Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing
Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty St.
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1636
Winston-Salem,
NC 27102
Phone:
FAX:
(919) 722-8624
(919) 723-9173
Second class postage 051 paid at
Winston-Salem, NC 27102
The Wlneton-Selem Chronicle is a
member of:
? Audit Bureau of Circulation
? National Newspapers
Publishers Association
? North Carolina Press
Association
? North Carolina Black
Publishers Aaaooation
National Advertising Representative:
Amalgamated Publishers, Inc
(212) 869-5220
Community
Black Cop Says Unpaid Suspension Not Fair
A NAACP head seeks meeting
with city police chief
By RICHARD L. WILLIAMS
Chronicle Mamgina Editor
A Winston-Salem police officer,
who was attempting to serve a war
rant on a suspected law-breaker, has
found himself suspended from the
department without pay.
R.L. Leathers, a five-year vet
eran with the department, said it was
unfair how the table was turned on
him.
According to Leathers, this is
how the situation unfolded:
On the afternoon of Feb. 23, he
turned into Parkway Texaco at 851
Silas Creek Parkway after noticing a
problem with a used 1984 Renault
Alliance he had recently bought A
mechanic at the shop told him that it
? would cost $14 to replace the radiator
hose. After the repairs had been done,
Leathers said he was told to pay
about $28, which after some bicker
ing back and forth, he agreed to pay.
"I told him that if cost more than
($14), I should have been told,"
Leathers said.
Leathers said he then went to
University Jeep-Eagle ? where the
mechanic had purchased the part to
repair the car ? to find out how
?J9U&ib& part had costs, He was told
that the part was less than $10 and
Leathers returned to the auto shop
with a copy of the invoice. The two
exchanged words.
"He jumped up and started
shouting, Boy, are you calling me a
liar?' I told him if the shoe fits, wear
it," Leathers said.
When Leathers, 28, arrived at
work later that night, he mentioned
the incident to his supervisor, Sgt.
T.W. Rogers. Rogers, Leathers said,
suggested that he contact the Clerk of
Court to determine whether he had
probable cause to issue a felony arrest
warrant charging Steve Grubbs, the
owner of the shop, with obtaining
property under false pretense.
According to Leathers, he went
to the shop, in uniform, during his
shift
urday.
My intention was not to go in
and arrest the guy," said Leathers,
when contacted by phone at his
home. "My intention was to go there,
see if he was there, and if he was to
have another unit called in and have
that officer serve him with the war
rant."
Grubbs was not there.
?,_;iktxi?xi -da^rg0f a call from
my sergeant that Grubbs had filed a
complaint against me," Leathers said
In addition to the four-day sus
pension, Leathers must undergo
remedial training and is on 90-day
probation.
"My only grievance was that
when the incident occurred, I pursued
it to the manner in which I was told"
he said.
He said his initial warrant charg
ing Grubbs was dismissed by the Dis
trict Attorney's Office. District Attor
ney Tom Keith could not be reached
. for comment . _
"This guy broke the law and
received no type of punishment what
soever," he said. "They believe I
broke a policy, I believe I didn't, but
I'm getting punished"
Leathers returns to work on Sat
"Our investigation revealed that
he did violate some of our rules of
conduct," said Capt. G.G. Cornhatzer
of the department's Internal Affairs
Division.
The Rev. John Mendez of the
Citizens United for Justice said he
sees where" black officers are being
miscreated in the police department.
"It's a pattern that is being used
to intimidate and harass black offi
cers once they bring charges and
complaint against white citizens, he
said. "Blacks cannot get a fair hearing
because of the racism that exists."
William Tatum, president of the
Winston-Salem branch NAACP. said
morale in the police department is
low and that several black officer* - ->
have resigned or have discussed
doing so. He said he would attempt to
meet with Police Chief George Sweat
to discuss some possible remedies. _
Grubbs, meanwhile, said he did
not overcharge Leathers for the w ater
hose. He said he included in his price
the cost of labor and the cost of trav
eling to pick up the pan.
Links: Youths Must Conquer Obstacles
By KAREN M. HANNON
Chronicle Staff Writer
America's youths must conquer
the obstacles they face in society in
order to build a better future, the
national president of the Links Inc.
said recently.
"A dream can be lived despite
the stumbling blocks of hopelessness
and helplessness, which are the
biggest stumbling blocks in our
young people," Marion S. Sutherland
told over 400 Links members from
the Southeast who were in Winston
Salem last week for their 32nd South
em Area Conference.
"L^inks should act as stepping
stones and accept the challenge of
raising hopes for dreams to come
true," she said. "We should be step
ping stones for children of the
dream."
The Winston-Salem chapter
hosted the conference from March 31
to April 3 at the Stouffer Winston
Plaza Hotel. Members traveled from
Florida, South Carolina, Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and
other cities in North Carolina to
attend.
Five Winston-Salem residents
were honored for their community
service during Saturday's luncheon.
Award recipients were: Dennis
Chisholm Jr., Services to Youth
Award for his work with disabled
children at the Children's Center for
the Physically Handicapped; Robert
Greer, Services to Youth Award for
his work with at-risk teen-agers and
as an advocate for children; Dr. H.
Rembert Malloy, National Trends
and Services Award for his work in
the field of medicine; Simona Atkins
Dennis Chisholm Jr.
Robert Greer
Dr. H. Rembert Mallox
-tv ?ystt
Simona Atkins Alien
Allen, Freedom and the Arts Award
for her work in establishing , Winston
Salem Delta Fine Arts Inc! and the
Delta Arts Center; and George
McLeod Bryan, International Trends
and Services Award for his work as a
life-long advocate of human and civil
rights.
Saturday's luncheon s theme was
George McLeod Bryan
"Community Servants . . . Living the
Dream."
Links Inc. was founded in 1946
by Sarah Scott and Margaret
Hawkins in Philadelphia. The organi
zation is committed to educational,
cultural and civic activities. It has
over 8.000 members in over 240
chapters located in 39 states, the Dis
I
Marion S. Sutherland
trict of Columbia, the Common
wealth of the Bahamas and Germany.
The Winston-Salem chapter was
founded in 1950. Katie R. Bell of
Montgomery, Ala. Is southern area
director; Demerice W. Erwin is the
Winston-Salem chapter president;
and Mary Atkins Bruce of Winston
Salem is the conference chairperson.
Jac1^ One Stop Barred from Food StampTrogram
RALEIGH ? Jac's One Stop
Shop on Patterson Avenue has
received the maximum penalty for
food-stamp program violations.
The store, owned by James
Shaw, was permanently disqualified
from participating in the food-stamp
program because the store workers
exchanged cash for food stamps, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Food and Nutrition Service said
In addition to trafficking, they
allowed the purchase of ineligible
items including bleach, detergent,
cigarettes, T-Shirts, fabric softener
and aluminum foil. .
"Trafficking is the most severe
violation of the food stamp program
that a store owner or his employees
can commit,'' said Paula K. Kermon
of FNS' Raleigh office. "It is not
only a violation of program rules,
but it hurts the food-stamp recipien
t's family and children who depend
upon the program for good nutrition
and taxpayers who fund the pro
gram."
Kermon added that food stamps
can be used legally only to buy food
or seeds and plants to be used in
gardens to grow food. Items that
cannot be bought with food stamps
include alcoholic beverages and
tobacco, automotive products, paper
products or pet foods.
Although many non-food
Jac's One Stop Shop has been permanently banned from the food stamps program by
Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Senice.
items are necessities, purchasing
these items with food stamps or
trafficking in food stamps circum
vents the intent of the program."
Kermon said. "The program is
designed to help low-income fami
lies buy the food they need for a
healthy diet. Any other type of
transaction with food stamps is pro
hibited."
Efforts to reach Shaw were
unsuccessful. Before a store owner
can participate in the food-stamp
program, he must certify that the
store sells food for home prepara
tion and consumption. Staple items,
such as meat, bread, cereals, fruits,
vegetables and dairy products must
make up more than 50 percent of
the store s total food sales. Another
condition for authorization is that
store owners must sign an agree
ment that they will abide by food
stamp program rules. Violations of
the rules in stores being disqualified
for periods of time range from six
months to permanently. The penalty
for trafficking in food stamps is per
manent disqualification from the
program. USDA encourages the
public to report violations of the
food stamp program by calling: 1
800-424-9121, the toll-free number
for USDA's Inspector General in
Washington. D.C. The number is
posted at participating grocery
stores. Also, violations can be
reported to FNS Raleigh office by
calling (919) 790-2927.