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The
Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point
Vol. XXVII No. 8
109 06220j
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WrAe Choice for African American News
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 6., 2
Gore camp: Black turnout crucial
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Al Gore (center) receives a
m Bishop Paul Martin on Oct. 21 during a breakfast in New Orleans as
ie Bridges (right) looks on.
In order for Vice President Al Gore
to mount a comeback in the final days
before Election Day, it’s going to take
more than a little help from friends, a
top aide and advisers to the Democrat
ic presidential candidate told members
of the African American press last
week.
“(This is) a race that will depend on
African Americans' and other minori
ties turning out in record numbers,”
said Donna Brazile, who made history
last year when Gore appointed her to
manage his campaign. Brazile is the
first African American
to manage a major presidential cam
paign.
“If (African Americans) sit
this one out... we will get what
we deserve.”
- Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton
While campaigning with Gore last
week in New York, Brazile joined Con
gresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton,
who serves as a non-voting representa
tive for the District of Columbia, and
Labor Secretary Alexis Herman for a
telephone news conference with
reporters from African-American news
papers around the country.
In the homestretch of this year’s
hotly contested battle for the White
House, Brazile said the Gore campaign
will employ several methods in order to
ensure that blacks go to the polls.
Black voter turnout could be the
major factor in so-called toss-up states
like Michigan, Florida, Ohio and Penn
sylvania. But Brazile said a record
man will ask
1 for death
Ity moratorium
The Mouths of Bahes
'ALKER
:le
brt to get Winston-Salem to follow in
s of Charlotte, Greensboro and four
ities, a member of the Board of Aider-
men will call on his colleagues
to pass a resolution calling for
a moratorium on the death
penalty.
Alderman Nelson Malloy
said he will present the resolu
tion at the Nov. 6 board meet
ing. Malloy said he drafted
the resolution because he
believes recent events have
shown that there are major
cracks in the capital punish
ment system.
“So many folks across the
lije been found innocent of crimes that
Hnt to death row for,” Malloy said,
lidded that he was also driven to draft
l|3n because of his strong support of
|t, who was convicted of raping and
newspaper copy editor in the 1980s.
performed since the crime have raised
lout Hunt’s guilt.
I one juror’s vote away from being given
Intence,” Malloy said. “He could have
[jperson by now, before the DNA testing
kilable.”
[ resolution refers to a number of stud-
ihe death penalty into question. Includ-
j tics that show that many of those sen-
Ifath cannot afford competent legal rep-
and that blacks disproportionately are
[sentence, especially when they perpe-
; against a white person.
Ift only the race of the defendant that is
the race of their victims as well,” said
chard Groves, pastor of Wake Forest
Mrch.
[lecently formed a local chapter of Peo-
j Against the Death Penalty, a statewide
started by the N.C. Council of
|roves applauds Malloy’s resolution and
rany in the group will attend the meet-
1 out against the death penalty.
See Death penalty on A9
Photo by Kevin Walker
Martha Jones, left, shares
a laugh with Reynolds
High School student Liz
Loiftis after a roundtable
discussion on race rela
tions featuring area teen
agers.
Teens give perspectives on race
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Nearly a dozen local teens got a
quick lesson on race relations last week
before participating in a roundtable dis
cussion on the topic last week.
It did not occur to the teens as they
took their seats at the roundtable, which
is more V-shaped than round, that
white teens had settled in on one side of
the table while minority teens had
staked claim to the opposite side of the
table.
A member of racial healing organi
zation Crossing 52, which sponsored the
discussion, brought the 'situation to the
teens’ attention and watched them
closely as they integrated.
During the discussion, many of the
teens said such segregation is done in
school lunchrooms and school assem
blies unwittingly.
“I don’t think it’s purposely done. I
think it’d done because we are more
comfortable with our own races,” said
Ashley Bethea, a black student at
Reynolds High School and one of the
most outspoken teens at the roundtable,
which was held at the Main Branch
Library a week ago.
Other students attend West Forsyth
High School and Clemmons Middle
School.
The students, most of whom say
they have close friends of another race,
said interracial interaction among stu
dents is often limited to passing hellos
in the hallway.
Major exceptions are sports teams
and after-school clubs. The students
agreed that these activities provided stu
dents of various races opportunities to
come together.
Liz Loftis, a white student who
attends Reynolds, said many such clubs
exist in high schools today.
Two Hispanic students were on the
panel. One of them, Giselle Laiton,
recently moved to the city from South
America. Laiton said a factor other
than skin color often makes Hispanic
students separate themselves from oth
ers.
“I think a big barrier is language,”
Laiton said. She went on to say that
while there are many differences among
various Hispanic cultures, she has devel
oped a bond with many of those in her
English as a Second Language class at
school.
The students touched on a number
of other topics related to race relations
and schools. Some spoke out about
what they called a lack of courses
devoted to black history and culture;
others debated whether or not teachers
treat students differently based on race.
For years. Crossing 52 has used
events like the roundtable to build
bridges between the city’s races. Mem
bers of Crossing 52 said it’s important
for adults to hear what young people are
saying on the topic of race relations.
See Race on A4
Graham-Wheeler
See Gore on A3
Best Choice
Center director
calls it quits
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Dorothy
Graham-
Wheeler,
executive
director of
the Best
Choice Cen
ter, has
announced
her retire
ment effec
tive Oct. 31.
She has held
that position since 1990.
“Graham-Wheeler has per
formed her services in an outstand
ing manner for the past decade and
has committed herself to the mis
sion of the center,” said Thomas
Trollinger, the chairman of the cen
ter’s board of directors.
Much of Graham-Wheeler’s
service occurred while Dr. Virginia
K. Newell, founder of the center,
was the board chair. Newell, who
continues to serve on the board,
said, “Dorothy has implemented
the drug prevention mission of the
center in an exemplary manner and
has brought state and national
recognition to the center and to
Winston-Salem.” Newell noted that
under Graham-Wheeler’s leader
ship, the drug prevention successes
of the center had been reported on
an NBC television program, “A
Closer Look,” and that Gov. Jim
Hunt had personally acknowledged
and recognized the center’s efforts
and successes.
The Best Choice Center was
founded in March 1988 and its mis
sion was drug prevention and referr
ral services. It subsequently elimi
nated referral service and continues
to concentrate on drug prevention.
With a total of 134 young people
between the ages of 5 to 15 enrolled,
the center has more than 100 appli
cants on the waiting list. The need
for services at the center has out-
See Wheeler on A9
inter opens to help needy
VALKER
:le
returned to the health care
H35 New Walkertown Road.
is the former home of a
[jialth practice, which shut
[ ir this year because it was
|tract enough business. Those
flew health care facility at the
ecting a much different fate,
Jnity Health Center opened
ernoon after a weekend open
ler will serve the city’s poorest
(lose who earn less than 200
the federal poverty level and
iter forms of health insurance.
|ning of the clinic was spear-
the Forsyth-Stokes-Davie
fedical Society. It will be
[ mostly retired physicians in
although some practicing
physicians and nurses will also work at
the clinic. All of the health care profes
sionals will volunteer their services.
The facility will rely solely on dona
tions to operate and is continuing to put
out a call to city residents who would be
interested in volunteering at the clinic. At
the same time, clinic officials are trying to
get the word out to the community that
the clinic is now up and running.
“This is a way to provide health care
to people who have never had really good
access to it,” said Dr. Ernesto de la Torre,
one of the retired physicians who will be
a constant presence at the clinic. “We
want them to come from the white com
munity.
We want them to come from the
African-American community. We want
them to come from the Hispanic commu
nity.”
The 14,000 square-foot building is
ideal for such a clinic, de la Torre said.
The center will provide primary care
only. Those with emergency needs like
surgery will be referred elsewhere. The
building has two large nurse’s stations,
two treatment rooms, an X-ray room and
a waiting room that can hold up to 60
people.
. Spanish interpreters will also be on
hand at the clinic to assist patients.
Melba Lindsay, who serves as direc
tor of operations for the center, said that
because the clinic is targeting only those
without insurance, it is not competing
with other practices in the area.
Yet and still, Lindsay believes the chn-
ic’s East Winston location will make it
very convenient to potential patients.
“It’s a definite advantage. We do see a
lot of indigent patients in this area. This
location is close to many we will serve,”
she said.
Currently, the clinic operates Monday
and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 9.
Lindsay said those hours were set in
See Center on AID
Fnoto Dy icevin waiKer
Dr. Brnesto de la Torre (from right), Melba Lindsay, Muriel Jones and Ann Flint stand in front
of the new Community Care Center on New Walkertown Road. All four work at the clinic
for those without medical insurance.
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