Hail to the (New) Chief
Oath administered to Scott Cunningham during City Hall ceremony
BY TODD Ll'CK
THE CHRONICLE
? Scott Cunningham took a
solemn oath Friday as he
became the Winston-Salem
Police Department's 13th
police chief.
" City leaders expressed con
fidence in Cunningham, who
replaced the retiring Chief Pat
Norris, as the new chief made
the vow to protect and serve.
"(I was) looking for some
one with
new
ideas,
whether
they
were
from the
inside or
outside,"
'said City
Manager
Lee
Garrity,
w n o
hired Cunningham a few weeks
ago
Cunningham has the dis
tinction of being the first police
chief hired from outside the
department since 1980. Garrity
chose him over three other
finalists, including two from
within the department.
Cunningham served for 24
years with the Tampa Police
Department in Florida, where
he eventually became an assis
tant chief. Most recently, he
spent two years as police chief
of Cary.
Garrity said he chose
Cunningham for his intellectu
al approach to policing and his
reputation as a "cop's cop."
Garrity said he had "a lot of
help" from the public, police
officers and city officials in
making his decision.
The city manager believes 1
that Cunningham is best suited i
to address the growing crime 1
rate in Winston-Salem and '
implement the recommenda
tions of recent reviews of the ]
department. Last year, for
example, a citizen committee
released a report on the police
department's role in the wrong
ful conviction of Darryl Hunt,
and recently Risk Management
rnoio oy iooa luc*
Scott Cunningham is surrounded by his family last week as Superior Court Judge Todd Burke administers the oath.
Associates did an independent
review of the department. A
racially-charged case involving
a 1995 beating at local floral
shop is currently being inves|i
gated by a citizen committee.
Mayor Allen Joines said he
was impressed with
Cunningham's personality,
qualifications and his sensitivi
ty to the complex issues that
the department often faces. He
said the new chief is joining a
great department. i
' We have extraordinarily
good folks within our police
department, we have a great
leadership there," said Joines,
"However I think, occasional
ly, it's good to bring in new
ideas, new experiences from
across the country that may be
helpful to us."
Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian
Burke, the longtime chairman
of the city's Public Safety
Committee, also sang the prais
es of the WSPD. She said that
having an outside chief doesn't
reflect badly on the depart
ment.
"We have trained our police
so well and they have taken the
opportunity to excel in what
they're doing," said Burke.
"And I believe that
(Cunningham) will learn from
them because our police
department has been used as an
example around the country."
Burke said she felt the last
outside chief, Lucius Powell,
did a good job. She promised
to spend lots of time with the
new chief. She hopes that he
can formulate a plan to deal
with the recent increase in rob
beries and increase police
involvement in troubled parts
of the city.
Cunningham greeted his
new job with enthusiasm, say
ing he planned to be Winston's
police chief for many years. He
said the job presented him with
the perfect combination of
issues that will challenge him
both personally and profes
sionally. He said he saw no
"glaring problems" that gave
him concern about the depart
ment, but felt that he could
make it even better.
"I think I can add value to
it; I think I can add value to the
community and the police
department. I think it's a good
agency and community," said
Cunningham.
He was sworn in by
Superior Court Judge Todd
Burke, Mayor Pro Tempore
Burke's son. Cunningham's
wife. Amy, and their two sons.
Chase and Caige, stood beside
him as he put his hand on the
Bible and took his oath. He
promised that it was one oath
he wouldn't take lightly.
Garrity
AIDS program
planned for
older people
SPECIAL TO Ttffi CHRONICLE
A HIV/AIDS program
designed for people over 50
years old will be held Tuesday,
July 15 at the Glade Street
YWCA.
"HIV/AIDS 101," which
will take place from 12:30 - 2
p.m. is being hosted by the
YWCA of Winston
Salem/Forsyth County and led
by Julie Meyer, the executive
director of Positive Wellness
Alliance.
There has been a surge in
HIV cases among people over
50 in North Carolina and across
the nation. 0
"Nationally, the Centers for
Disease Control indicate a 15
percent increase in numbers of
people over 50 with HIV/AIDS,
due to better medical treatments
and number of newly diagnosed
infections," Meyer said.
"Among women, and particular
ly women of color, the numbers
have climbed dramatically,
mostly due to unprotected sex
with infected men."
In North Carolina in 2007,
222 men and 111 women over
50 years of age were identified
as HIV-positive, Meyer said.
Meyer, whose HIV/ AIDS
awareness agency serves
Forsyth, Davidson, Yadkin and
Davie counties, said that her talk
will include a detailed overview
of the pandemic, including defi
nitions, myths about contracting
HIV, risky behaviors, and talk
ing openly about how people
become infected.
Meyer said that AIDS and
HIV are high among N.C.'s
teenagers, too, and that aware
ness among this population is
critical. "Even if you are not
sexually active, you need to
know about the disease so you
can make your kids aware."
"An estimated 31,000 North
Carolinians are HIV positive,"
Meyer said. "The scary thing
about those stats is that two
thirds of them know it, and one
third of them don't."
"HIV- AIDS 101 " is open to
the public. For more informa
tion, call the Glade Street
YWCA at 336-722-5138.
North Carolina's integration pioneers honored
Reynolds High 's first
black student among
those celebrated
in Raleigh
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The woman responsible for
integrating the city-county
school system was among
those honored last week in
Raleigh by lawmakers and
Gov. Mike Easley.
Gwendolyn Bailey
Coleman, who made history as
a teenag
er when
she
enrolled
at all
white
Reynolds
High
School ,
was
among a
group of
former
ctu^antc
and a school administrator
feted at the Governor's
Mansion during a ceremony to
mark the 50th anniversary of
the integration of public
schools in North Carolina,
"It took determination and
courage for these individuals to
do what was right during a tur
bulent time in history and in
the face of tremendous adversi
ty," said Easley. "What could
Governor'* Office Photo
Dorothy Counts Scoggins.from left, Brenda Florence, Girvaud Roberts Justice , Delois Huntley, Gov. Mike Easley, Josephine
Boyd Bradley, Gwendolyn Bailey Coleman, Jimmy Florence and Dr. Craig Phillips.
have been just another hot
September school day was so
much more for these children.
They had a date with destiny
and today we honor their brav
ery."
Josephine Boyd Bradley,
Brenda Florence, Jimmy
Florence, Dorothy Counts
Scoggins, Girvaud Roberts
Justice, Delois Huntley along
with Bailey Coleman were
among the first to integrate the
Greensboro, Charlotte and
Winston-Salem school systems
during the 1957-58 school
year. Craig Phillips, who was
superintendent of the Winston
Salem schools at that time,
worked with Benjamin Smith
in Greensboro and Elmer
Garinger in Charlotte on the
plans to integrate those three
school systems. Phillips later
served as superintendent of the
North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction from 1969
1989. Smith and Garinger are
both deceased.
Easley presented each of
the former students and
Phillips with an Old North
State Award and a proclama
tion recognizing the SOth
anniversary of school integra
tion. The proclamation notes
that "the path to social justice
is ofttimes difficult and in con
stant need of individuals deter
mined to advance its, cause."
State Rep. Larry Womble
used the occasion to push a res
olution through the General
Assembly that praised the
group for the brave actions
they took that led to integra
tion.
Womble can .clearly
remember the day that
Coleman changed the
Winston-Salem/ Forsyth
County School System.
"We are all very proud of
her," he recalled. "The whole
black community was behind
her and proud that she was able
to do so well."
In 1954. the US Supreme
Court ruled in Brown v. Board
of, Education that segregated
schools were unconstitutional
and ordered all schools to pro
ceed to integrate "with all
deliberate speed." At that time,
segregation had a stronghold in
North Carolina and throughout
the South.
While the issue was debat
ed for the next three years, no
North Carolina public school
integrated until Phillips. Smith
and Garinger developed plans
for their schools.
On Sept. 4, 1957, the stu
dents broke the color barrier
and attended schools in
Greensboro, Charlotte and
Winston-Salem. All North
Carolina's public schools were
not fully integrated until 1970.
WombU
Williams
from page A2
round in 2005. By his sec
ond season. Williams proved
all of his critics wrong, earning
a starting cornerback slot.
During the 2006 season, he
made 86 tackles, snared four
interceptions, returning one for
a touchdown.
On Jan. 1, 2007, just hours
after his last game of the sea
son, Williams was inside his
rented Hummer limousine just
south of downtown Denver
when another vehicle pulled up
aside and several shots were
fired. One bullet struck
Williams in the neck, killing
him instantly as he slumped on
the lap of teammate Javon
Walker. Williams was 25 and
left a son, Darius, 8. and a
daughter Jaelyn, 5.
The shooting was believed
to be spurred from a verbal
altercation at a New Year's Eve
party, where Williams was a
guest, held by Denver Nuggets
player and Duncanville native
Kenyon Martin. Williams was
not involved in the altercation.
Willie Clark, a known
member of the Crips gang, is
the leading suspect in
Williams' death, arrested the
Kenyon Martin
4
next day on other unrelated
drug charges. On May 30, the
Rocky Mountain News report
ed it had attained a letter which
contained a confession by
Clark.
While family and friends
are interested in seeking jus
tice, they've become focused
more on developing long-term
proactive measures to curb
gang and youth violence by
giving them more alternatives
through the Darrent Williams
Foundation.
Terry Bell was particularly
hit hard by D-Will's death. Her
son, Tatum, a former DeSoto
High School football star,
played three years with
Williams at Oklahoma State
and two years in Denver.
Tatum now plays with the
Detroit Lions.
Bell is also a member of the
National M.O.M. Squad, an
association of mothers of
major league athletes and high
profile entertainers. Also pres
ent were M.O.MJ>quad presi
dent JacQuetta Clayton, moth
er of Baltimore Ravens receiv
er Mark Clayton; Priscilla
Murray, mother of actor/singer
Tyrese Gibson; Carolyn Smith,
mother of actor/rapper Will
Smith; Sherry Williams, moth
er of Tampa Bay Buccaneer
running back Carnell
"Cadillac" Williams; Debra
Jones, mother of Dallas
Cowboy Adam "Pacman"
Jones; and several others.
The Darrent Williams Teen
Center was opened in Denver
on May 28 as a first major step
of the Foundation's mission,
with plans of opening up teen
centers in every major city in
the country. Fundraising
efforts are going strong, indi
cated by a gala aftd silent auc
tion, held the night before the
parade and festival at the
Legends of the Game Museum
inside the Ballpark in
Arlington.