FORUM C 'I am really happy when...' Nigel Alston Motivational Moments "The mind is like a para chute. It doesn't work unless it's open. " - Unknown How many of you like lo read? I asked the class of fourth-graders. Immediately, all but one hand. Jazmine's, popped up in the ai^She had a shy smile on her face as she sat sideways in her chair looking at me. Eventually she raised her hand too. Later, like Phillip, who likes math, she would not put it down, eager to participate and add her voice to the conversation. D'Zanderia was not as shy or reserved, though. She took the initiative to walk to the front of the class and tug at my coat to get my attention. She had something to tell me. It was a private matter, one on one, not for the rest of the class to hear. "You and I have something in common," the fourth-grader told me, with confidence, as she looked up at me. She is a cute little girl with bright, inquisitive eyes; a warm, beautiful smile; and plenty of energy and enthusiasm. D'Zanderia and her classmates love to learn and she really wanted me to know that she was a writer too. and, accord ing to her teacher, an excellent one. Ms. Mack, the teacher, had introduced me to the class as a speaker, writer and friend. Standing in the front of the class, towering over the stu dents seated at their desks, we engaged in a conversation about books, the importance of reading and their favorite sto ries". Ms. Mack's class had full participation in a local pro gram with a national empha sis. the annual arts program Reflections, an arts recogni tion and achievement program sponsored by the National PTA. The program offers stu dents the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recog nition. Students in preschool through grade 12 are encour aged to create and submit works of art in four areas: lit erature. musical composition, photography, and 1he visual arts. I was invited to the school (North Hills Elementary - a 2002-2003 School of Distinc tion), to serve as a judge for the participants in grades three through five, by Ernestine Huff. Huff, along with her husband. James, is an accom plished artist and has a daugh ter in fifth grade at the school. Art is her profession. She vol unteered to be involved in the PTA and is very instrumental in the annual arts program and its success at North Hills. This year's participation included more than 170 entries from kindergarten through fifth grade. Fewer than 70 partici pated t Wo years ago. Huff loves the school and the idea of being involved in providing a good foundation for students in their formative years. The Reflections pro gram not only offers the opportunity for students to express themselves creatively, iLteaches the value of presen tation, meeting deadlines and following guidelines. That is as important to Huff as the art itself. This year, the program has as its theme "1 am really happy when...." "I am really happy when I read fiction. I am really happy when I watch television. 1 am really happy when I eat a pop tart. I am really happy when 1 act smart. I am really happy when 1 eat. 1 am really happy when I write on a sheet. 1 am really happy when 1 dount sheep," wrote one student. Another shared these com ments: "1 am really happy when I go out and play with friends at the end of a long school day. 1 like lo play tennis and practice my swing. That's why I'm happy as soon as it's spring. ...And I'm really happy when I'm just being me." I was refreshed after leav ing the school, serving as a judge and visiting the class room or fourth-graders. I am really happy when ... I am in a roomful of elementary school children. It is exciting to see them so excited. I am really happy when ... those children raise their hands enthusiasti cally, responding to questions, demonstrating an eagerness to learn and share. ?>ood teaching is going on in that class. The teacher expects the. students to excel. I am really happy when ... I meet good people, like Ernestine Huff, who are giving of their time and talent. You can feel the passion and see the commitment of their efforts making a differ ence in the school. Those efforts can lead to an attitude expressed by another partici-_ pant who wrote: "I like school because it leads to a path of success." That should make us all happy. It keeps the dream alive. Nigel Alston is a radio talk-show host, columnist and motivational speaker. Visit his Web site at www. motivational moments. com. Disrespecting the D.C. Primary Ron Walters Guest Columnist On Tuesday, the District of Columbia hosted the earliest presidential preference election featuring the Democratic candi dates for president. More accu rately, it featured some of the major candidates who believed that the vote was important enough to show up. They were Howard Dean, whose name was first on the ballot. Rev. Al Sharp ton, former ambassador. Carol Moseley Braun and Congress man Dennis Kucinich. Although no delegates werg chosen, the election was devised as another way of illustrating that the District of Columbia is still in the shadows of democracy; it has no voting representation in either in the House or the Senate, although it has a non-voting dele gate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, in the House. The only question is whether the District was able to capitalize on the opportunity to make its point about the disen franchisement of the city in national politics. The absence of Dick Gephart. Joseph Lieberman. John Kerry, and Wesley Clark was an insult to the citizens of the District and to the major political purpose for which the vote was proposed in the first place. Their behavior continues to illustrate that they are woefully out of touch with the core of the Democratic Party. If Howard Dean, the front-running candidate could show up, why couldn't they? I'll tell you why. They still subscribe to the conser vative Democratic Leadership Council's (DLC) view that one of the problems with the Democrat ic Party is that it is too Black and that by coming into the District of Rev. Al Sharpton Columbia, a predominantly Black city, it would have contin ued to link them with an image that is alienating to many conser vative White voters. Another reason they didn't come was that they felt by "wast ing" money on the District elec . tion, they would be jeopardizing their national campaign. But that just means that they are running scared, and that Dean, who is flush with funds, is taking the District seriously. Another possi bility is that they had conceded Washington as Dtfan country and did not want to get embarrassed. The District election was important because it helped determine who is preferred by an overwhelmingly Black and liber al White electorate, which looks very much like the base vote of the Democratic Party nationally. Going into the race. Rev. Al Sharpton had the most to loose because the demographics of the District of Columbia favored him. If he looses to Howard Dean, the thinking went, that would free others in the Black community to jump on the Dean bandwagon. One reason Dean is doing so well with Black voters is that Sharpton hasn't challenged him effectively. Sharpton began his campaign by saying that he wanted to take the Democratic Party back to its traditional roots." but Dean has trumped him on this. Sharpton should have countered by rolling out some of the issues that run deeply in the Black community, such as the repeal of punitive mandatory minimums sentences and three-strikes laws. But Dean has beaten him to the punch on these issues. This is dangerous for Sharp ton because hip-hop mogul Rus sell Simmons is running a cam paign in New York State against the Rockefeller drug laws that were used as the basis for the dra conian sentences that have imprisoned thousands of Blacks who might otherwise be free. What happens if Simmons now throws his considerable weight behind Dean in Sharpton's own back yard? There was little chance that Sharpton would be knocked out by a Dean victory in the District primary election , but the fear was that he might be wounded enough to make it difficult for him to gain momentum in South Carolina where he hopes to do well. After the big shows in Iowa and New Hampshire, the spot light shift to South Carolina. Carol Mbseley Braun would have more standing had she been more impressive in the District of Columbia. But in most face-to face contests, she usually does much poorer than Sharpton among Black voters. What can you say about Kucinich? He's often tagged a "spoiler." a tag usually pinned on Black candidates. Dean's show ing should not be surprising, con sidering he has spent money and time in the District and half of the City Council has already endorsed him. The District of Columbia was just the beginning. South Caroli na, with half of its electorate Black, will be the next major test. Ron Walters is the Distin guished Leadership Scholar, director of the African American Leadership Institute in the Acade my of Leadership and professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland-College Park. His latest b(x>k is "White Nationalism. Black Interests " ( Wayne State University Press). PUBLIC NOTICE The Emergency Food and Shelter National Board, chaired by the Federal Emergency Managemenet Agency (FEMA), has granted Forsyth County $155,526 to distribute to agencies pro viding emergency services. Funds are only to be used to sup plement feeding and shelter programs in Forsyth County. Applications will be accepted by Forsyth County's local board, from non-profit organizations in areas relating to: a ? Mass Shelter (on-site) ? Rent/Mortgage Assistance (for clients) ? Other Shelter (outside the agency's own facility) ? Emergency Repairs (mass shelter and/or feeding operations) ? Supplies and Equipment (for use in mass shelters.) The deadline for submission of proposals is 12 noon on Wednesday. January 21, 2(MM (no late applications accepted). Please contact (336) 723-3601 for additional information and/or an application form. Ava II. Blount Broker (336) 462-60X6 DIRECT (336) 748-5318 BUSINESS (336) 748-5363 FAX realava@aol.com (3 coLouieu. BANMBRa TRIAD, REALTORS 285. South Stratford Road Winston-Salem. NC 27103 -Q Rep. Larry Womble NC House of Representatives 71st District Tel (336) 784-9373 Fax (336) 784-1626 E-Mail: LWistm@iol.com Home Address 1294 Salem Lake Road Winston-Salem, NC 27107 Louise E. Harris Attorney at Law ? Bankruptcy ? Consumer Problems ? Traffic Tickets & DWI ? Divorce ? Eldercare Law 13 Years Of Experience 1 02 West Third Street. Ste. 485 Winston-Salem, NC Call 24 Hours (336) 761-0222 FAMILY IS WHY YOU DO IT ALL. W E LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE. We all feel the same commitment to care for our families. As your good neighbor agents, we can help you meet your insurance needs. Call us today. I LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR STATE FARM IS THERE." iiairfarmiom' L HW Stole farn i ln>man