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Photos by Miyeui Mitchell About 2200 people gathered at the Wait Chapel on Wake Forrest University's campus to hear Laverne Cox speak on Oct. 5 Laverne Cox at Wake Forrest University on Monday, Oct. 5. - Actress and activist Laverne Cox advocates transgender label for census BY MAYEESA MITCHELL FOR THE CHwnisnn F Laveme Cox, best known for her role as Sophia Berset on "Orange Is The New Black," spoke Monday night, Oct. 5, to a crowded Wait Chapel at Wake Forrest University (WFU). "I believe it's important to claim the various intersected components of my multiple identities with pride in public because I've not always been able to do that," said Cox when she first addressed the audience. During her speech. Cox used personal stories from her journey to becoming her true self while relating back to statistics that speak to the death rate of and the lack of support for people who identify as gay lesbian bisexual transgender and queer (LGBTQ). Cox holds many accolades, including being the first transgendered woman nom mated for an Emmy. She uses her platform as a prominent actress to promote LGBTQ issues with emphasis placed on issues con cerning transgender people of color. "I've never seen 'Orange Is The New Black,'" said Anita Patel. "I have respect for her, not because she's a character on a show but because I'm interested in what she has to say." Patel, a junior at Wake Forrest University , sat with her friends, Regina Murphy, Katie Freudenburg and Janae Shaheed , while excitedly waiting for actress and activist Laverne Cox to take the stage at WFU's Wait Chapel. The Chapel, which holds 2,200 people, was nearly filled to capacity as students, faculty, staff and community members gathered to hear Cox deliver a keynote address sponsored by WFU's LGBTQ Center, Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Student Union, the Student Activities Fund, the Women's Center, the University Theatre department, the Documentary Filmmaking Program and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. "As an African-American transgender woman, she can speak to intersectional experiences," said Kayla Lisbenby, pro gram coordinator at WFU's LGBTQ Center, when asked why it was important to bring Cox to campus. "She's attracting different audiences and using her platform to speak on important issues." Jade Boston, an African-American transgender woman from Winston-Salem, was easily able to relate to Cox's journey. "It is inspiring to have someone as high profile as Laverne Cox represent our com munity," said Boston. "It's hard to meet people you can relate to. Throughout her address, Cox expressed the need to count transgender people in the census and to change policy with the goal of protecting and supporting transgendered people. Before allowing members of the audi ence to ask questions, Cox ended her speech with a call to action, asking the audience to go out and have difficult con versations across differences and to create safe spaces with the goal of having a better understanding of who the other person is, and ultimately who you are. Derrick Boone, a professor of 19 years in WFU's School of Business, agreed with Cox's message of acceptance and support. He said, "Our job is to educate the whole person and open students to differ ence points of view." Others who traveled from area schools like Winston Salem State University and Salem College to hear Cox speak were not disappointed. Ayana Shiggs who traveled with her friend Myesha Oliver and two resident coordinators from Salem College, summed up the experience of hearing Cox speak. "It was enough to be there," she said. Fund from page A1 from 77 percent in 2009 to 88 percent in 2014. The teen pregnancy rate in Forsyth County has dropped by more than half. But poverty showed no signs of improvement. "Even though we have made some strides in teen piVgllOJI^jr ajjU high school graduation rates, our poverty rate continues to rise," said Women's Fund Director Sabrina Slade. The study found 21.7 percent of women in Forsyth County living t? *? 111 lAJvcn)-. 11 IUUIIU iutmi)r 34.2 percent of black women, 50.6 percent of Hispanic women and 16 percent of Caucasian women living in poverty. All these numbers are increases over the 2010 report, with the number of white women in poverty almost doubling. The updated report went by cur rent federal poverty guide lines that define poverty as making $11,670 or less annually for an individual, or $19,790 or less for a family of three. The study found numer ous possible causes for the increase. It notes that hous ing'and associated costs continue to increase in the absence of livable wages. Women still continue to lag behind men in careers involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), which tend to have higher wages. Of the 25 states that enacted the Earned Income Tax Credit, North Carolina became the only one to eliminate it in 2014. The report had numer ous recommendations, including a local ordinance to require businesses that receive subsidies to pay a livable wage. Slade said that local organiza tions need to come together to tackle the problem and the community needs to devote its time, money and resources in the effort. "One of the recommenda tions as a Women's Fund s that we need to collectively come to the table to look at what we can all do differently now, we've been at this for a long time," she said. "What can we do differently col lectively to make an impact because there's not one agency, one foundation or one group that can tackle poverty in Forsyth County by themselves." Sale said the Women's Fund continue to do research and advocacy on the subject and will contin ue to give grants to organi zations that help women. "As a fund we're going to try to continue to chip away at it the best way we know how through the dol lars that we give to our organizations in Forsyth County who are working on economic security issues with women and girls," she said. Slade ,~A UAn1U. y~ ? . ? ; j ' VTFr , ? Forsyth County offering free flu immunizations SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is offering the sea sonal flu vaccine. Flu vaccine is the best way to protect you from the flu and is recommended for everyone over 6 months of age. The Forsyth County Department of Public Health will provide flu vac cine to anyone at no cost while sup plies last. Also, the county will offer High Dose vaccine for those over age 65. The health department will not offer FluMist or intradermal (micro needle) Flu. While getting the flu shot is the single best way to protect against the flu, there are several other ways to prevent the virus: wash your hands; cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze; if you are sick, stay home from work and keep your kids home from school if they are sick so it does not spread; and if you do become sick with the flu, take flu anti-viral medications if your doctor prescribes them. Flu shots will be given in Clinic 3 of the health department at 799 N. Highland Ave. during the following hours: Monday through Wednesday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; Thursday, from 9:30 am. to 6:45 p.m.; and Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Clinic 3 is a walk-in clin ic; appointments are not necessary. For more information about flu vaccination, contact the health department at 336-703-3100 or visit http://www.flu.nc.gov/. Rep. Adams to deliver address to NOW SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE U.S. Rep. Alma Adams will deliver the keynote address at the annual con ference of the North Carolina National Organization for Women on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Parkway United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The conference theme is "Focusing Women's Power NOW!" "Women are pushing back and moving forward, demanding our human rights and freedom from unwanted intrusions in our privacy and pursuit of hap piness," says Gaily a Paliga, president of N.C. NOW. "We are focusing women's power NOW!" Paliga explains that part of the state conference is educational, and part motivational. "It's a time to network and get organized to focus women's power to make changes that our state n ii I i m-mmmmmrnm i desperately needs to help women move forward." Morning sessions will feature updates on the sta tus of, and pending legisla tion on, NOW's six core issues in North Carolina: 34c Reproductive rights 4c Economic rights (including pay equity), fea turing Tazra Mitchell, Policy Analyst for the N.C. Budget and Tax Center 4c Ending violence against women, featuring Suzanne Reynolds, Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law and legal expert on domes tic violence protocol in the courts 4c Racial justice (including immigration) 4c LGBTQIAA rights 4c Constitutional equali ty through the Equal Rjghts Amendment Following Adams' keynote address, attendees will spend the afternoon honing their activist skills to bring about positive changes for women's lives in North Carolina, includ ing: electing feminist can didates, taking direct action and working with the media. For more information about NC NOW, visit https://northcarolinanow.w ordpress.com/home/; or for the National Organization for Women, visit www.now.org About the National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW's purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism to promote femi nist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimi nation, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls in all aspects of social, political, and economic life. HALL OF FAME INDUCTION AND BANQUET 7 r OCT 9 6-9pm TICKETS $75 336-750-3544 The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. Annual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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