Real World's Coral says
'feminist' not a dirty word
BYT. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
The world was already quite
real for Coral Jeanne Smith when
she stepped into an ultra-chic New
York City loft last year to have her
life taped for several months for a
popular MTV reality show.
The 23-year-old San Francis
co native's parents split when she
was barely out of the cradle. Her
father was serving lime in jail by
the time she was 8. Her mother
began hitting the bottle before
Smith was in her teen-age years,
and soon before Smith stepped
into the world of MTV, she got out
of a tumultuous relationship with
a man she describes as a verbally
abusive football player.
Smith told a crowd of more
than 200 at Salem College Sunday
her hard-knocks upbringing
shaped the strong, self-assured
woman that many of them saw on
the 10th season of "The Real
World," a long-running MTV
show that puts seven strangers in a
fabulous house for four months
and videotapes all the happenings.
"When I watch the show I see
all of my issues," said Smith, who
drew thunderous applause from
the crowd of mostly women.
"Even though 1 came off a bit
strong, there are reasons for that."
"The Real World" season that
Smith was a part of broke new
ground. It featured a record three
African-American roommates
and more drama than the "Young
and the Restless." Smith had her
share of arguments with other cast
mates. She admitted that those
arguments have left many people
with the impression that she is a
"bitch." But she is not deserving
of the title, she said. Editing by the
show's producers contributed to
the notion of Smith being difficult
and standoffish, she said.
"They taped for 22 weeks and
you only saw a little bit of that....I
really think the show took all of
my arguments and all my faults,
and they put them next to each
other when it really was spread
out."
With her stint on "The Real
World" behind her now, Smith is
using her newfound fame to fight
for human rights, especially for
women. When she is not on the
speaking circuit, she volunteers at
a Los Angeles rape counseling
center.
"I consider myself a feminist,"
she said. "(I'm) a woman who
wants to make opportunities avail
able for other women."
Smith said she believes that
many young women her age con
sider the word "feminist" a dirty
word. But for Smith, wearing the
feminist badge has helped her
work through her own issueC
while building strong bonds and
relationships with other women in
the process. *
"If you feel you can't help
yourself, help someone else," she
urged the crowd. "I guarantee it
will come back to you."
Those in the audience
responded well to Smith's call for
female unity, often yelling out
"you go girl" and other words of
support as she spoke, but it was
the behind-the-scene secrets that
Smith shared that got them into a
frenzy. Smith said she is still close
with many of her former house
mates, including Lori, an aspiring
singer, and Malik, a student who
does not live far from Smith in
Los Angeles. Bui there are other
house mates that she said she
could do without ever seeing
again, including Nicole, an
Atlanta college student who Smith
accused of making inaccurate
statements about her in a recently
released "The Real World" tell-all
book.
Smith said not a wholejot has
changed since "The Real World."
She is now recognized on the
streets but when asked by an audi
ence member. Smith said she in
no way feels like a "superstar."
"If I were a superstar there
would be a lot more people in this
auditorium," Smith said, motion
ing to rows of empty seats.
Smith expressed little regret
about appearing on "The Real
World," an opportunity she got
after been picked from thousands
of would-be house mates after an
extensive interview process. She
said there were a few things she
can't believe she said, but overall
she is pleased that she spoke her
mind, even when doing sa didn't
gain her friends.
She told the women in the
crowd not to bite their tongues
either.
"1 urge you to (say what you
feel), although it may seem like a
hard row to hoe at first....Just
being who you are is magnifi
cent."
Smith is also competing in the
current installment of "The Real
World/Road Rules Challenge"
(she would not reveal to the audi
ence the outcome of the "Sur
vivori'-like competition) and will
be a guest interviewer of potential
house mates for the upcoming
"Real World" season set in Las
Vegas.
HAWS
jrom page A.1
TTOA . C . r
merce uja; anu a panel 01
experts from local and state law
enforcement, for the crime pre
vention track; M.D. "Dee" Strum
of Indianapolis, Ind.. presenting
"Public
Housing
Occupan
cy and
Fair
Housing"
and
"Improv
i n g
Income
Integrity
Maynard ln Publ1^
and
Assisted Housing"; Tommy
Thompson, CPA, of Darnell &
Thompson of Atlanta, Ga? pre
senting "What You Need to
Know About GASB 34"; Sher
rod Banks, attomey-at-law of the
Banks Law Firm, Research Tri
I angle Park, presenting "Putting
Revitalization Back into HOPE
VI"; Joy
Finch, pro
gram man
ager for
environ
mental and
safety
training of
Greenville.
S . C . ,
Technical
presenting
"Lead-Based Paint - Section 8
and Public Housing"; and
William "Bill" Perry, president of
the Charleston Center for High
Performance Organizations.
Charleston, S.C., presenting
"Mapping the Gaps to Service
Excellence,"
The HOPE (Housing Oppor
tunity for People Everywhere) VI
Workshop will include a tour of
the award-winning Azalea Ter
race community. Azalea Terrace
was built through the Housing
Authority of the City of Winston
Salem's HOPE VI Project in con
junction with developer John
Eagan of Eagan and Associates.
The development recently won
the Community Afforda'10
Housing Equity Cory
(CAHEC) Development of ti
Year Award.
J. Reid Lawrence, executive
director of the Winston-Salem
Housing Authority and the host
of the workshop, said, "It takes a
lot of time and effort to host an
event such as this, but it gives me
an opportunity to showcase both
this great city and my fine staff.
Over the
years the
housing
authority
has
asked a
lot from
the city,
so any
time I
can hrine
revenue Ro we
\i/;?
IU ??ll|
ston-Salem it's just another way
of saying thank you for all the
support (he city and its leaders
give the Housing Authority of the
City of Winston-Salem".
Photo by Kevin Walker
Coral Smith signs an auto
graph for a studont at
Salom College. Smith was
one of the seven strangers
on the 10th anniversary
season of MTV's popular
reality show; "The Real
World."
Denmark
from page A3
"We're two poor sisters and
we love everybody," Denmark
'said. She thanks the Comfort Inn
and Hampton Inn for sponsoring
her lodging while she passed
through Winston-Salem. Den
mark made a brief pit stop at Win
ston-Salem State University tor a
spot on WSNC radio station 90.5.
Her walking has taken her to
Chicago, where she made one
attempt to appear on "The Oprah
Winfrey Show" but was told it
was not a good time to discuss
poverty. Denmark also has
walked to the United Nations and
her congressman's office in
Washington, D.C., where, she
says, she was told again it was not
a good time to discuss her protest.
"I have gone (to) 11 states
talking about this very issue, try
ing to get someone to listen," she
said.
Denmark expects to walk
through 35 states and intends to
finish her walk across the country
in Washington, D.C., in 2004.
To find out where Kim Den
mark will be walking, visit
www.kimwalks.org.
Rev. Benjamin W. Mosely, Rev. John Epps, Rev. Mary Peterson, Rev. Don Routh, Rev. Dr. Hur
ley Thomas and Bishop Frederick Patterson led the vrorkship service held at St. James AME
ru..m~u
Blessing
f mm page AI
superintendent of Winston
Salem District UMC; Rev. Don
Routh, pastor of Lewisville
UMC and president of UM Cler
gy Association; and Bishop Fred
erick Patterson of Pastor Ambas
sadors Cathedral also participat
ed in the worship service. After
the service, the clergymen and
the homeowners made their way
to the seven prepared lots for the
land blessing ceremony.
Frederick Morrison, 9, can
hardly wait until he and his
mother, Carnella McCall, can
move into their new home. Right
now, his 4-year-old sister, Reka,
and he share a room together, but
on March 8,57 United Methodist
churches will begin building
seven homes on 14th Street. One
of those homes will belong to
McCall and her children. While
the frame for their home is
already waiting at the warehouse,
the sponsoring church members
will work for about 10 weeks to
complete the home.
McCall and her family will
live in the Wesley Family House,
whiclfi* named after John Wes
ley, his brother Charles Wesley,
and their mother. Susanna Wes
ley, because they started the
Methodist Church in the 1700s in
England. Although McCall is not
currently a member of a church,
she is grateful to God that she
will soon be a homeowner.
"This is my first time owning
a home. I feel blessed and happy
to stand on the land," McCall
said. "This home means a lot.
This is one of my dreams. 1 am
very thankful for all of the
churches that helped to sponsor it
and those who will help to build."
The nine churches that have
committed the funds for
McCall's home are Centenary,
Faith. Forest Chapel. Mt. Olivet,
Oak Grove, Pisgah, St. James,
Trinity and Wesley Memorial.
Her son, Frederick, stood
with her in the middle of the cir
cle as the pastors, ministers and
evangelists offered up a prayer of
blessing for the land. Each partic
ipant gathered a handful of dirt
from the site and returned it to
the ground after the prayer and
group litany. Together they
prayed, "Almighty and Everlast
ing God ... we pray that you will
be present now with us who are
gathered here to set apart this
ground upon which we stand. ...
It is only the presence of your
Holy Spirit that will bring bless
ing to this land and to the fami
lies that will soon build a home
upon it."
The call and response litany
included these words: "...In the
covenant God made with Abra
ham, a good land was promised,
so that all the families of the
earth shall be blessed. ... Upon
this land mothers and fathers and
children will establish a home. ...
Upon this land may a neighbor
hood rise up as a beacon of hope
to all who have no hope. .."
Rev. Marv Peterson ioined
this circle.
"I think it is a marvelous
opportunity for the community
and churches to come together
and share in the unity of the fam
ily," she said. "We are a part of
the ministry of the church when
we minister to all of the needs of
people?physical, spiritual, and
environmental."
Rev. Karen Kaser-Odor of,
Wesley Memorial Church was
also in the unity circle.
"It is wonderful that the
frame for the home is already
done at the warehouse. In March
when we are here, we can finish
the house," she said. 'To stand
and bless that land, to share with
the brothers and sisters in the
faith was a beautiful feeling."
Six other homeowners will
reside in this neighborhood
thanks to their sponsors. Odella
Conrad of Kingdom Hall of
Jehovah's Witness-East Congre
gation (Overseer Joseph
Mitchess), Karen Davis of
Phillips Chapel Baptist Church
(Rev. Leon Oglesby), Delois
Roberson of Union Baptist
Church (Benjamin Mosely Sr.,
associate pastor). Necole Ross of
Ministries of Truth of the Apos
tolic Faith Church (Rev. Elder
Koger), Monique Vance of
Shiloh Baptist Church (Dr. Paul
Lowe Jr.), and LaToya Williams
of Piney Grove Baptist Church
(Rev. James F. Linville).
More than 100 people gath
ered at St. James AME Church
for the breakfast fellowship and
worship service.
i National Heritage Academies is a nurturing educational community. Founded on
academic excellence and sound moral guidance, it is a safe and welcoming environment.
Here, students can discover talents, gather knowledge and learn responsibility.
It is a training ground for the next generation of enlightened, ethical adults.
Now Enrolling K-8 ^ ,48
I FORSYTH ACADEMY- I
SHATTALON CAMPUS 1
I ^ | ^ Kusseli t. warper ^ ^j| 0 H
5426 Shattalon Drive * Winston-Salem, M 27106
Phone (336) 922-1121 ? Fax (336) 922-1033
25.rharper@heritageacademies.com
www.heritageacademies.com