Briefs
Group says that Wal-Mart
violates its workers' rights
NEW YORK (/VP) - Wal-Mart's exploitation of weak
U.S. labor laws interferes with workers' rights to organize
and violates the human rights of its employees, according
to a report by Human Rights Watch, an independent non
government organization
In a 210-page report. Human Rights Watch said Wal
Mart uses an arsenal of sophisticated tactics ? some of
which it says are illegal - aimed at thwarting union organ
ization and creating a climate of fear for its 1 .3 million
US. workers.
The Human Rights Watch study was based on inter
views with 41 current and former Wal-Mart workers and
managers, as well as labor lawyers and union organizers,
between 2004 and early 2007. The organization also said
it analyzed cases against Wal-Mart charging the company
with violating US. labor and employment laws.
While Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is not alone in engaging in
illegal anti-union tactics, the retailer "stands out for the
extreme sophistication and aggressiveness of its anti-union
strategies," said Carol Pier, senior researcher on labor
rights and trade for Human Rights Watch and adthor of the
report.
Wal-Mart was quick to dismiss the study's allegations
as untrue and unsubstantiated.
"Wal-Mart provides an environment of open commu
nications and gives our associates every opportunity to
express their ideas, comments and concerns," said David
Tovar, a spokesman at Wal-Mart, in a statement. "It is
because of our efforts to foster such an environment that
our associates have repeatedly rejected unionization
attempts."
Human Rights Watch is using the report to call on
Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. The
EFCA ? which passed the U .S. House of Representatives
in March and is now under consideration in the Senate ?
increases penalties for labor law violations.
Urban League receives gift
from Food Lion Foundation
The Winston-Salem Urban League Youth Leadership
Institute has received $25,000 from the Food Lion
Charitable Foundation. The Urban
Grandberry
League will use the gift to support
the comprehensive Youth
Leadership Development and
Employment Program that provid
ed leadership development train
ing and summer employment for
nearly 200 youth ages 14 to 16.
Keith Grandberry.
President/CEO. Winston-Salem
Urban League stated "the recently
formed partnership with Food
Lion Foundation will help the
Urban League to provide valuable
training and work experience for youth to develop into
responsible and contributing young adults". Grandberry
commended the foundation for it's commitment to the
community and investment in the future of our youth.
The Winston Salem Urban League's Youth Leadership
Institute is a year-round, comprehensive, innovative pro
gram created to equip youth with the skills to transition
into adulthood and successful vocational and career
advancement. The Youth Development Institute consists
of five major components. Leadership Development.
Financial Literacy. Life Skills Training, Educational
Services and Youth Employment and Training.
Engineering dean receives award
Dr. Joseph Monroe, dean of the College of
Engineering at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University, was recently honored by the Department
of Computer Science - Dwight Look College of
Engineering at Texas A&M University. Monroe received
the "Distinguished Former Student - Ph.D. 1972" award
for his development and implementation of accredited
computer science programs worldwide.
Monroe earned a doctor of philosophy in computer
science from Texas A&M in 1972. the first African
American to earn such a degree. He later held a faculty
position at the United States Air Force Academy, where he
advanced through both the academic and the military
ranks during 25 years of service. He went from instructor
to full professor and from captain to colonel while in the
academy.
In 1978, Monroe became the first African-American
Permanent Professor at the United States Air Force
Academy. He was a founding member of the first comput
er science honor society. Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), the
only national and international honor society in computer
science.
Monroe received his B.S. degree in electrical engineer
ing from N.C.A&T and his M.S. in computer science from
Texas A&M.
Clear Channel delays buyout vote
?AN ANTONIO .MP) - Clear Channel
Communications Inc. on Monday delayed a vote on a
proposed $19.35 billion buyout of the1 radio and bill
board company and said it was talking to the bidders
about a revised offer.
The company had already received enough prox
ies to defeat the proposed buyout, which would
require a two-thirds vote for approval. The share
holder meeting scheduled for Tuesday was post
poned until May 22.
Clear Channel said its board was talking with pri
vate equity firms Bain Capital Partners LLC and
Thomas H. Lee Partners LP about incrdasing the
price to $39.20 per share from $39 and letting share
holders pick between getting paid in cash or stock of
the new company, with current shareholders limited
to a combined stake of 30 percent.
The Clear Channel board turned down a similar
proposal last week, saying the changes would delay
the vote by up to 90 days with no certainty it would
be approved.
Marketing trailblazer passes
Ed Boyd fought black stereotypes
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES - Edward F. Boyd, a for
qier Pepsi ad man who broke
color barriers with one of the
first corporate marketing cam
paigns to portray blacks in a pos
itive light, has died. He was 92.
Boyd died April 30 in Los
Angeles. Pepsi-Cola North
America Dave DeCecco said in a
statement. There were no other
details, but news reports said he
died at Century City Doctors
Hospital from stroke complica
tions.
Boyd was working at the
National Urban League in New
York City in 1947 when Pepsi
hired him and a team of educated
black salesmen to help the com
pany drives sales among blacks.
PepsiCo chairman Indra
Edward F. Boyd
Nooyi said it was time to celebrate Boyd s
"arijazing life and journey."
"His groundbreaking history with Pepsi and
the powerful, lasting impact that Ed made on
both our company and our nation speak for
themselves," Nooyi said in a statement.
"When I reflect upon people who have made
a profound difference on our
company. Ed Boyd's name will Be
foremost among them. I believe
his passion and tenacity are the
embodiment of the very best of
what PepsiCo strives to be every
day," Nooyi continued.
As an assistant sales manager
who led the group. Boyd created a
marketing campaign that showed
blacks as respectable, middle
class consumers.
One store display, for exam
ple, pictured a smiling mother
holding a six-pack of Pepsi-Cola
as her handsome, young son
reached for a bottle. There also
were series that profiled 20 black
achievers and featured top stu
dents at black universities drink
ing Pepsi.
The promotions differed sharply from the
insulting, images of mammies and pickaninnies
See Boyd on A5
Photo courtesy of ESR
Mr. and Mrs. Russ Hobbs with Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs, Russ Hobbs parents.
Wake alum gives $1 million
TO ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Russ Hobbs, entrepreneur and
founder of Blue Ocean Software,
has donated $1 million to Wake
Forest University for the Office for
Entrepreneurship and the Liberal
Arts (OHLA). This is the first
major endowment gift for the
OELA.
Hobbs. a Tampa. Fla., resident
and 1988 graduate of Wake Forest,
established the Russell D. and
Elfriede Hobbs Fund for
Entrepreneurship and the Liberal
Arts in honor of his parents. The
fund will provide seed grants,
internships and similar fiinds for
undergraduate students who want
to launch socially beneficial
organizations, including charita
ble. educational, scientific and
artistic enterprises. The gift will
also fund major prizes for the most
entrepreneurial ventures at Wake
Forest each year.
"Wake Forest's innovative
approach to entrepreneurial educa
tion is unique in that it extends
beyond the traditional definition of
entrepreneurship to encompass
scientific, intellectual, social and
artistic value creation as well as
economic. Combined with Wake
Forest's strong liberal arts educa
tion and focus on its motto. Pro
Humanitate. I feel this program is
leading the way in educating a
new generation of entrepreneurs
for the 21st century," said Hobbs.
After graduating from Wake
Forest with a bachelor's degree in
philosophy, Hobbs began working
in the information technology
department of a large company. In
1990, he quit his job and started
Blue Ocean Software with $6000
and a help desk and asset manage
ment product he developed called
Track-It!.
Within 10 years, the company
became a leading developer of
help desk, PC inventory and full
featured systems management
solutions and the Track-It! product
line was the most widely-installed
help desk software in the world.
Blue Ocean Software was list
ed as one of the fastest growing
companies in the country for three
consecutive years on Inc. maga
zine's Inc. 500 list. It was also
named to Software Magazine's list
of the top 500 largest software
companies in the world. Hobbs
sold Blue Ocean Software to Intuit
in 2002 for $177 million in a trans
action that Forbes magazine listed
as one of the top five venture-cap
ital backed deals in the U.S. for
2002.
Wake Forest is considered a
national leader in entrepreneurship
education. In 2003, the university
was selected as one of only eight
universities nationwide to receive
a matching grant ($2.16 million)
from the Ewing Marion Kauffman
Foundation to fund programs in
entrepreneurship in the liberal arts.
The OELA was established in
2004 as one component of the
grant and is led by Gatewood, who
has been named one of the top 10
entrepreneurship center directors
in the country according to
Entrepreneur magazine.
Schools
will break
ground
on research
complex ^
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
A vision that was con
ceived many years ago is
finally coming into fruition as
the partnership with North
Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University and
UNCG takes flight.
The groundbreaking and
ribbon-cutting ceremony of
the new Gateway University
Research Park is set to take
place in Greensboro on
Wednesday, May 16 at 4 p.m.
at the N.C. A&T Picnic
Pavilion. 3100 East Lee St.
The
e m e r -
gence of
the new
millenni
al cam
pus is a
collabo
ration
between
the two
U N C
system
Hackley
schools, will be a "bridge to
the future" and welcome
research based companies to
the Triad community. It will
attract and retain educational,
corporate and community
service agencies which
advance scientific and educa
tional research in technology
and provide approximately
850,000 square feet of new
space for joint research proj
ects and programs. The main
campus will be located on
approximately 75 acres of the
A&T farm property, bor
dered by 1-40 and located off
Lee Street near the 1-40/85
interchange.
The Gateway University
Research Park has $250 mil
lion master plan. When fully
developed, the project will
create a total economic impact
of $50 million per year within
the Triad region. The park was
created for the purposes of
supporting research and eco
nomic development within the
Triad. The area's long-term
future, including its economic
development and overall qual
ity of life, will be dependent
upon its success in attracting,
establishing and/or retaining
effective educational and
community service agencies
and businesses driven by the
discovery of new knowledge
and technologies.
The Gateway University
Research Park 16-member
board of directors include:
Edward Kitchen, chair; Dr.
Lily Kelly-Radford, vice
chair; Dennis Stearns, secre
tary/treasurer; and members
Dr. Janice Brewington,
Barbara Demarest, N.C. A&T
Chancellor Lloyd Hackley,
Denny Kelly, Lee McAllister,
Gwyn Riddick, Ralph
Shelton. Mac Sims, Thomas
Sloan. UNCG President
Patricia Sullivan, Dr. Gerald
Truesdale, Dr. A. Edward
Uprichard, and John Merrill,
ex officio.
Local woman honored for "Can-do" spirit
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Jeanette Matthe?&, the
financial center manager of
First Community Bank's office
on University Parkway, is the
recipient of the company's
Can-Do Award. She recefrVed
the honor during a recent
awards banquet held recently
at the Hotel Roanoke in
Roanoke, Va.
The Can-Do Award is pre
sented to the employee who
exhibits a positive attitude
towards his/her fellow
employees and tackles prob
lems as opportunities 'for suc
cess. O
Joe W. Carroll, senior vice
president, said, "We are
pleased to announce Jeanette's
award. She is a true leader and
motivator, and morale in her
department is excellent.
Supervisors can depend on
Jeanette to provide detailed,
accurate information. We con
gratulate her on her achieve
Firit Community Photo
Jeanette Matthews receives her award from David Brown,
First Community's Chief Financial Officer.
ment."
Matthews has over 15
years experience in the bank
ing industry. She has complet
ed the office management,
medical billing and coding
certification from Allied
Business School. In addition,
she has received the principles
of banking, financial account
ing, business communications
and consumer lending diplo
mas through the North
Carolina Banker's
Association.
She is active in a number of
community activities, includ
ing Habitat for Humanity
Board of Directors. American
Red Cross Winter Days of
Giving. eWomen Networking,
and serves as a volunteer at
Ibraham Elementary School.
Matthews resides in King
with her husband. Jim. They
have a son, Chad, who resides
in Kernersville with his family.
Headquartered in
Blucfield, Va., First
Community Bank operates
through 61 banking locations
and four wealth management
offices in Virginia, West
Virginia, North Carolina and
Tennessee.