Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Oct. 19, 2006, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Vol. XXXIII No. 7 J Carver D-Line making heads turn - O Set Page Bl Black lawmakers to host town hall Crime fighting announced by center Sutton replaces <> Cardwell on BOE BY LAYLA FARMER THE CHRONICLE Long-time community activist Linda Sutton was sworn in as a member of the three-mem ber Forsyth County Board of Elections Tuesday. Sutton was nominated by the Democratic Party and approved by the State Board of Elections. Sutton replaces Joan Cardwell. who had served on the board for nearly 30 years before she recently decided to step down. For rrytny of those years. Cardwell was the board's chair. She was the board's first black female mem ber and the first female chair. "She's just been a first class lady," said board member &ic Elliott, who has served with Cardwell since 2003. "She's been there since '79 so she's sort of a walking history book." Elliott is now the board's chair. Sutton now takes Elliott's old title of secretary. Jerry D. Jordan is the board's other mem ber." Sutton, who founded the Voting Rights Coalition in 2004 and registered 2,000 voters that same year, has long been an advo cate of the voting process. "I know she's got a good rep in the community of somebody who's been an advocate for differ ent voting issues," Elliot said of Sutton. "I think her community interest, her perspectives will be helpful. I like the fact that she has had, experience as a poll worker which brings a special sensitivity to the needs of poll workers." Since 1988, Sutton has been active, in the voting process in various capacities, from serving her precinct and the Democratic Party, to registering voters and lobbying for voter reform through See BOE on A10 Guided by Faith Well-known man of God leaving pulpit BY LAYLA FARMER THE CHRONICLE . When an infamous local drug dealer died and no one was willing to preach his eulogy, the Rev. Charles Leak was there. When Winston-Salem State University students needed trans portatiorf to and from church, Leak was there as well. For 42 years. Rev. Leak, pastor of Solid Rock Baptist Church, has made his mark on this community. He has suffered criticism and opposition for some of his decisions over the years, but Leak has never wavered in his determination to bring people into the folds of Christianity. Nt>w, as his pastoral career comes to a close. Leak, 74, looks back on a colorful and successful ministry. A former RJ. Reynolds employee. Leak says the church has always been an important part of his life. "I have been in church all my life ever since I was a boy," he commented. "We had to walk to church - on average about three or four miles. We went to church every Sunday." He entered the ministry at 32, as an associate pastor at First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. "When I felt the call, I accepted it and ever since that day I've been blessed." he commented, so when a full-time opening came available at Phillips Chapel Baptist Church in 1967, Leak jumped at the chance. . O The church was struggling at the time, with approximately 13 members and less than $14 in the treasury. Leak went to work, boosting membership with a door-to-door outreach in Happy Hill Gardens. "We invited people to church. If they (were) a sinner, wj gave them the plan to salvation," Leak said. "That's how our q I I, a 1 (i Photo by Jaeson Pitt et ea "" ' The Rev. Charles Leak is leaving the pulpit after more than four decades. Little Voices Photo by Jacson Pill Members of the Walolo Children's Choir per form last week at United Metropolitan Missionary Haptist Church. The choir is made up of children from the African nation of Uganda who have been orphaned by AIDS and war. They sang and danced to a packed house at the church, one of many stops on their tour of the East Coast. To read more about the kids, see page BI4. Columnist Pitts: U.S. a nation in fear Pulitzer winner is critical of Bush administration, media during Wake address BY TODD LUCK ? THE CHRONICLE The home of the brave has become fear ful over the last five years. Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Leonard Pitts said during his convocation address last Thursday at Wake Forest University. Pitts, a columnist for the Miami Herald, writes a bi-weekly nationally-syndicated column that tackles every topic imaginable, ' from race relations to politics. He won the Pulitzer for commentary in 2004. His convocation speech took the audi ence back to a time when the Al Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon had just happened, and the public was fearful qf what could happen next. Pitts talked about a reassuring statement made by then {Secretary of State Colin Powell when he said Americans "don't walk around terri fied." Pitts said that Powell was wrong. "I submit to you, what have we been WFU Photo Leonard Pitts speaks at Wake Forest. since September 1 1th, 2001, but terrified?" said Pitts. Pitts said that while most of the country has gotten back on planes and been in sky scrapers and malls since 9/11, Americans have been fearful-in another area - their civil liberties. He said freedom of speech, the right to assembly, due process, and probable cause have all been compromised. He stressed the importance of those fundamen tal liberties. They are not minor elements of the rea son that this country is the envy and the dream and the goal of people around the world," said Pitts. "To the contrary, they are the core of us." He rattled off a long list of civil liberty violations that he says met with little protest after 9/11, including the massive amount of people, mainly Arab men. held without charge or trial after the terrorist attacks. He also cited the government easesdropping on American citizens in what he said was a vio lation of federal law. The USA PATRIOT Act allowing the government access to library records, was also a civil liberties offense, Pitts said. He said the pattern has gone beyond fighting terrorism to other areas like the right to protest, which was evi Scc Pitt* on All Group: party -less board is needed Idea of non-partisan races gets chilly ? response from incumbents BYT. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE The grassroots organization L H A IN <j fc (Communities Helping All Neighbors Gain Empowerment) had the full attention of several elected offi cials and candidates last week as it announced its plans to advocate for non partisan School Board elections. The group also wants more voting districts to he created in the county. Currently, members of the Board pf Education and Board of County Commissioners are elect ed from only two districts and by at-large voting. CHANGE mem bers say that Forsyth is an anom aly in North Carolina since no major metro politan area in the state has so few voting dis tricts'. The limited num ber of districts is the reason why the School Board and Board of County Commissioners have been. overwhelm ingly white and Republican for so many years. CHANGE members said. Each hoard has only two hlack mem bers. The African- Americans on each board are also the only S? CHANGE on AIO Tackabery In Grateful Memory of Our Founders, Florrie S. Russell and Carl H. Russell, Sr. "Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better" Kussell funeral ffimttc Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support 822 Carl Russell Ave. (at Martin L.uther King I>r.) Winston -Salem, NC 27101 <33tt) 722-3459 Fa* (336) 631-8268 rusfhome@bellsK>uth .net
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 19, 2006, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75