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Photos by Tcvin Stinsoo
QEA chief executive director Simon Johnson (R), presents Ernie H. Pitt (L)
founder and publisher of The Chronicle with a plaque during the 14th Annual
Legacy Ceremony.
Roy Ellsworth Oliphant delivers his acceptance speech during the 14th Annual
Legacy Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7. QEA chief executive director Simon
Johnson presented Oliphant with a plaque during the ceremony.
OEA honors community legends
Pitt, Oliphant
honored during
annual Legacy
Ceremony
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Quality Education
Academy (QEA) has offi
cially made two additions
to its hall of legends.
Last weekend,
Chronicle Publisher Ernest
H. Pitt and financial expert
Roy Ellsworth Oliphant
were honored during the
school's 14h annual
Legacy Ceremony.
The gala is a fundrais
ing event designed to give
thanks to prominent com
munity figures who helped
the dream of QEA become
a reality.
The free public charter
school is known for its
holistic approach to high
academic achievement and
its emphasis on family
involvement, cultural
awareness and personal
responsibility.
Judge Denise Hartsfield
of the 21st Judicial District
said that it was a privilege
to host the event that hon
ored two great men who
have improved the lives of
so many in the community
over the years.
She applauded Pitt for
dedicating so much time
and effort to delivering
positive and uplifting news
stories to the people of
Winston-Salem and
Forsyth County.
"Mr. Pitt makes it his
business to let us know the
good things that are going
on in our community," she
continued. "In a world
where the press writes
about negative images, in
Winston-Salem we have
the privilege to have a local
news publication that tells
it like it is and applauds us
for being who we are."
Hartsfield described
Oliphant as a man in a
powerful position who
serves a powerful God that
leads him to make the right
decisions for the people in
the community.
As a loan operations
specialist for commercial
banking at Wells Fargo,
Oliphant is responsible for
providing money for new
buildings and businesses in
the area.
Oliphant is also a
founding member of the
Lambda Eta Chapter of
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Inc., chartered on the cam
pus of Wake Forest
University in 1975. He also
serves on the QEA Board
of Directors.
During their acceptance
speeches, the honorees
bestowed words of advice
upon the many students in
attendance.
Pitt pushed students to
get to know themselves,
and to have a committed
relationship with God,
which is aligned with the
core values of the QEA cur
riculum.
"The great maker made
you to be everything that
you want to be, so you
should never doubt your
self, even through hard
ships," he said. "God
places hardships before us
so that we can learn lessons
from them.
"Once you build that
relationship with God, you
will begin to see those
hardships as stepping
stones that you will use to
make yourself a better per
son."
Oliphant encouraged
students to be more giving
and caring to others.
"The biggest thing I
want to pass on to the
young people is to not be
selfish and learn how to
help someone else," he
continued. "If we had more
compassion for each other,
we wouldn't see as much
carnage as we see today."
Chief Executive Officer
Simon Johnson said the
annual Legacy Ceremony
is one of the many ways
QEA is creating a long
enduring institution that
will serve our communities
and particularly the chil
dren in our community.
"Legacy is a fundraiser
for us, but this is not the
most important purpose of -
Legacy," Johnson said.
"One of the most
important things that we
must consider is longevity
and continuity within
longevity," he continued.
"Legacy creates a tradition
and a trend that down
through the years will bind
the core values of the
school together with the
community."
Trayvon Martin's father to speak in W-S
Corner 2 Corner
conference set
for next week
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONIC1 J.
Tracy Martin, father of
Trayvon Martin and co
founder of the Trayvon
Martin Foundation, will
speak on Sunday, Nov. 22,
during the 12th annual
Comer 2 Comer (C2C)
Drug Dealers and Street
Life Conference, scheduled
for Thursday through
Sunday, Nov. 19-22.
Union Baptist Church,
1200 N. Trade St., is the
host of the conference,
which is designed to help
individuals take steps to
turn their lives around.
Martin will speak at the
graduation ceremony for
the C2C participants during
Union Baptist's morning
worship service at 11 ajn.
Sean "Demetrus"
Senior, college and young
adult pastor at Bethel
Baptist Institutional
Church, will be the guest
preacher at the 8:30 am.
worship service. Bishop
Rudolph McKisisick Jr. is
the senior pastor of Bethel
Baptist Institutional.
The Comer 2 Comer
Conference will open with
registration and a continen
tal breakfast on Thursday,
Nov. 19 and Friday, Nov.
20 at 8 a.m. Workshops
will begin each morning at
9:15 a.m. and conclude
with lunch. On Sunday, the
graduation worship servic
es will be at 8:30 a.m. and
11 am.
On Tuesday, Nov. 17 at
6:30 pm? the conference
will hold a pre-conference
forum, which will focus on
the release of federal
inmates by the US Justice
Department. Realizing that
these inmates will be inte
grated into communities,
there will be a special ques
tion and answer forum to
address concerns regarding
housing, employment and
what the Christian commu
nity can do to assist with
their transition.
Tracy Martin has com
mitted his life to transform
ing tragedy into change. In
2012 his teen son,Trayvon,
was fatally shot by a neigh
borhood watch volunteer in
San ford. Florida. The event
received national media
attention at the time of the
shooting and a year later
when the shooter was
acquitted of murder
charges. Despite his devas
tating loss, Martin was able
to channel his' immeasura
ble heartache into the
immense strength needed
to elicit positive change.
He now is fighting for the
broad societal shift
required to ensure that a
similar incident never
claims the life of another
child.
Sean . "Demetrus"
Senior, affectionately
known as Pastor D., has a
powerful testimony of try
ing to live a life in the
streets while knowing the
call on his life.
Longer than Senior has
been preaching the Word,
he has been captivating
crowds with his amazing
vocal talent.
He owns record label
Kaught Upp Music. Senior
is working on his fourth
album titled "Not Guilty."
Persons interested in
participating in this year's
C2C Drug Dealers and
Street Life Conference
should call 336-724-9305,
ext. 222. Registration is
free and open to the pub
lic. Bishop Sir Walter
Mack Jr. is pastor and
teacher of Union Baptist.
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Contact events@nwcdc.org
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