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Sports Week Community The CI A A diary |A|LljS| Z) gBH) St Mark celebrates of Jay Maynard 49th anniversary ? ? ? Hp W j^^^H ? ? ? ? Q&A with Wake ? ?A Fire Department runner Green ^^"""sefaa ' SeeC, stresses safety Thf Chronicle PERIODICALS WiNSTOiN-SALEM ? GREENSBORO ? HlGH POINT w_i y y iy w? 07 FORSYTH CNTf PUB LIB _ VOLAAIA NO. ?// W 5TH ST fekt> *<??*.. ???... Bh WINSTON SALEM NC 27L2I-2755 lwuriULUUlt has its first change in leadership Longtime members of the organization take over convener roles previously held by Larry ? Womble and Khalid Griggs BY T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE ? ? For the first time in five years the Black Leadership Roundtable has new leaders. The grassroots black issues advocacy group rivirrtinopH hnitcp month. Longtime mem bers Linda Sutton and Fleming El-Amin were elected to be co-conven ers of the organization by members of the roundtable. They succeed Rep. Larry Womble. who was the convener of the roundtable since it was reformatted in 1998. and imam tcnanti urtggs, who had been co-convener for the past several years. Griggs and Womble were not eligible to be re-elected to head the organization. Round table bylaws prohibit officers from serving more than two consecutive terms. Griggs and Womble will continue to be active members of the round table. Each man has committed to serving on roundtable committees. "I think people have seen something in me that I have not seen in myself." El-Amin said of being elected by the Sutton membership. "I am extremely humbled." El-Amin is a high school teacher who up until recently headed the board of directors of CAT-TV. Sutton is an active volunteer with such organizations as the NAACP. She has been a member of the roundtable since its inception five years ago. Sutton has served as recording and corresponding secretary for the roundtable. Sutton hopes to continue to build relation ships between the roundtable and other local African-American organizations. The round table has worked successfully with the Urban League, Ministers Conference of Winston Salem and Vicinity, and the NAACP on past projects. Sutton wants the groups to speak with one voice on issues that affetf the black commu nity. "We could be so much more effective if we spoke in one. powerful voice." she said. Sutton said she also wants to work on efforts to increase the organization's membership. The roundtable is open to anyone who would like to be a member. El-Amin said the roundtable is planning to announce a Saturday tutorial program for stu See Roundtable on A4 El-Amin I Mendez goes to Iraq to push peace File Pho?o Rev. John Mendox BY COURTNEY GAILLARD I III CHRONICLE Rev. John Mendez, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, is among, a group of black pas tors that traveled to Iraq Satur day for a four-day trip to pro mote peace. The group is expected to be back in the United States today. A coalition of min isters - including Mendez, Rev. Walter Frontroy, Amous Smith. Mahbi Bray, OarlnnH H^olpr Rpv Herbert Daughtry, Rev. James Fitzgerald. Ron Daniels and Tracy West - was hosted by the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) upon arriv ing in the region. MECC is a fellowship of indigenous churches in the Middle East. MECC made requests, on behalf of the American minis ters, to meet with members of the Iraqi government, including Saddam Hussein. However. Mendez said the ministers had not received confirmation on whether or not they would meet with Iraqi government officials before departing. While Mendez is in Iraq with this contingent of U.S. ministers, he also is a represen tative of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the Ministers Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, of which Mendez is president. According to Mendez. Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Martin Luther King III. developed the idea for this peace trip to the Middle East. Mendez says Sharpton was unable to accom pany the men due to prior pres idential campaign commit ments. The Chronicle spoke with Mendez before he left the Unit ed States to go to Iraq. He said that the croun hoDed to make a peaceful plea to the Iraqi government and citizens. "The whole idea is that we're trying to advocate peace in the religious community - (with) Muslims as well as Lnrisuans, tsua dhists, Jews, Hindus, etc.," Mendez said. One day before flying to Iraq, the ministers met with Iraq's U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Aldouri, and a representative of U.N. Secre tary General Kofi Annan in New York. Mendez was unable See Mendez on A9 "(Some Americans) think the whole coun try is (filled with people like) Saddam Hus sein, which it isn't. There's mothers, there's children, there's fathers." - John Mendez Photo by Bruce Chapman After a heart-stopping match-up in Saturday's CIAA championship, Bowie State University Presi dent Dr. Calvin Lowe celebrates his school's victory over Virginia Union. Bowie State beat the Pan thers 72-71. For more news about this year's CIAA tournament, check out Sportsweek, Bl. Black church being urged to address AIDS crisis Several churches have agreed to take part in week of healing BY PAUL COLLINS THE CHRONICLE Kris Butler of Greensboro, who was diagnosed in 2000 as having HIV. the virus that causes AIDS, says many people in the African-American community are in a state of denial about AIDS. "We do not realize it hannens to us." she said. She said, for example, that it's not well known that many black males are bisexual. She feels thpre may be little progress in addressing HIV/AIDS in the black community until African-Ampri Butler can churches get actively involved. She said there's a stigma that HIV/AIDS is a homosexual disease. She believes many churches are reluctant to deal with sexuali ty issues, such as people having sex out side of marriage, and bisexual and homo sexual relationships. "I don't think churches should pass out condoms - just educational information," Butler said. March 2-8 is The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, the largesl-AIDS awareness program in the United States targeting the black communi- v ty. according to the Balm in Gilead. which spearheads the event. Mt. Calvary Holy Church, Goler Memorial AME Zion Church. Greater Cleveland Avenue-Christ ian Church and Union Baptist Church are -f *U_ \17l . ?>UIIIC Ul IIIC WII1MUI1 Salem churches par ticipating. Here are some facts about AIDS in the black community, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion and Harvard AIDS Institute: Of the estimated 40,000 new HIV infections parh year, more than 50 percent occur among African-Americans. In 1998. African American women constituted 64 percent of new female AIDS cases, and African American men accounted for 50 percent of new AIDS cases among men. AIDS is the number one cause of death for black adults aged 25 to 44. before heart disease, cancer and homicide. One in 50 black men is HIV positive. One in 160 black women is HIV positive. Black senior citizens represent See AIDS un A4 Budde City urges patience in storm cleanup effort BYT. KEVIN WALKEI THE CHRONICLE It has been a week since an ice storm swept through the Triad, wreaking the most havoc here in the city, where ice brought down trees and power lines. Electric company offi cials had restored power to nearly all homes oy Wednes day. but the cleanup effort here could take months. Teams from the city's Road Appear-, ance. Sanitation and Streets divisions have been working extra hours since late last week to clear storm debris. Last week crews cleared more than 500 trees that fell on city streets. Some of the debris made travel along major roads, including New Walkcrtown Road, nearly impossible. Greg Turner, assistant city manager for public works, said crews have begun the slow process of picking up piles of trees and branches from neighborhoods. City residents are responsible for gathering fallen trees and limbs on their See Cleanup on A4 Turner HAWS wins another HUD HOPE VI grant CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT The Housing Authority of Winston-Salem was notified yes terday that it had received another HOPE VI grant. The $18.1 mil lion grant, which HAWS applied for late last year, will be used to revitalize Happy Hill Gardens. In 1997. HAWS received its first HOPE VI grant. It is currently being used to revamp Kimberly Park Terrace. Ernie Pitt, publisher of The Chronicle and chairman of the HAWS board, thanked the City Council, which reluctantly agreed to commit money to the Happy Hill project. That commitment made HAWS' application for the grant stronger. "Our getting this grant is an indication that the housing authority is on the right track." Pitt said. "The staff, management and board are doing the right things. We are going to hit the ground running with this award." HOPE VI grants are given by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This may be HAWS' last HOPE VI grant. HUD recently decided not to request additional money for the 10-year-old HOPE VI pro gram. which was created to rede velop decades-old public housing structures. I he Only Choice for African-American and Community A cms
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