Photographer of civil
rights era dies at age 84
' ' ft ' ' '
WASHINGTON ? Maurice
Sorrefi, who captured the history
of (he civil rights movement on
film and who was the first Mack
person to gam admission to the
prestigious White House Photog
raphers Association, 4h4 June 22
at mb 14.
The exact cause of death was
unknown, but believed to be car
diac-related. He bved in Washing
ton with Ira wife.
SorrMTs career spanned nine
presidencies and more than two
dozen countries. His work carried
him through the South during the
height of the civil rights era,
where he photographed the leg
??assw?am????????am??
endary march from Montgomery
to Sefana. Ala., led by Martin
Luther King Jr.
SorreU worked as a news pho
tographer for the Johnson Pub
lishing Company. Iru. , puWwhcr
of "Jet" and Ebony," in its Wash
ington bureau from )%2 until his
lethemcut in 199).
In 1961, SorreU joined the
ranks of the Washington photo
elite as part of the White House
Photographers Association. Dur
ing an interview, SorreU recalled
the challenges he initially faced in
gaining the acceptance of his
peers
They had a little thing where
they would get arm and arm and
try to push me back," SorreU said.
"Once they (baud out that 1 could
<faoot as weO as they could, they
wTffffd me."
Sorrd I began photographing
in 1946, shooting weddings and
anniversaries. He accepted a pho
tography position at the Pentagon
in 1955, but was only allowed to
work in the darkroom because of
racial segregation. He left two
years later to work as a free
UltfH*
Last veat Sorrril received a
Lifetime Achievement Award
from the African American Pho
tographers Association. He had
been scheduled to deliver this
year's award, now named after
him, last Friday.
interview with The Associated
Press. "The kindergarten class was
in the 99th percentile, which is the
top score you can make."
Robinson says the lack of
Democratic support for the bill
may hurt a few candidates in
"swaying districts" in the fall.
"I think it was just bad political
judgment," he said in an interview
with The Chronicle. "They are
overlooking the fact that upwards
of 80 percent of the parents and
teachers in charter schools are
Democrats - some of the most
staunch Democrats in the state.
They feel like they've been dissed."
The Senate would need to pass
the charter school legislation
before the General Assembly
adjourns in order for the changes
to take place this fall.
The State Board of Education
has approved another 30 charter
schools for the 1998-99 school year
in addition to the 34 now operat
ing. ??
Charter
from pate At
The bill will also allow county
officials to appropriate funds for
charter schools and eliminate the
statewide limits on charter schools.
Only 100 charter schools can exist
in North Carolina and only five
can exist in a given school district.
There are four charter schools
currently licensed to operate in
Forsyth County.
"It's not fair that most black
charter schools have to worry
about being closed because we
don't have enough students of
European descent at this time."
said Ruth Hopkins, Director of
Woodson Charter School. "I call
on the Black Democratic Caucus
in the House and Senate to amend
the law and substitute a good faith
effort for diversity rather than the
current language that could close
charter schools that have a majori
ty of African American students."
Woodson is 97 percent African
American and Lift Academy
Charter School is 80 percent but
Haysetta Shuler, board of director
member at Lift says race shouldn't
be the issue.
Statewide, of the 14 charter
schools that opened last fall, 13 are
predominantly black and only one
predominantly white.
The issue is: would we be able
to educate these children properly
and get them to pws the end of the
year exams and we've done that in
the first year," she said.
Charter school proponents say
the schools are working.
Kindergartners at the predomi
nantly black Health Start Acade
my in Durham recently scored in
the 99 percentile on the Iowa test
of basic skills, a national achieve
ment test.
The 170-student school scored
in the 99 percentile for reading and
97 percentile for math.
Winston-Salem Alderman Ver
non Robinson, long a proponent
of charter schools says the success
of Healthy Start proves charter
schools do serve a role.
"They smoked the Iowa Test of
Basjc Skills," Robinson said in an
Farmers
from page Al
Congressional Black Caucus
members Maxine Waters, John
Conyers, Eva Clayton, Bennie
Thompson and Cynthia McKin
ney led the negotiations while U.S.
Rep. Jose Serrano of New York
and members of the appropria
tions committee offered the
amendment.
"They each have much to be
proud of this morning. This issue
taxed and exhausted every legisla
live skill the Caucus had and still
they found a way to be victorious
after 18 months of fighting," Tay
lor said. "The farmers also are
grateful to Speaker Newt Gingrich
who simply was unwilling to waver
on getting the House to make this
commitment."
Mayor names two to HAWS
By JERI YOUNG
THE CHRONICLE
Local activist Bill Andrews and
Chronicle publisher Ernie Pitt
were recently named to the Board
of Directors for the Housing
Authority of Winston-Salem.
Andrews, who spent 20 years
as director of community services
for HAWS, chaired the board for
several years, says his return came
after months of "soulsearching."
"The mayor asked me some
months ago after his election
because he knew that I had
served," Andrews said. "I was hes
itant because I had served for a
long, long time. I'm not a young
ster anymore. I later became con
vinced by listening to him of his
commitment to people who live in
public housing. He's committed to
have good quality or high quality
of life for those residents. He's as
interested in them as he is in any
citizen."
Andrews sees his reappoint
ment as a chance to help imple
ment some "new and innovative
programs." -
"It's a new day in public hous
-t
ing now," Andrews said. "There is
an involvement and should be an
involvement with the universities
we have here in Winston and the
private sector. Whether some of
the old line housing people believe
it or not, it's a new day and there is
involvement in order to have a suc
cessful public housing communi
ty."
Andrews said he plans to
encourage local universities to
emulate programs in other large
cities and become involved in pub
lic housing.
"We're thinking in terms of
lowering the density," he said.
"Maybe doing some mixed hous
ing. The list can go on and on. You
can take out some multi-family
and put in single family (homes).
A lot of cities are doing it."
Pitt says the appointment to*
HAWS is a chance to give some
thing back to the community.
"I'm honored to have been
chosen to sit on the board," he
said. "It's an important entity in
our community. The residents are
the most important aspect. I'll do
what I can to make sure they get
the best HAWS the city can offer."
wssu
frontpage A!
willing to give that up to accept the
challenge at WSSU.
"There are still some positives
about where we are right now," he
said. "There are some young men
on our team that we feel an obliga
tion to and feel very positive
about."
Joyner, a Winston-Salem native
who led Atkins High to a state
basketball championship, played
point guard at Smith from 1969
73. He is 192-132 in 11 seasons
with the Golden Bulls, with four
NCAA appearances and two sec
ond-place finishes in the CIAA
tournament. He coached Smith's
women before succeeding Bob
Moore as men's coach in 1987.
The Chronicle
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Housing Should Bo
Open to Everyone
_ ?
Have you aver been turned down for housing
because of your race, color, religion, disability,
gender, national origin, or family status?
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