James Douglas Armstrong,
Thanksgiving for a Great Lawyer
By WILLIAM H ITRNKK Fh D
Special to the Chronicle
James Douglas Armstrong will not "see" the
seasonally garnished Thanksgiving table when
he goes home this week to McGehee, Ark. Arm
Profile
strong, staff attorney for the local Legal Aid
Society, and his wife-to-be, Sara Lee Direct
executive Jackie Robinson are poised to travel.
They are going to the Mississippi Delta region
tor Thanksgiving, where he will visit the one
whom he unhesitatingly considers the gift for
which he is most thankful. "1 am thankful to
God for giving me a most wonderful Mother!,"
said the dapper and youthful advocate for the
poor and disenfranchised.
Blind all his lite ? with a condition known
as gross object perception ? Doug savs that his
mother, Dorothy Jean Fleming, decided not to
treat him as a special child among her five. Her
Please see page 5
it* T*
vvyjo.- v -1\ ??*?..?
i i .:?? V-0 , v ? ? -" ->?
I
| -|Sfc: . . :? ? !**
?fi ?
*-f'7
It Wi
Douglas Armstrong (right) and Jackie Robinson
Winston-Salem Chronicle
'-'?coil' ~'ce for African-American News and Information
75 to the Memory of Clarence E. Nottingham: 1903-1995 vol. xxiii. no 13
Tf. _
12 0 5 9 6DA01
E forsyth crtTY pub lib THURSDAY, November 28, 1996
660 W 5TH ST # 4
WINSTON-SALEM NC 27101-2755
v. Jr i
: \
xmm
I
? m
Wn% ?
%a# J
-4.
T
M
Minister Louis Farrakhan recently spoke at a press conference at WSSL\
his alma mater.
Farrakhan: Coming home ... is humbling
By MAURICE CROCKER
Community Neu -> Reporter
slam leader, the Honorable Min
ister Louis Farrakhan received a
long-awaited welcome from the
students and faculty of Winston
Salem State University, where
he attended in the early 1950s.
More than 1,300 students filled the Ken
neth R. Williams Auditorium, where Far
rakhan delivered his message, while others
convened in satellite rooms set up throughout
campus. Fveryone who attended, whether a
supporter or a critic, came w ith anticipation
to hear the powerful speaker.
The Fruit Of Islam (F.O.I), which is the
security branch of the Nation of Islam,
opened the doors and began admitting people
to the event at 5:30 p.m. By 6 p.m. the audito
rium was packed, with standing room only.
Veronica Alexander, president of the Stu
dent Government Association (SGA). told
those in attendance that the students worked
Jong and hard to bring Minister Farrakhan
back to his alma mater.
Earlier this year, the graduating class of
1996 requested that Farrakhan be chosen as
their commencement speaker. But students
were told by Chancellor Alvin J. Schexnider
that because of the university's calender
schedule, Farrakhan would not be allowed to
speak at commencement.
Flowever, Schexnider promised students
that Farrakhan would be invited to speak dur
ing the next school year.
Alexander thanked Schexnider for keep
ing his promise to the students.
Before students heard from Farrakhan,
another nationally known minister ? but of
the Christian faith ? was given a chance to
speak.
"As a Christian minister, I affirm that
God Almighty walks and speaks through
Minister Louis Farrakhan," said the Rev. Ben
jamin Chavis. former executive director of
the NAACP
Chavis said he feels that one of the most
liberating things that came out of the Miflion
Man March was the working together of
black Christians and Black Muslims.
After a much-anticipated wait, the crowd
rose to their feet and applauded as Farrakhan
took the stage.
"I'm usually not at a loss of words," Far
rakhan said. "But coming home to a place
that provided me with the roots and founda
tion is a humbling experience."
During his message. Farrakhan remi
nisced about his college years at what was
then known as Winston-Salem Teacher's Col
lege.
After graduating high school at the age of
16. Farrakhan, then known as Louis Eugene
Walcott, entered the college on an athletic
scholarship for track and field
Although track was his ticket to an edu
cation, Farrakhan said, he felt his purpose
was to be a musician.
"I would climb through a window and
Please see page S
Boys and Girls Club hosts early
Thanksgiving dinner for community
By MAURICE CROCKER
Community News Reporter
oday families will gather
around the table and enjoy a
grand Thanksgiving feast,
while sharing the many rea
sons they have to be thank
ful. Last week more than
350 residents, along with
their children, participated
in an early Thanksgiving dinner, while enjoying
community fellowship.
The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club
recently held their annual Thanksgiving Dinner
at Trinity Moravian Church. 220 E. Sprague St.
"We consider ourselves to be a family, and
this is what families do," said Edyce Elworth,
director of marketing development for the Salva
tion Army.
Elworth said the dinner allows everyone an
opportunity to stop and think about all the things
they have to be thankful for.
Major Wayne McHargue agrees that the din
ner offers a time for people to reflect on the
good things in their lives.
"I think the dinner is a celebration of the
season," McHargue said. "Although we may not
have achieved all the things we would have liked
to, 1 think we all still have a lot to be thankful
for."
According to Elworth, the Boys and Girls
Club has always held a Thanksgiving Dinner,
but this year's dinner was historic.
"This is the first year we have ever held the
Boys Club and Girls Club dinner together; in the
past, they were always separate." she said.
Unsure why the dinners were held separate
in the past. Elworth said she thinks the joint din
ner was a huge success and would like to see it
continue.
She said ordinarily, each club would have
had approximately 100 guests, but the joint din
ner fed a capacity crowd.
"I think one of the reasons there were so
many people is because some parents have both
boys and girls in each club," Elworth said.
One of the Salvation Army's major goals is
Please see page S
,w
<""? w . ? ??" l w? 0 -*v
JV
' M^m
4~pP" 1., .**"
'^e-:- ?- ^ -. w
fV ? ^ >-*r\ ???
V'-J--w ? fa* <.?> ?. V V*'-^ i
PS
|m|
? ~'i> '??
./ij
Roys Club Director Chris Manning helps serve Thanksgiving dinner to children who attend the Roys/Girls
Club and their parents.
?MMHBMHHHMBaHi
Security may become costly if false alarm ordinance is approved
By MAURICE CROCKER
Community News Rcjjortcr
Soon residents in Winston-Salem may
have to pay hundreds, maybe even thousands
of dollars to the city, because of false alarms
that occur with their home security systems.
A proposed ordinance concerning false
alarms is waiting to be heard by the Board of
Alderman's Public Safety Committee.
The proposed ordinance is designed to
reduce the number of false alarms that occur
and are reported to the Winston-Salem Police
555|
KB 0 KHI
aHM
SSES ?
t TTr ""TH
BSiL r'.^:?
/ Tie uuunuuri^K uj yuur uturrrt.\ uiuituru uy eivurunic
home alarm systems is a source of irritation for police
and a waste of valuable man hours.
Department.
Under the ordinance, residents and busi
ness owners who have alarm systems are lim
ited to the number of false alarms that may
occur in their homes or business without draw
ing a fine.
This ordinance is patterned and designed
almost identical to the one being used in the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.
"Our false alarm calls are down 26 percent
since we began enforcing it May 1 of this
year" said Officer Gary Whitt, police office
alarm systems coordinator tor the Charlotte
Mecklenburg Police Department.
According to Whitt. in 1995 there where
48.651 false alarms from Mav to August, com
pared to the same time period this \ear. in
which 56. 247 false alarms were reported.
Whitt said the 12.403 reduction in false
alarms is a result of the city *s new ordinance.
Whitt also said the ordinance has given
officers a lot more time to spend in the com
Please see page 2
FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL (910) 722-8621 ? MASTERCARD, VISA OR AMERICAN EXPRESS