i Wt.: LX 'ORTSWeeK Black History Month Calendar Sec Faiie AS Lthletes pick coUeges lemons back in etball groove Community ^LetGodbeGed^ See Cl Kenuedtjr earn iMiimrs Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point Vol. XXVI No. 26 ****** 1 !201 ; DEPARTMENT 18 DAVIS LIBRARY yPEL HILL HILL NC 27514-8890 ALL FOR ADC pO r>3 The Choice fov African American News THURSDAY, FEBRUARY lO, 2 CP calls for outside arbitrator WALKER [CLE Outive director of the rolina NAACP has voice to a growing people who want the ;er to dismiss himself pevance hearings of lan American police g before the Board of Monday night, ison said City Man- ;uart has botched the process through inaction and by pos- Allison, black leaders request that city manager step away from case of officers demoted after LJVM incident sibly violating the officers’ rights. “The NAACP requests you, the Board of Aldermen, order the city manager to restore these three officers to their previous ranks and make them whole (in terms of) salary and back pay, or, at the very least, you must provide that these hearings be heard by an outside arbitrator,” Allison said. Citing Stuart’s relationship with Police Chief Linda Davis, who demoted the officers, many local black leaders have already requested that Stuart let some one unaffiliated with his office hear the officers’ grievances. Stuart hired Davis early last year, even though she was serv ing as interim police chief at the time, so that Stuart could make an objective decision on the can didates who had applied for the job. Davis was supposedly not interested in the job and never applied for the position or went through the interview process. “I don’t think you could go against the recommendation of the person you brought out of retirement,” Alderman Nelson See Cops on A10 Census taker 500 SHEPHERD STREET noregon systems u S CENSUS 2000 JAMES A. FYOCK & ASSO Photo by Kevin Walker lie Bonham, partnership specialist far the Census, stands in front of Census 2000 headquarters off Stratford Road in Win- hSalem. 'ensus taps Bonham to head count Bvin walker HRONICLE your future; don’t It blank. .ose words roll off Jim- knham’s tongue with Incy and ease these is he talks with individ- Ind groups about the tance of being count- nham is one of two Irship specialists for the lensus office, a title that the Winston-Salem on the run a lot lately, the title implies, the r partnership specialist going out into the community and forming partnerships with churches, community groups and busi nesses to ensure an accurate census count. For example, Bonham said, several leaders in the faith community have part nered with cqnsus officials and agreed to pass along information about the effort to their congregations. Bonham says his deep roots in the city have been helpful during the process. “That’s one of the requirements - you must know the community. They choose the individuals who know the community best,” Bonham said. For nearly all of his life, Bonham has been a familiar face here. He pastors Pitts Memorial Baptist Church and is secretary of the local Ministers Conference. Bon ham is also known as an activist and a entrepreneur; one of his business ventures includes a popular hair salon. A typical day for Bonham normally lasts more than 10 hours and may include visit ing sites in one of the four other counties - Ashe, Yad kin, Wilkes and Davie- cov ered by the local census office. Phone calls, e-mailing. faxing and developing and presenting census workshops also take much of his time. But Bonham doesn’t mind the hours. In fact, he said, the work is fulfilling for him. Bonham jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the census team. He realized the importance of the gov ernment’s population count; he wants others to realize it as well. “I understand the impor tance of the census. Numbers translate into federal funding and the number of represen tatives in a particular area,” See Bonham on A9 Idham faces challenge in 67th M WALKER ■cle jr or experience? thoice that the two candi- Hlg the Democratic nom- (r the 67th state House be asking voters to 92. term incumbent Pete 73, has faced Carlton 13, before. In 1990 Old- the seat for the first time, i Pressley and two other eat II feat has hounded Press- ley for the last decade. A recent Howard graduate at the time, Pressley felt he had a good chance of winning. Others, though, were not as confident. “I had just finished my first year Oldham my insL ycai of law school....! decided to quit law school and run,” Pressley said. “Some people had a prob lem with that. They wanted me to finish my education, get a good job and become more (eco nomically) stable.” The Carlton Pressley who filed to run in the 2000 election last Friday is Pressley an ordained minister with a mas ter’s degree and a law degree. For the past year and a half, Pressley has served as the senior legislative adviser to Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore Frank Ballance, a position that he says makes him Ballance’s “eyes and ears.” Pressley divides his time between Raleigh and his home town; here in Winston-Salem, he owns several rental properties and is an associate minister at New Jerusalem Baptist Church. His See Oldham on A9 Photo by Bruce Chapman City Manager Bill Stuart answers questions about grievance hearings from aldermen as George Allison, state executive director of the NAACP, listens. Mount Tabor students mix Rebel flag and fashion BY CHERIS HODGES THE CHRONICLE One school official says students have the constitutional right to wear articles of clothing that are emblazoned with the Confederate flag. The wearing of the __ flag became an issue ear- “j understand whv African Amer- lier this week when black parents and students at tcons may feel offended, but that does Mount Tabor High , ■ i i School complained about them the right to censor other fSerate* bSinL,?a”; and T-shirts. school attorney Calling the clothing an issue of free speech, Douglas Punger, attorney for the school system, said students are within their rights to wear it. “I can understand why African Americans may feel offended, but that does not give them the right to censor other people’s speech,” he said. “We recognize that various symbols offend various people.” Punger said telling students what to wear could become grounds for a lawsuit. The flag has been in the news lately because several See Confederate on A\0 Belton-Brown, Kennedy honored by Chronicle BY JERI YOUNG ; THE CHRONICLE ' Belton-Brown for subscriptions call (336) 722-8624 • MASTERCARD, VISA Advocates of education led a stellar group of honorees for this year’s Chronicle’s awards ceremony. Mose Belton-Brown and Dr. Charlie Kennedy were recently named The Chronicle’s Man and Woman of the Year for 1999. The awards will be presented during a the paper’s annual awards banquet March 18 at the Benton Convention Center. The awardees will be honored in a commemorative edition that will appear in The Chronicle Feb. 24. Belton-Brown, a native of Winston-Salem, is being honored for her work on behalf of students at Winston-Salem State University. Over the past three years, the All State Insurance agent has raised more than $96,000 for the school’s scholar ship fund. Belton-Brown, a 1972 graduate of Winston- Salem State University, said the honor comes as a surprise. “I always felt like I was a part of The Chroni cle,” Belton-Brown said. “This is the ultimate honor to be awarded something from an organi zation you value so much.” Belton-Brown, who holds a master’s degree in education from N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University, is active in a number of organi zations, including the Kimberly Park Alumni Chapter of WSSU and Delta Sigma Theta. She also serves as vice president of the Kernersville chapter of National Women of Achievement and president of the Forsyth County chapter of the American Business Women’s Association. She also serves as a mentor at Cook Elemen tary School. Last fall, she was crowned WSSU’s “Miss Alumni” for her fund-raising efforts for the university. “I enjoy working with children,” she said. “They need to see posi tive role models.” See Awards on A10 AND AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCEPTED • Kennedy

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