73 cwiti Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point , vol. xxiv No. 40
The Chronicle
The Choice for African American News and Information ?-moil o?ldr?ss: wschronOn?tuolimit*<l.o?t
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North Carolina Black Legislative Caucus host leadership summit
By OCXKE JACKSON
RESEARCH TRIANGLE
PARK ? Twenty yean ago, only
oneelected black senator -now
N.C Chief Justice Henry Frye ?
? roamed the haOs of the General
- Assembly.
Timet have changed.
North Carolina's 24 black rep
resentatives ? though still only a
?nail fraction of the state's legis
' lators ? have forged themselves
into a force to be reckoned with
. at the General Assembly.
Last weekend, they gathered
to discuss economic develop
ment, voter registration and
minority health issues during a
two day conference hosted by the
North Carolina Legislative Black
Caucus More than 700 attended
the event who proceeds benefited
a scholarship fund to aid the
state's historically blade colleges
and universities
"If we stand in these places
and don't live up to our words,
then we arc not worth our salt,"
said Ben Rufiin, special assistant
to Gov. Jim Hunt
RufTin's sentiments were
echoed throughout the weekend
as Mack legislators along with
corporate and community leaders
from around the state discussed
the state of North Carolina's
African Americana
"We're trying to establish what
the African American agenda is
? and to establish coalitions with
other organizations to carry out
hat agenda," said Rep Carry
WomMe who represents the 66th
District which includes Winston
Salem. "We're here to come and
celebrate our blackness. We're
proud African Americans and
we've come to sit down and talk
about issues that concern us."
Sen. Jeanne Lucak of Durham
said she and other members ai
NCLBC use the association to
"provide an overall comprehen
sive focus on issues that impact
African Americans through the
state."
"The we look at the issues
affecting the General Assembly,"
she said.
Atlanta Mayor William "Bill"
SarCsahmcsoiAS
North Carolina
NAACP taps
minister to serve
I
as exec director
By DAMON FORD
THE CHRONICLE
The North Carolina NAACP has named the Rev.
George I. Allison to its top spot. Allison, a long-time
member of the civil rights group, was named the
state's executive director recently.
He becomes the third person since December to
oversee the state's 116 NAACP chapters. His appoint
ment followed the resignation of former state director
Keith Sutton and the ousting of Greensboro busi
nessman Hurley Derrickson, who held the job for less
than a month.
to the minds of the people, but*als!o bringlr^iffoH^
state level," Allison said. "(State executive director) is
a much greater challenge than one I've had in the .
past, but it's one I welcome."
His first day at work running the day-to-day oper
ations of North Carolina's oldest and largest civil
rights group was May 26.
As state executive director, the ,49-year old will
serve as a resource person for local chapters and dis
trict directors. He will also plan conventions and con
ferences and must be aware of political decisions that
effect minorities and ways to handle these decisions.
"We have a lot of confidence in him to do the
job," said Melvin 'Skip' Alston, the NAACP state
president. "He's very experienced. It's not like he has
to be spoon-fed."
Allison has served as president of the Northern
Orange County Chapter in Hillsborough for 10 years.
May 31 was the his last day as pastor of Mount
Bright Baptist Church after serving over 20 years in
the community.
"I grew up being a part of NAACP as a child. My
father kept my brother and me involved with the
organisation," Allison said.
"We do anticipate getting back to telling the story
to young people about the struggle their parents went
through so all will know where we came from," Alli
son said. "(They) are becoming idled in their own
lives and have lost a sense of urgency because they do
not know the struggle. Life is meant to be lived and
enjoyed, but at the same time there is a struggle that
you must know how to handle."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
? This Week's News A1-A5
? Opinion A6
? * Forum A7.
? Business News A8
? Community Calendar A10
?Sports Bl-BS
? Obituaries B6
? Religion B8
? Classifieds B9
? Community Focus CI
? Health A Wellness C3
? College & High School News C4
? Arts A Entertainment C7
? Family Fun C8
Principal interest
i ??w:?wm^vrz?z: <.,*, /" 1
Latham ilamantary principal Larry Hold* amy* ha vriii continue to monitor ABC* plan.
Fields vows to continue to fight
By JERI YOlfNO
THE CHRONICLE
Last week's decision by the U.S. Department's
Office of Civil Rights won't stop a local principal
from continuing his battle to change the contro
versial system the state uses to grade public edu
cators.
Larry Fields, principal of Rowland H. Latham
Elementary School, filed a complaint which
alleged the ABCs of Public Education would dis
criminate against teachers, students and staff at
his majority minority school last December.
In the ruling which was handed down last
week, OCR ruled there was no evidence the pro
gram affects minority principals ^nd/or teachers
at low-performing schools disproportionately.
And while he admits he may have lost a battle,
Fields says he will take "whatever action" neces
sary to ensure that "grading standards are fair."
"There is inequity in the system," he said.
"ABC doesn't take everything into consideration
that needs to be taken into consideration."
The ABCs plan, which was implemented by
the State Board of Education last year in elemen
tary schools, is billed as a way to create a
statewide standard course of study for children
attending public schools.
As part of the program, students are tested in
math, reading and writing at the end of each
school year. Overall performance is based on stu
dent's "growth," the difference between what the
student scores from one year to the next.
The program also mandates "proficiency stan
dards" schools and students have to meet.
Schools not meeting standard face stiff penalties
that range from competency tests for teachers to
removal of staff. In extreme cases the state could
take ova: the daily running of a school or a sys
tem.
Students who fail to meet standards can be
retained, which opponents of the program argue
will increase the high-school drop-out rate.
And that, says Fields, is the problem. The
state's proficiency standards don't take into con
sideration the myriad problems that face schools
K, See FMd* on A2
Challenges ahead far Sit-in Museum
By DAMON PORD
THECHKOWKXB
0
A Guilford County lawmaker is seeking a $1
million allotment in the state budget for a Greens
boro civil rights museum that would commemorate
the sit-in movement.
Sen. Bill Martin (D-Guilford) introduced the
legislation, but his colleagues already say its
chances of passage are doubtful.
"There's just so much uncertainty about the
money this year," said Sen. Bob Shaw (R-Guilford).
"I don't think it's a government issue. (Museum
supporters) have done very well with private
fundraising and that's the way I think it should go."
Franklin McCain, one of the original "Greens
boro Four" who are credited with jump starting the
sit-in movement in the south, says the museum
should go up because of what it represents.
"The museum is really international in scope.
It's kind of a sign of hope," McCain said. "(All) of
Greensboro should embrace it."
McArthur Davis, general manager for Sit-In
Movement , the museum's fundrasing arm, said
supporters have completed the first phase of the
59.1 million project, by purchasing former Wool
worth's store in downtown Greensboro where the
first sit in was held for SI.6 million.
Museum supporters now must raise S7.S million
to complete the museum, which will include the
lunch counter where the 1960 demonstration start
ed, as well as a restaurant, a bookstore, an audito
rium and classrooms.
"It's going to be very difficult venture," said
Martin, who serves on the board of directors of Sit
in Movement, "But I thought I'd file (the bill) just
in case, because you never knov^how things are
going to turn out."
Martin said finding the money for the museum
will be tough because the General Assembley faces
difficult choices as it develops a budget for the
1998-1999 fiscal year, which begins in July.
McCain says African Americans should not let
the project fall through because of monetary set
Sfr Sit-in on A3
WSSU faculty
question Cone's
leaderhip at
Norfolk State
?' : :
By SAM DAVIS I I
THE CHRONICLE "
.1 . -i
When Dr. Alvin J. Schexnider took office as the ;
chancellor at Winston-Salem State nearly two years- -
ago, he stated that he wanted to make the school a'
"student-centered university".
But faculty members at the institution say that -
Schexnider isn't practicing what he preaches. That's I
the reason they drafted a list of 33 issues for discus- :
sion that they recently presented to Schexnider. Many
have also stated that they have a difficult time accept- -
ing the huge salary increases that he awarded the new -
at^'WSSU*el]0rS Ulat *****1110118111 U1 ^
ine salary increases
helped broaden the gap
between faculty and
administrative salary.
Some faculty members say
they are concerned about
the growing disparity and
the direction in which the
university is headed.
"He talks about the
university being a 'stu
dent-centered university'
but he isn't putting the ?
resources where they need I
to go," one source said. |
"The faculty salary is con
siderably lower than that
of their peers across the state. But the administrators
he brought in are making more money than they did
at their previous institutions."
The Chronicle made several efforts to reach
Schexnider for comment, but calls to his office were
not returned.
One administrator in particular has been men
tioned by faculty members as an example of
Schexnider's policy. Clementine Cone, the Vice Chan
cellor for Finances came into the university on July 1,
1997 with a salary of $95,000. Her predecessor, Fred
Burke, who had more than 20 years service to the uni
versity, retired with a salary of $75,090.
That isn't the main source of contention among
some faculty members. They look at the fact that
Cone was named the chief financial officer at WSSU
despite the fact that Norfolk State, her previous
employer, is currently operating at a fiscal deficit of
between $4 and $6.5 million.
"That is definitely alarming," said a faculty mem
ber who, did hot want to be identified. "No one
should take personal responsibility for that type of
deficit, but you certainly can't remove the chief finan
cial officer from having some sort of accountability."
... See Schexnider on AS
?ff. #.
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Photo by Wode Nash
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