A
Grant recipients celebrate Black
Philanthropy Initiative's generosity
Submitted Photos
BPl Members (Front-Back): Twana Roebuck, Dr. Tony
Burton, Alison Ashe-Card, Andrea Jenkins, Dr. Leila
Vickers. Veronica Black, Artina Dawkins, Paula McCoy,
Dr. Betty Alexander.
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Black Philanthropy Initiative's grant cele
bration was held last Wednesday, March 11.
The following received grants from the organi
zation:
?Experiment in Self Reliance: $5/XX) to sup
port the New Century Individual Development
Account (IDA) program to help more working low
income individuals become financially stable, and
to ultimately become first-time homebuyers.
Experiment in Self Reliance will provide IDA pro
gram graduates who have purchased a home with
additional financial literacy classes to reinforce best
practices of long-term financial success. In addi
tion, each graduate is paired with a success coach
who will gather information from the graduates
regarding their financial stability to help enhance
the IDA program for future participants and to
research the program's long-term impact.
?Empowering Girls in Real Life Situations:
$5,000 to support a program for girls and teens that
builds self-esteem through education and mentor
ing. The program provides group discussions on
issues that the girls may be experiencing, mentoring,
Gollege tours, etiquette training, and a community
service project. The program is being offered at
Philo Middle School and Parkland High School dur
ing the 2014-2015 school year.
?School Health Alliance for Forsyth County:
$5,000 to support a behavioral treatment project for
students and families at Ashley Elementary who are
affected by Attention Deficit/Hyper Activity
Disorder (ADHD). The 18-week pilot program will
provide parents with up-to-date information on
ADHD treatment, best practices on advocating for
their children, parenting skills, and opportunities to
participate in team building exercises with their
child's teacher.
Experiment in Self Reliance(L-R): Dr. Tony Burton,
Barbara Johnson, Alison Ashe-Card, and Twana Roebuck.
School Health Alliance for Forsyth County (L-R): Dr. Tony
Burton, Karen Pearson Alison Ashe-Card.
Empowering Girls in Real Life Situations(L
R): Dr. Tony Burton, Alison Ashe-Card,
Sylvia Flack, and Cheryl Ingram.
Main Street Academy students inspired by local leader
MHL1/U. IU 1M11UIKI I.MtLb
Antonio Stevenson, who grew
up in Winston-Salem, understands
some of the pitfalls an African
American male can encounter in
society.
During a recent visit to Main
Street Academy, the alternative
"scfiobf"" in the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County school sys
tem, he spoke with the students
about choices they make and how
these decisions can positively or
negatively impact their lives.
Stevenson told the students that
they are responsible for their
actions, they should understand the
importance of education and who
they choose as friends. They should
choose friends very carefully, he
said.
Stevenson is a very strong
advocate for keeping youth on the
right path and facilitating second
chances for at risk youth. During
his visit, he reminded the young.,
men that "prison is not a placeJjbr
them and they play a large panffn
what happens to them in life." '
The Albermale native graduated
from Carver High School in 1989
and is a 1994 graduate of Winston
Salem State University. He is work
ing with students through Youth
Opportunities Inc., in Winston
' Salem and serves as a personal
trainer, specializing in working
with teens at West Forsyth YMCA.
He has spoken throughout North
Carolina as a motivational speaker,
sharing life experiences and speak
ing to youth about life choices.
These speaking engagements
include the Future Young Black
Leaders Symposium at Winston
Salem State University, Gear Up
conferences, and Bridging the Gap
workshops.
Also, he has been a part of the
Right Choice group activities in
Charlotte and Winston-Salem and
he has spoken at the Urban League
Job Fair. Stevenson is the father of
two daughters, Kali and Sydney,
and a member of the Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity Inc.
Submitted Photos
Antonio
Stevenson
speaks to
students at
the Main
Street
Academy.
Stevenson with the Main Street students.
Honoring Virginia Newell
W L
Submitted Photo
Dr. Virginia K. Newell was recognized at a meeting of the Forsyth County Senior Democrats
on Thursday, March 5 in Winston-Salem. A plaque was presented in recognition of Dr. Newell's
exemplary dedication as a life-long educator and overall fighter for justice and equality in our
community and state.
IN MEMOR1 AM
PIGGOTT
Queen-Mother Mae
Edith Clarida Piggott,
affectionately known as
"The Pretty Lady" and
"The Queen |
Bee," was I
born to I
Deacon Joe f
Clarida and P
M r s . L
Josephine
Leola Smith
Clarida in
N a k i n a ,
North
Carolina on
Thursday,
December
15, 1927. She departed
this life on Thursday,
March 12, 2015 at
Forsyth Memorial
Hospital. She was
joined in holy matrimo
ny to Benjamin Howard
Piggott on September 5,
1952 in High Point,
North Carolina.
In addition to
her parents and husband,
she was preceded in
death by her son Kermit
Bruce Piggott, her sisters
Ethel Roena Clarida
(Rev. Silas Daniel)
Piggott, Irene Clarida
(John Amos) Piggott,
Clara Bell Clarida; her
brothers The Rev. Johnie
Burris Clarida, Sr., and
Joe Robert (Mary
Magaline) Clarida; her
sisters-in-law Rachel
Ann Piggott (Johnny)
Smith, Janie Dell Piggott
(Joseph) Hemingway,
Dessie Bell Piggott
(Edward) Marlowe, Ella
Marie Piggott
Swinton(The Rev.
Willie) Smith, and Mary
Eliza Piggott (George)
Stanley; and her broth
ers-in-law George
Wallace Piggott, Joseph
Lawrence . (Elsie)
Piggott, and Henry
Virnis (Mamie) Piggott,
son-iri-law Ben Long,
Sr., and brother-in-law
King David Stanley.
She is survived
by her children
Benjamin H. Piggott,
Marcia L. Piggott, Rev.
Dr. Felecia Piggott
Long, and Ronald
Pickens of the City; her
sister Inez Clarida
Stanley of Nakina, NC,
Grandchildren Reynita
McMillan, Asha Piggott,
Monica Gerald; Aunt
Harriet Piggott, Lake
Waccamaw, NC; uncles
Percy Clarida of
Long wood, NC and
Riley Clarida of Long
Island, NY; and care
givers Diane Bell
Piggott, her niece, and
extended family member
Denise Daniels; devoted
friends Delores Scales,
Bronnie Daniels,
Claudia Foote, Mary
Jenkins, Mary Schuler,
Annie Mae Johnson,
Hattie Fulwood,
Catherine Douthit, and
Thelma Hailstock among
others; a host of nieces
and nephews, four
grandchildren, and many
more family members
and friends.
Mrs. Piggott
committed her life to the
Lord at a young age and
joined the Zion Plain
Missionary Baptist
Church. When she mar
ried and relocated to
Winston-Salem in 1952,
she joined Union Baptist
Church under the pas
torate of Dr. A. H.
McDaniel. She also
remained under the lead
ership of The Rev. B. F.
Daniels and the current
pastor The Rev. Dr. Sir
Walter Mack, Jr. She
was the first Young
Adult Missionary presi
dent at Union Baptist
Church from 1955-1959,
under the supervision of
Mrs. Marie H. Ryland.
Mrs. Marie Lewis was
the Senior Missionary
President. Mrs. Piggott
served as a Sunday
School teacher of young
adults for many years.
She was a member of
The Baptist Training
Union, The Forsyth
County Sunday School
Union, The Forsyth
County Missionary
Union, the Senior
Missionary Department,
the Junior Missionary
Society, The Lott Carey
Foreign Mission
Convention, ?- The
Woman's Baptist State
Convention,
The , and The
Rowan
Association,
The Union of
the Four
Churches, and
The Effort Aid
Club.
In
the communi
ty, she was
active various
activities. She
was a member of the
Happy Hill Garden
Senior Citizens' Club,
the Carl Russell
Recreation Center Senior
Citizens' Club, the
Senior Luncheon at the
Brown and Douglas
Recreation Center. She
taught a sewing class for
adults and youth at the
William C. Sims
Recreation Center in
Happy Hill. In addition,
she took a ceramics
class, along with her
children, at the Sims
Center. She designed
several black and gold
King Tut heads, Queen
Nefertiti heads and sold
them during the National
Black Theatre Festival.
She also spent hours cro
cheting and quilting with
her daughters and the
late Mrs. Marie Lewis.
Ms. Piggott also
enjoyed attending plays
at the North Carolina
Black Repertory
Company, and she was a
member of the Theatre
Guild. She was featured
in the CrownsiPortraits
of Black Women in
Church Hats calendar in
2002, and was inter
viewed as one of the
most political domestics
in the exhibit "Maid in
America." In addition,
she completed an inter
view with Katherine
Mobley on WFDD
Radio about her experi
ences as an African
American woman in the
South. She has been
active in the city-wide
Kwanzaa observance for
many years, the Happy
Hill Reunion, Juneteenth
celebrations. The
National Black Theatre
Festival and many other
cultural activities.
She was edu
cated in the public
schools of Columbus
County in a one-room
school house. She gradu
ated as an adult from
Paisley High School in
September of 1969. In
addition, she studied at
Russell's Business
College and trained to
serve as a cafeteria man
ager for the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
School, where she
retired in 1989. What is
more, she earned her
African name Yaa
Serwaa Agyeman(Born
on Thursday, Noble
Character, god of the Pra
River) in September
2010 when she and her
daughter Felecia, and
husband Ben Long, her
granddaughters Reynita
and Asha studied African
Rites of Passage with
Okomfo and Nanahene,
Kwabena F. Ashanti,
PH.D, psychology pro
fessor at North Carolina
State University in
Raleigh. During their
study, they discovered
that the family lines of
the Piggott-Clarida fami
ly can be traced back to
Ghana, West Africa.
Following the year of
study, they were honored
at the Maafa celebration
held at the International
Civil Rights Museum in
February of 2011 in
Greensboro, NC. The
African Naming
Ceremony was held at
Rising Ebenezer Baptist
Church in Happy Hill
Gardens, the oldest, lib
erated African American
community in North
Carolina.