121197 ? ? * * "car-rt-sort* *
n c room \
75 c*ni FORSyTH CNTy pUB lib | Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point r Tol. xxiv No. 11
_ 660 w 5th st # q \
y winston salem nc 27101-2705 ^?* rofefgnc?
I T 117 ? X-i nrjXTNotto taken i i
X J~Ll/ v, I rvv XI >1 ,r?m "brary v i v
i?, i,
The Choice for African-American News and Information v r ?
;?? website address: www.netunlimited.net/~wachron
A neighborhood is born in southeast Winston-Salem
ifc'} Twenty-two houws under oon
f struction in the Morningside
" neighborhood are the seeds of a
' new neighborhood.
In what once was a vacant field
" off Pleasant Street, the Pleasant
- Hills subdivision has emerged,
f making the American dream of
' home ownership a reality for sev
f era! local families. The homes are
'?the result of an innovative public
private partnership between the
? Housing Partnership of Winston
? Salem and Forsyth County Inc.,
?*
1 ? -*
Habitat for Humanity and the
City of Winston-Salem.
"This is a wonderful blessing,"
said Beatrice Rice as she chatted
with friends in her new driveway.
She and other new homeowners
expect to move in by the end of the
month.
Rice, a single mother raising
two children, said owning her own
home is "like a dream come true."
"1 had been trying to figure out
how I was going to do it all by
myself."
As it turned out, she didn't have
to do it all by herself. Rice has the
assistance of Habitat for
Humanity. And in return, she has
helped others accomplish the same
goal.
"Where else could I get a 20
year, interest-free mortgage?" Rice
asked. She added, "This is one of
the greatest programs around."
State Rep. Larry Womble
agrees. Womble was on hand
Sunday for the dedication of the
new subdivision, which was fol
lowed by a tour of several home* <
and refreshments.
According to Wombie, the new
property owner isn't the only one
who benefits by cooperative com
munity efforts to make such
affordable housing available.
"This is land that wasn't pro
viding any income for the city,"
Wombie said. "Now, in addition to
providing the residents with a
place to stay, the city can gain rev
Ste HABITAT on A2
Blacks in Triad view
new political landscape
A Crossing color line may have positive impact on city
By SHARON BROOKS HODGE
The Chronicle editor
There used to be a political entity known
as "the black vote," but it's gradually becom
ing an icon of the past, says Bill Andrews.
He's reluctant to admit it, but Andrews
may have been instru
mental in dismantling
the black political
monolith in Winston
$|Uem. Last week, as
(fie results of the
municipal elections
were being tabulated,
Andrews wasn't where
he would have been in
years past. A well
known Democrat,
Andrews broke with
tradition. This time
around, he waited for
the returns with sup
porters of the
Republican candidate, mayor-elect Jack
CaVanagh.
"I'm not pinning accolades on my own
shoulder; I just decided to be honest with
myself and my fellow citizens," explained
Andrews.
Andrews wasn't the only displaced black
Democrat. Other African Americans, albeit
few in number, joined Andrews in crossing
old, established political lines. These folks
may be pioneers of a new political era,
Andrews suggests, explaining that black vot
ers are increasingly
considering specific
issues, not blanket
allegiances.
"I believe people
are becoming more
aware of what's going
on around them,"
Andrews said in an
interview with the
Chronicle this week.
"Instead of voting for
the person we feel
we're supposed to
support, we're think
ing about who we feel
will be better for the
broader community. That's not always deter
mined by race and party."
The long-term result of that new outlook
on politics, says Andrews, could be a tremen
See LANDSCAPE on A2
Mavericks challenge elections
and traditional black leadership
GREENSBORO ? Two black men
refuse to go along with politics as usual in
Greensboro.
The municipal elections may be over in
most parts of North Carolina, but that's
not the case in Greensboro. John Harris
and Keith Bryant both filed complaints
with the Guilford County Board of
Elections this week. And for each, the
fight is bigger than merely getting elected.
See CHAUlNOi on a*
Police chief defends
the use of pepper spray
*
? ?
?Ifolice Chief George Sweat isn't giving up OC,
cpitimonly known as pepper spray, despite repeated
requests from two black organizations and other
Winston-Salem residents.
."OC works," Sweat told city aldermen serving
oii the board's public safety committee. The board
chamber was filled to capacity Monday evening as
me committee
heard from the
Police Depart
ment and city
residents on an
issue that has
drawn allegations
of racist behavior
by local police.
"Them is U reSpOft- The concern over
'Ability on the part of the safety risks
'the public to conduct associated with
itself in a certain pepper spray was
, fashion*** heightened last
? George Sweat month when
CHef of WSPD Warnie Patton
_? ? died in police
custody after he was subdued with the substance.
Although the state medical examiner's office has
yet to issue its findings, the Forsyth County
NAACP and the Black Leadership Roundtable
have called for a moratorium on pepper spray use
until further study on its side effects can be per
formed.
This week the chief, accompanied by a contin
gent of all-white uniformed officers seated in the
back row, defended the use of pepper spray. In his
City rosidonts and tha man who protatt thorn lis
ton to Chiof Qoorgo Swoat justify tho dopartmont's
uso of poppor spray.
remarks. Sweat noted that the substance is used by
several other agencies in the region. In addition to
the State Bureau of Investigation and the Highway
Patrol, law enforcement officers in Burlington,
Lexington, and Greensboro use pepper spray,
Sweat said. If the use isn't being challenged else
where, he argued, it shouldn't be banned in
Winston-Salem, either.
According to Sweat, if the public is worried
about the risks associated with pepper spray, indi
See PEPPER on A2
1 " 1 1 ii
Community walks for health
Mm than 1,000 Hudantr, faculty, Huff, ahumni and lupyattmri in tha North CmMm AOT 4Mb
Unhandy wmIk-m-thon hut Saturday in Oramuhma. Ptutmmda wV ft t? tha nhaahi Hhtam and UMiim
Cantor fiyrign. Tfm wnNf wM honofft hath tha iw<i<nii>/ nwt ffcn hamdar naaauaOy
I Victory may be only temporary
By HERBERT L. WHITE
The Charlotte Post
AfTirijiative action, under constant attack by
conservatives as reverse discrimination, won a small
victory in the House of Representatives last week.
But it's only temporary.
The House Judiciary Committee achieved a
small victory in the House of Representatives last
week.
But it's only temporary.
The House Judiciary Committee voted to table
the "Civil Rights Act of 1997" sponsored by Rep.
Charles Canady, R-Fla., which would have banned
the consideration of race or gender in federal hiring
and contracting. Four Republicans ? George
Gekas of Pennsylvania; Stephen Buyer and Ed
Pease of Indiana; and Elton Gallegly of California
? defected from their party's leadership to side
with Democrats, effectively killing the bill until next
year.
The 17-9 vote surprised affirmative action sup
porters, but committee member Rep. Mel Watt, D
N.C., cautions the debate isn't over.
"I don't think we should become overly confi
dent," he said. "What it means is this piece of legis
lation can't be voted on in this session."
Another bill could be introduced before
Congress adjourns this month, but that's not likely.
Watt said. Although Republicans helped table the
See TEMPORARY on A8
N.C. Transportation Department
to investigate all board members
w
RALEIGH (AP) ? In the wake of two resigna
tions over possible conflicts of interest, the secretary
of transportation says he will investigate all members
of the Board of Transportation.
This investigation comes On the heals of concerns
raised by black legislators that minority contractors
get less than their fair share of state road work.
The two members ? Odell Williamson of
Brunswick County and Carroll Edwards of Union
County ? resigned within the last three weeks fol
lowing news reports that they used their positibns on
the board to push road projects for their own benefit.
A third member ? Charlie Grady of Raleigh ? was
not reappointed to the board earlier this year because
of questions about his involvement with the depart
ment's purchase of some land in the path of the
Outer Loop.
And The Charlotte Observer has reported that
two more members ? Ronald Leatherwood of
Waynesville and G.R. Kindley of Rockingham ?
may have influenced road projects that benefited
their businesses or clients.
"We're looking at everybody so that we can clear
Set' DOT on A7