See Opinion/Forum pages on A6&7 • WINSTON-SALEM, N.C Volume 43, Number 25 THURSDAY, February 23, 2017 W-S NAACP targets Burr N.C. NAACP calls for protests to request pub lic town halls BY CASH MICHAELS FOR THE CHRONICLE On Monday, Feb. 27, the Winston-Salem office of Sen. Richard Burr is going to hear some noise from many of die Republican senator’s constituents, and the Protest details Sen. Burr’s Winston-Salem office is located at 2000 West First Street, Suite 508. Its phone number is 800-685-8916, or 336-631-5125. Monday’s demon stration begins at 4 p.m local chapter of the N.C. NAACP. “We must hold our federal elected officials accountable in theif home districts,” said N.C. NAACP President Rev. Dr. William Barber II, in an email sent to supporters and the press earlier this week. “ “On Feb. 27, we will deliver a list of demands and request public town halls at the offices of all of our N.C. senators and representa tives to ensure that our elected offi cials listen to the people,” Barber’s email continued. Below was a list of every U.S. senator and con gressperson elected to Washington from North Carolina. Sen. Richard Burr’s Winston Salem office was second from the top. According to Rev. Alvin Carlisle, president of the Winston Salem/Forsyth County NAACP, he will be there at 4 p.m., along with several other chapter members and citizens to protest Burr’s insistence on repealing the Affordable Care See Burr on A2 Sen. Burr . ... ■ , . ' ■- ,, ... ,, - - - ... . . . A. . . . . . .. . • • • ■ • • i ■ Library celebrates African American Read-In Day Photo by Tcvin Stinson Renea Andrews reads “Skin Again” by Bell Hooks during the African-American Read-In celebration at the Malloy!Jordan East Winston Library on Monday, Feb. 20. BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE African-American history came to life through storytelling, song, and poetry earlier this week at the Malloy/Jordan East Winston Library as it celebrated National African American Read-In Day. During the month of February, schools, churches, libraries, book stores, and other professional organi zations are urged to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting the event designed to introduce children to African American authors and the history that is oven overlooked. This year, students from the Bethlehem Community Child Development Center listened closely as volunteers from the community read books, recited poems and sang songs drenched in the African American culture. To begin the interactive history lesson, Renea Andrews read “Skin Again.” The short book written by Bell Hooks encourages children to look beyond skin color and judge their peers by what’s in their hearts. When asked why she chose the book, Andrews said she felt it was impor tant that the students know that it’s what’s on the inside that matters most. “Since the first time I read this book, it spoke to my soul,” continued Andrews. “It reminded me of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream, that we are judged not by the color of our skin but the content of our character.” Following Andrews’ presentation, retired elementary school teacher Anne Jenkins read “The Glass Bottle Tree” by Evelyn Coleman. Next, Amattullah Saleem kept the party going when he got the children to join him as he sung a Negro spiritual before reading his book of choice. See Read-in on A2 Robinson to meet Trump Administration, lawmakers BY CASH MICHAELS FOR THE CHRONICLE_ On Tuesday, Feb. 28, the presidents of many of the 106 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the nation will convene at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. for what is being called a “fly-in” conference with various members of Congress, and offi cials from the Trump Administration among others, to dis cuss how the federal government, under Republican con trol, can be more support ive. The Chronicle has con firmed that Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Elwood Robinson will be attending. According to Jay K. Davis, director of Communications and Media Relations for WSSU, “Chancellor Robinson has accepted an invitation extended to HBCU leaders from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to attend a meeting with leadership in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28.” Davis did not express what Chancellor Robinson hoped to hear while attending the meetings. Robinson is traveling this week and could not be contacted directly for comment. The Chronicle reached out to the president’s or chan cellor’s office at all 10 HBCUs in North Carolina, but only received confirmations of attendance from WSSU, and Bennett College in Greensboro, where Interim President Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins presides. “I think I can safely speak for all of my colleagues in saying we expect and hope to have dialogue and actions regarding infrastructure support, Pell Grant increases to build a pipeline of college-ready students, Title III funding and other support structures to strengthen HBCUs for the future,” Dr. Dawkins said. “Speaking for myself, I am excited about the chance to meet with members of the Trump Administration to discuss HBCUs and ways we can strengthen them for posterity.” Dr. Dawkins continued, “I think it is great that our new president is reaching out to HBCUs just a few [weeks] after taking office, and I sincerely hope his administration will work to ensure HBCUs are given their fair share of federal funding. HBCUs are vital to the fabric of American education, and I hope next week’s meeting is See Trump on A2 Robinson County to study human services merger BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE Forsyth County will be exploring if consoli dating the Departments of Social Services and Public Health would be best for the community. That’s one of the things that came out of a county commissipner’s winter work session at the County Government Building on Thursday, Feb. 16. Consolidation is about who controls the departments, which are currently governed by appointed boards of citizens that hire each depart ment’s director and oversees their duties. Consolidation options include putting the depart ment directly under county control. Under state law, only the biggest counties in the state: Wake, Mecklenburg and Guilford could consolidate their human services departments before 2012, when the General Assembly changed the statute to allow any county to do it Only 28 out of the 100 counties in the state have consolidated. State law gives several options for consolida See Merger on A2 (336) 924-7000 www.assuredstoragews.com 4'i9i Bethea Station Road • OVisdo-Sc.

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