75 cents WlNSTON-SALEM GREENSBORO HlCH POINT Vol. XXV No. IO
The Chronicle
< The Choice for African American News and Information e-moil addmt: wschronQrMtvnlimrted.net
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Mad Hatter... Cunningham giving due to hats
ByPELECIAF.MdkflLLAN
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"1 want to give women the
raped they Jesene. Hat wearing
is a form of reverence for God
- Michael Cunningham
Deacon Mary Jenkins wore a
classic Mack feh pill box hat with
a silver rhinestooe broach on the
crown to Emmanuel Baptist
Church on Sunday. Although (he
purchased the hat almost 20 yean
ago, it still looked fashionable in
the sea of hats that lined
"I believe that in order for a
woman to be fufly dressed, she
ncjdi to wear a hat," Jenkins said.
"Old wants us to be beautiful, '
and it is proper for a woman to
cover her head when she enters
God's house"
Hats have become more than
a a way of covering beads Cor
c women ? they have become
a glorious and colorful fashion
Irt their beauty that peaks the
interest of Winston-Salem pho
tographer Michael Cunningham
Cunningham is putting together a
book "Crowns: A Pictorial of Sis
ter in Church Hats" thai features
Mack women sporting hats. He
invited women to stay after service
to have their pictures made
Cunningham Mid his fascina
tion with hats began as a child.
"A lot of this project is what is
inside of me," he said. " My spiri
tuality comes out in this... 1 want
to give women the respect they
deserve. Hat wearing is a form of
reverence for God."
The pictures at Emmanuel
were only the beginning. Ha
expects 400-500 women to
Sir Hats <m Alt
Hayes wins
Strong black
voter turnout
decides races
By DAMON FORD mdT. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
A strong turnout among African Americans pro
pelled many state and local candidates to victory
IXiesday.
A steady stream of voters at minority precincts
; sent Mel Watt back to Washington and helped John
Edwards to victory in the U.S. Senate race.
Locally, Judge Roland. Hayes overcame a strong
; challenge to retain his position as the only African
American district court judge in Forsyth County.
But despite a strong campaign and endorsements
from several local groups, Nigel Alston came up
short in his bid to become just the third black mem
ber of the city/ county school board.
The Rev. Carlton Eversley and other members of
Concerned Black Pastors worked for months to
raise voter awareness in the black community. Tues
day night during a celebration held by Democrats at
the Millennium Center, Eversley said in spite of
Alston's loss, African Americans should be pleased.
"The African American community should take
pride in how well we organized...In key races many
candidates would not have been successful without
African American votes," Eversley said.
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Woman spends
night in jail for
ringing bell
By T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Loretta Home wishes that she could forget that
she was handcuffed, searched and put in jail after
pushing a buzzer at the Forsyth County Magis
trates Court.
But the 41-year-old has a copy of her criminal
contempt charge and a looming court date as con
stant and grim reminders.
During a series of events that occured on Oct.
27? that have even legal minds scratching their
heads? Home was charged with direct criminal
contempt and slapped with a five-day jail sentence
by Magistrate Stacie Onders.
"The whole time, I kept telling anyone who
would listen that 'you've made a mistake,'" Home
said with tears in her eyes.
Home? a customer service professional and
daycare teacher? went to the criminal division of
Magistrates Court, located on the lower level of
the county's detention center, to get information
regarding a family member.
A buzzer and intercom it located in the lobby of
the office, with a sign prompting visitors to ring it
for assistance; Home says she proceeded to ring
the buzzer after a group of people who were
already in front of the device moved.
"I pressed the buzzer and a female voice
responded and told me I had to go to the police
station for that information," Home said.
Home said she pressed the buzzer a second time
to ask another question and got no response.
When another person came to ring the buzzer,
the door to the magistrate's office was buzzed
opened and Home walked in to ask her question
onAl]
Watt wins handily in
redrawn 12th district
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 1
.y ? ' ,
CHARLOTTE - U.S. Rep. Mel Watt kept his congressional seat Tuesday,
pushing back Salisbury dentist and political newcomer Scott Keadle and a Liber
tarian candidate in the redrawn 12th District.
Watt, representing a district that no longer includes much of the black popu
lous living in the Piedmont, defeated Keadle soundly. The Libertarian, Michael
Smith, had les s than 5 percent of the vote.
Any bounce Republicans hoped to get from President Clinton's troubles evap
orated by Tuesday, especially for those who used the scandal in their ads.
State Sen. Dan Page, who won national attention for being among the first to
use the scandal in television ads, lost to incumbent Democratic Rep. Bob
Etheridge in the 2nd District by a margin of 57 percent to 42 percent.
"Regardless of the outcome, we did what we thought was right, and I still
think that character and integrity matters in our government," Page said. "And I ?
think that our leaders ought to be role models for our children, and I will never
4Jack down from that."'
I In the 4th District, Rep. David Price defeated Republican Tom Robeig, who
Jried to raise Price's vote against a Republican plan for an impeachment inquiry
pf the president as an issue in the campaign.
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Republicans don't get
impeachment mandate
By WALTER R. MEARS N v
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - Now Republicans face the dilemma of dealing with
impeachment proceedings most voters don't want, after elections that broke the
patterns of history in favor of Democrats.
The White House said President Clinton was encouraged by the midterm elec
tions in which Democrats held their lines and added as many as five seats to their
congressional minorities.
The president may also be relieved.
The impeachment momentum could be slowed by the balloting that rebuffed
Republican expectations of midterm gains - even though a majority of voters
interviewed outside polls said the Monica Lewinsky matter didn't afreet their deci
sions.
GOP reinforcements in the House would have added impetus to the impeach
ment proceedings. But none were coming.
And 61 percent of voters in exit polling Tuesday said they disapproved of. the
way Republicans in Congress have handled the Lewinsky scandal, with almost as
many saying impeachment should be dropped. That did leave 40 percent saying
the proceedings should go on.
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Lee discusses work during conversation at Wake
By JEW YOUNG
THE CHRONICLE
Kelli Brown had only one mis
sion when she arrived at Wake For
est University's Wait Chapel - to
go one-on-one with filmmaker
Spike Lee.
Brown, a junior at North Car
olina Agricultural and Technical
State University had met Lee
before - she was an extra in his
summer blockbuster "He Got
Game."
But this time was different.
Talking to Lee, she proclaimed,
was her destiny.
"I didn't even know he was
going to be here until today," said
the 21-year-old aspiring actress.
"When I found out I had to come.
I got a ticket free. I was meant to
be here."
Lee, who's first major motion
picture "She's Gotta Have It," ush
ered in a new era in black film
making, is crisscrossing the the
country for a series of informal lec
tures at colleges and universities.
Wearing a blue sweater and
khaki pants, a very casual Lee gave
his thoughts on a host of topics
from the state of college athletics
to the Academy Awards, which
despite his box office successes, has
remained elusive.
He spoke most passionately on
the state of black film making,
lamenting the fact that serious
Mack films, like Oprah Winfrey's
"Beloved" and his own "Get on the
Bus," often have a difficult time
finding an audience in today's
blockbuster driven industry.
"It's a long work in progress,"
Lee said. "I think it was a big step
backwards with (Beloved) not per
forming at the box office. You have
the No.l face on the market and
people won't come out to see the
film.
"African Americans as an audi
ence need to become educated.
They did not go to see 'Rosewood.'
They did not go to see 'Get on the
Bus.' But they'll knock each other
down -to see "Set it Off" and
'Booty Call."'
Lee, who has been roundly crit
icized for "for airing black Ameri
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