6:. UJ' ITS Week INchiiv S(or\ : See si<»li(s lioiii I lee(ioii Day on Tai^e A4 COMMEMIY Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point Vol. XXVII No. 10 110 062201 **********‘S-dIGIT 275 SERIALS DERARTOEMT CB #3938 DAVIS LIBRARY UNO CHAPEL HILL CHAPEL HILL NC 27514-8890 hoice for African American News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2 rmen put iscussion solution :er ay of the more than one dozen iponents, the Board of Aldermen Monday night a resolution that i moratorium on capital punish- *^arolina. !ve Whiton moved “no considera- olution, which is being proposed elson Malloy. When an alderman moves “no consideration” on an item, it’s automatically halted for the current meeting and moved to the next board meeting. Whiton cited the absence of Alderman Vernon Robin son, who usually votes with Whiton on issues, as one rea son why discussion about the resolution should be delayed. But Whiton also said he does not believe the death penalty municipal bodies should be dis- St it ought to be before this body,” e who have a concern should be evances to the governor and (leg- igh.” he knew that Robinson would not meeting. According to Whiton, 1 California. jlution is similar to those passed ity councils in North Carolina, the resolution does not take a pro n capital punishment, but simply : government officials to halt cap- until it can be thoroughly investi- ontend that the punishment is I and especially harsh toward ans. that if the system does need in favor of doing that, but not by orium resolution, eviewing the system, if there are in _ in it,” he said. “(Legislators) can issue of capital punishment) with- of things.” Whiton’s arguments were flawed, olution, if passed, would be for- officials as well as national elected ishment is the business of cities loy said. uncil person or alderman, we rep- e on death row. They are our con- oy said. olution is jam-packed with statis- the nation that shine a negative th penalty. there are inaccuracies in the reso- much of the information in the taken from resolutions already :ity councils of Greensboro and )se who came to support the pas- ilution were thrown for a loop by Photo by Paul Collins Rev. Sandra Thigpen gives a talk abaut her work with Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministries. The forgotten population: people bound by physicakff d spiritual bars BY PAUL COLLINS THE CHRONICLE At times it seemed like a revival as Rev. Sandra Thigpen, assistant senior chaplain of Forsyth Jail and Prison Min istries, talked about her work, during a training seminar last Thursday night at Galilee Mis sionary Baptist Church. She spoke with emotion. She moved her hands about and occasionally stood on her tiptoes as she told the audience of about 15-20 people that we all probably deserve to be in jail, had we been caught for our wrongdoings, and that everyone is a sinner. She also said many people in jail and prison come from unfortunate circumstances, such as poverty, lack of education, or perhaps having been raised in a home where they didn’t have loving and supportive parents. Here is part of what she said: “Sometimes we don’t need to preach a sermon; we just need to be a sermon. “And when we are a sermon, others can read us very clear ly.... When they see Jesus, they want to know what we have. Is that not so?.... “So I am here to talk to you about a population that’s often forgotten, a population that’s often thrown away, a population that Jesus took very seriously. He said...”I was in prison and you visited Me. And when you’ve done it unto the least of these, you’ve done it unto me.’ “People that are incarcerated are incarcerated for sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God....We are just blessed ... because we didn’t get caught. There are things that we have done and things that we are still doing that could put us See The 'forgotten' on A9 Hunt supporters want governor to commute sentence BY T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE Black turnout good locally See Aldermen on A10 FROM STAFF REPORTS All indications are that African Americans answered this year’s massive call to head to the polls. Black turnout was high throughout the land. According to the Associated Press, turnout among African Americans may have been above the 1996 rate. Locally, long lines were reported at heavily African- American precincts throughout the day. Lines at the Winston Lake Family YMCA were said to be out of the door at about the time polls opened at 6:30 a.m. Thirty-minute-long waits were reported at the Brown Douglas precinct on Indiana Avenue. Enthusiasm could also be gauged by the number of calls received by local groups that pro vided rides to the polls. The local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority not only provided rides to the polls, but also sent members to housing develop ments to knock on doors to remind people to vote. The effort had already paid off big by 11 a.m., according to Vir ginia Newell. Calls were for rides were strong and door-knockers were able to get many people to the polls who had not planned to go, she said. The issues that turned out the black vote were diverse. Seme cited judicial races featuring well- known African Americans; oth ers were spurred by the city and university bonds. But many oth ers cited the presidential race. While the presidential race remained a see-saw Wednesday morning, many state and local officials were celebrating. Among those were Judge James Wynn, who was declared See Black on A4 A rally and fund-raiser for Darryl Hunt last week drew more than 100 people and raised more than $300 for Hunt’s defense fund. The event was held by supporters of Hunt, who was originally convicted in 1985 in the rape and death of a newspaper copy editor. Hunt was retried in 1990 and again convicted of the crimes. He is serving a life sentence. Locally, Hunt has come to symbolize the plight of of the wrongfully convicted for many people. Supporters have argued that prosecutors never had substantial evidence to convict Hunt. Many of them thought Hunt would be free after a DNA test in 1994 100 percent excluded Hunt from the crime. But the state and U.S. supreme courts have refused to hear Hunt’s case. “We have lost with all of our legal options, now that the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. Our hope now is to get the gover nor (Jim Hunt) to commute his sentence,” said the Rev. Carlton Eversley, one of several Hunt supporters who spoke at the rally. Hunt supporters have begun to circulate a petition in favor of Hunt’s sentence being com muted. Thousands are expected to sign the peti tion, which will then be delivered to the gover nor, supporters said. Eversley said supporters have also had con versations with people in Forsyth County who are close to the governor. Many of those people will lobby the governor on Darryl Hunt’s behalf State Rep. Larry Womble spoke in support of Hunt at the rally and said he will work to see that justice is done in the Hunt case. Other speakers included Hunt’s longtime defense attorney, S. Mark Rabil, and Larry Little, a Winston-Salem State University professor and an old friend of Hunt’s. Rich Rosen, a law expert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was also on hand. Hunt’s new bride was also at the rally, thanking those on hand for not forgetting about Hunt, who has been through many twists and turns over the past 15 years. Alderman Nelson Malloy read a letter from Hunt. In the letter. Hunt also extended thanks to his supporters. “He made an analogy in the letter that really stuck with me: He said this whole situation has been like rain in his life, but he said his ark, his shelter from the rain, has been the people who have supported him over the years,” Malloy*; said. , : Malloy said Hunt is remaining strong and confident that justice will prevail. Malloy said this is the end of the road with the case and sup porters are moving full speed ahead. “We are praying and hoping that Gov. Hunt will have the fortitude to do what is right,” Malu loy said. “He was convicted on evidence that was more than suspect and then the DNA didn’t match.” Some at the rally criticized Mike Easley for See Hunt on A10 Classmates say farewell to Nyoka Hill BY T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE Photo by Kevin Walker well-wisher as other Hard lessons are taught in school every day. But for students at Mineral Springs Elementary School, the real- life subject of life and death has been hard to absorb. Six-year-old Nyoka Hill, a first- grader at the school, was struck by a van Oct. 20 as she rode her bike near her house on Victoria Street. The child died later that day after doctors could not stop internal bleeding. Two weeks after the tragedy, Nyoka’s classmates and school staff held a sweet and simple outdoor cere mony in her honor. Nyoka was saluted in song and remembered with kind words as many members of the girl’s family stood assembled in a cluster, clasping one another’s hands and occa sionally drying their eyes The event culminated with dedica tion of a tree in Nyoka’s memory. The tree is in front of the school, where children are dropped off and picked up each day by their parents. School officials say the tree will ensure that a part of Nyoka will remain at the school for years to come. After the ceremony, Ann Makover, Nyoka’s teacher, said that the she has tried to keep the class happy and upbeat by talking about the good times they all had with Nyoka. “She took us all under her wing,” Makover said of the girl. “Everyone was her best friend.” Nyoka was struck soon after return ing from school on that Friday. Social workers and psychiatrists were on hand at the school on Monday to help students cope, although most of them already had heard about Nyoka’s death. Makover and others contacted the parents of each student in the class over that weekend. See Hill on A10 Nyoka Hill SUBSCRIPTIONS (336) 722-8624 • MASTERCARD^ VISA AND AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCEPTED •

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