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20 110808 1 - * * 5-DIGIT 27101
NORTH CAROLINA ROOM
FORSYTH CTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
660 W 5TH ST
WINSTON SALEM NC 27101-2755
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THURSDAY, January 17, 2008
Son follows
in his
dad's
big shoes
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-See Page B 1
Health
summit
attracts
hundreds
- See Page A9
Service
Lses on
Mason crosses colof line
Black man sworn in
i .
as head of historically
white lodge
BY TODD LUCK
* THE CHRONICLE \
History was made earlier
this month in Winstoif-Salem as
the state's first black leader of
an Ancient Free and Accepted
Mason Lodge was sworn in.
Joseph Adegboyega is the
new Worshipful Master of the
Piedmont-Pioneer Lodge #685,
an AF and AM Lodge that
meets at the Masonic Temple on
Miller Street.
It's not his first time making
history as a mason. In 2002, he
became the first black AF and
AM member in the state, break
ing down an long-established
Photo by NC AF A AM Lodge
Joseph Adegboyega stands with other members.
barrier left over from segrega
tion that kept black men out of
the organization. A separate
lodge, Prince Hall, was estab
lished for African-American
masons in the United States.
"There should be no reason
why a black man should not be
in a masonic, lodge side by side
with the white man except for
the fact that the South was big
oted, the South was segregat
ed," said Adegboyega.
Adegboyega settled in
North Carolina in 2001 . He was
born in Nigeria and attended
college in France. He eventual
ly moved to Canada, where he
became a member of the AF and
AM Lodge, an organization
with lodges all over the world
with no official restrictions on
race. He then met a woman,
who would become his wife, in
North Carolina and moved to
Kernersville to be with her. He
is currently a self-employed
addiction specialist working at
Step One in Winston-Salem.
When he found a masonic
lodge in Winston-Salem, his
wife told him that it was only
See Adegboyega on A 12
Guinea
Pigs by
Choice
Seniors among first
to tackle graduation
projects
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE _
After months of prepara
tion, nine Parkland Magnet
High School seniors presented
their graduation project^ before
a panel of judges in the school's
media center last week.
The projects were centered
around the career path of each
student's choosing. They shad
owed professionals in their cho
sen field and completed an 8-10
page research paper on their
Findings. They were also asked
to created a DVD or powerpoint
presentation to accompany their
presentations.
"This project represents an
opportunity for them to explore
any career interest that they
have," commented Graduation
Project Committee member
Tonya Allen Clements, an
English and journalism teacher
at Parkland.
"It's just an incredible
opportunity for them and when
Photo by LayU Fanner
Tokara Harper was among the students who stood before local judges last week.
they bring back to the class
room photos, the interview
notes, the smiles, the sense of
pride, you realize at that point
that you've captured that
child's attention, and that's
what we have to do as educa
tors," she added. "That's why I
see this particular project as
important to me, because {?'see
it as a way for the children to
have some sort of preparatory
ground."
Each of the presenters at
Parkland volunteered to partici
pate as part of a pilot program
the school has hosted for the
past two years. Carver and East
Forsyth high schools also host
ed similar pilots. The school
system is readying itself for
state-mandated graduation proj
ects, which will be required of
every high school senior begin
ning with the class of 2010.
"The state of North Carolina
wants the students to be pre
pared to be globally competi
tive and to have 21st century
skills," explained Alexandra
Hoskins, who works with the
school system's Graduation
See Projects on A4
File Photos
Youngsters march to the Benton Convention last year on the
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
City prepares
to honor MLK
. Special events will be plentiful
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Activities designed to cele
brate the life and legacy of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. will fill
the day on Monday, Jan. 21 , the
day that, this year, is designated
the national holiday in honoT of
the slain Civil Rights great.
Had he survived an assas
sin's bullet in Memphis on April
A 1 Ci/^O rW
?t, 17UO, LSI . IVlUg,
would have turned T$-%
on Jan. 15. The nation
has honored King
since 1986, nearly
three years after then
President Ronald
Reagan signed a bill
into law creating the
MLK federal holiday.
Events will start
bright and early in the
Twin City on Monday.
rne Chronicle win
once again hold its Martin
Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast
starting at 7:30 a.m. at the
Benton Convention Center.
Again, the event will feature
a slate of speakers who will
focus on themes and issues key
to King's legacy. Among those
scheduled to speak are the Rev.
Stacey Frazier, pastor of
Friendship Baptist Church;
Robert Stephens, the Student
Government Association presi
dent at Winston-Salem State
Pankey
University; Arnold Hence.
Forsyth Technical Community
College's executive vice presi
dent; Salem College President
Susan Pauly; Mayor Allen
Joines; the Rev. Kendall Jones,
pastor of New Bethel Baptist
Church; and Wake Forest
Divinity School's Rev. Veronice
Miles. .
The Burke Singers will per
r *i- ~ l
KM III ill U1C UIC4JU4M
and Judge Denise
Hartsfield will
emcee. The event is
free and open to the
public; ' however
tickets are required
for those who wish
to eat. As of
Tuesday, all 550
tickets had been
claimed. Those who
wish to come sim
ply to enjoy the program are
welcome to attend, though.
The> Ministers Conference of
Winston-Salem and Vicinity
will also have its long-running
MLK breakfast program on
Monday.-That event will be at 8
a.m. at Mount Zion Baptist
Church. 950 File St. After the
breakfast, around 10:30 a.m.,
crowds will gather outside of
the church to prepare to march
downtown to the Benton
Convention Center for the 28th
See MLK on All
'Bear' Essentials
Photo by Layla Farmer
Denise Smith, head of the local Girls' Primary Honey Is Gerald
Lair , poses with her grandson , TaDarrian, and some of the teddy
bears that she and other members of the lair will give to local
children next month. See the full story on page All.
Wake woos black students with top-notch program
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
The Calloway School of Business
and Accounting at Wake Forest
University has one of the strongest
accounting programs in the country,
with an exam passage rate for CPAs that
would make other institutions green
with envy.
"It's one of the school's premiere
programs," said Debra Jessup, director
of diversity initiatives at WFU. "Our
students do extremely well on the CPA
exam; we were number one or two ... in
the nation, in the last 10 years in passing
all four parts of the CPA."
While strong in academics, the
school is severely lacking when it comes
to diversity, as are most accounting pro
grams nationwide. The current master's
level program at Wake Forest is home to
66 students, only three of whom are
African American, according to Jessup.
See WFU on A4
Photos by Ken Brrmrtt/WFl '
StuderitS listen intently during the recent Consortium.
? ? ? ? ^ W I 1
In Grateful Memory of Our
Founders,
Florrie S. Russell and
Carl H. Russell, Sr.
"Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better "
fltoggcjj jfumral ffiamt
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
822 dTaurl Ruksell Ave.
Cat Martin Luther King Or.)
Winston-Salem , NC 27101
036) 722-3459
Fa* (336) 631-8268
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