The Chron
Vol. XXXVII No. 10 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, November 4, 2010
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Films for
Thought
WFU alum returns to campus to screen
some of the stinging films he produces
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Devin Smith, who has co-produced films such as the con
troversial "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," returned
to his alma mater last week to challenge Wake Forest
University business students about their ideas of big busi
ness and ethics.
Smith, a Gastonia native, is vice president of Operations
for Brave New Films, a Calfornia-based company that pro
Pholo by Todd Lud
Devin Smith
duces progressive docu
mentaries like the Wal
Mart film, which criti
cized the retail giant for
things like cutting cor
ners when it comes to
providing benefits for its
employees.
Because of the con
troversial nature of the
company's full length
films, no major distribu
tor will touch its work.
The company self-dis
tributes its films on
DVD. Currently, the
company is focusing on
producing short online
documentaries on spe
cific issues involving
k politics, war. the media
and big business. Each
film ends with a call to
action for viewers, followed by the company's motto
"psssst...Do Something!"
"It's about activating or motivating people to do some
thing," said Smith, who appeared last Thursday evening at
the Calloway School of Business to take part in the first in a
series of forums on business ethics. He screened two short
online videos for Business and Enterprise majors. One of
them called for the firing of former Bank of America
President. Chairman and CEO Ken Lewis because the com
pany paid big bonuses to executives while planning to lay off
more than 30.000 employees after receiving $35 billion in
taxpayer bailout money.
The other featured billionaire Henry Kravis, whose com
pany KKR is known for buying other companies, streamlin
ing them -often by firing workers - and then reselling them
at a profit. The short film encourages viewers to fight for a
change in the tax code that currently makes the money that
KKR borrows to buy these companies tax free.
"This is not an indictment of capitalism or the accumula
tion of wealth." said Smith. "I do believe in capitalism; I do
believe in the accumulation of wealth; I do believe it has
worked. It continues to work and will work for the foresee
Sk Smith on AS
Photo by Lay la Farmer
Mitchell Brown is the proud owner of Downtown Dollar.
More
Bang for
Your Buck
Downtown Dollar set to open
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
For some, entrepreneurship is a dream. For
Winston-Salem resident Mitchell Brown, it's
becoming a habit.
Brown, 32. is slated to open his highly-anticipat
ed Downtown Dollar store at 131 West Fourth Street
today. The store, which he hopes to expand into a
chain, is the first of its kind to grace the downtown
landscape, and the latest in a long line of business
ventures for Brown, a Greenville native.
Set Dollar on \t
UpMp by L*yla Farmer
New Prodigals alumni (from left): Victor Todd, Christy Vineyard, Donald Massey and Chris Sloan.
Graduating to a life of sobriety
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE _
Four members of the Prodigals
Community were feted Monday night
for reaching a milestone in their lives:
sustainable sobriety.
Prodigals, a long-term residential
Christian substance abuse treatment
facility on Waughtown Street, held a
graduation or "Step-Up Service." in
honor of Prodigals residents Donald
Massey. Germaine Payne, Chris Sloan.
Victor Todd and Christy Vineyard.
They all recently completed the more
than yearlong program.
Massey. Sloan. Todd and Vineyard
(Payne was unable to attend) were
given certificates, handmade quilts
from Northwest Baptist Church and
plenty of praise during the program,
which was held inside the Prodigals'
onsite sanctuary.
For Todd, the excitement is almost
too much to hear. At 30, he has been in
more than his share of drug treatment
programs. The New Jersey native said
he began dabbling with marijuana as a
teen. Over time. Todd's recreational
drug use snowballed into a full-blown
addiction to crack cocaine. For most of
the last decade. Todd has ridden the
V\ Prodigals on A 10
Visually-impaired group starts Lions chapter
Ptwim by Lay la Farmer
Betty Chisholm receives her official Lions Club pin from Lions Club
District Governor Bill H omack.
BY LAY LA FARMER
I HI CHRONIC! I
Winston-Salem has a new Lions Club chap
ter.
Fourteen people associated with the
Industries for the Blind (IFB) were officially
mauciea into ine ll-u
Community Lions Club
last Thursday during a cer
emony at the Hawthorne
Inn.
"I'm honored to have
you become a part of our
organization." said Bill
Womack. District
Governor of the Lions
Club, the world's largest
service organization. "I'm
tickled to death that we've
Powell
got new members coming in. and better than
that, we've got a new club."
Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the
Lions Club International has been dedicated to
serving people, especially those who arc blind or
See ( huplrr on AIO
Cold Hard Cash
Yfy l*>la Farmer
WSSU Professor Dr. Skrumah Lewis presents money
rasied last month hy his students to Quinstar Coleman of
Family Services. The donation will support the agency's
domestic violence shelter. See full story on All.
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