OPINION
The Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt
Publisher Emeritus
1974-iOlS
617 N. Liberty Street
336-722-8624
WWW.WSCHRONICLE.COM
DONNA Rogers Managing Editor
WALI D. PlTT Digital Manager
Paulette L. Moore office Manager
Our Mission
The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the
residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth
to power, standing for integrity and
encouraging open communication and
lively debate throughout the community.
Let’s encourage
the youth of
today to pursue
Black History
The Chronicle produces a Black History Month
special section each year. We try to make it different
every year. In the last few years, we have used our
own staff resources to present information about
Black History. One year we had a theme of The Arts
and Media and asked people to answer a question
naire. Last year we asked people to send us their
remembrances of their old neighborhoods or even
their current neighborhoods if they live in predomi
nantly black ones.
This year we did a mixture of things, including
asking youth to write essays on which African
American historical figure influenced them.
In previous years, the response was tepid. But
this year when we asked youth to participate, five
Boy Scouts stepped up to the challenge. Then
leader, Deacon James Whitehead of Galilee
Missionary Baptist Church, complied by the dead
line set.
The Boy Scouts ranged in grades from six to
eight. They all wrote about African-American men
who influenced them. Two wrote about former
President Barack Obama. One wrote about
Malcolm X. One wrote about Earl Lloyd, who was
a player in the NBA. The other one wrote about
Frederick Douglass.
How did these young men find out about the
African-American men who influenced them? No
doubt they read about them, in newspapers, books
and magazines. They saw them in movies and on
TV. The History Channel, National Geographic,
American History Channel could be some places
where they learned about these men.
The wonderful thing is that they learned about
them. They are not in a vacuum, playing video
games and not aware of the world around them.
We need to encourage youth to learn about
Black History as they create Black History.
One part of the Black History Month special sec
tion that The Chronicle produced included sum
maries of movies and biographies of the real life
“stars” who inspired the movies. This is a way to
urge people to explore more about Black History.
Another new item we have this year is a Black
History quiz with prizes for winners. We chose 10
Black History questions for the public to answer.
The deadline is March 3. We ask that you bring the
completed forms to us at 617 N. Liberty Street. We
will choose winners from a drawing of people who
answer 10 questions correctly. The prizes are from a
local restaurant and specialty shop.
We want to keep making Black History exciting
for the community as the people continue to explore
Black History and make Black History.
We all know that we need to keep the accom
plishments of black people in our minds to help us
weather the current storms. Let’s pass on the infor
mation to the youth, to keep them motivated, too.
Let’s encourage the youth of today, for they will
be the leaders of tomorrow.
Thanks, scouts of Boy Scout Troop 813 of
Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Black History Month:
Embrace the Spirit
of Black Achievement
To the Editor:
What did the children learn from
Black History Month? Did we lead
them to think that having money and
the right parents counted the most?
On the other hand, what did
adults learn from the life work of
those who overcame?
Racism has reared its ugly head
in America once again. The prophet
ic voices of leaders, educators, and
politicians served their generation
and rest from their labor. As a stu
dent of history and a gadfly, I ques
tion students who attend Winston
Salem State University. Only a few
know the contributions Dr. Simon
Green Atkins made on our behalf in
the city.
The personal stories of notable
persons reveal faith in God and belief
in themselves. Our ancestors
embraced a God of the Bible liberat
ed the oppressed. After the Civil
War, children of former slaves dis
covered freedom and opportunity
that America never intended to offer
us. Amid the obstacles, Blacks
excelled.
When questioned about his
inventions and research with the
peanut, George Washington Carver
announced, "The Lord has guided
me” or "Without my Savior, I am
nothing.” Prophetic voices, chal
lenged the poor, and marginalized to
pursuit God-given talents.
Katherine Dunham, famed dancer
and anthropologist, founded her own
dance company. She said, “Go with
in every day, and find the inner
strength so that the world will not
blow your candle out.”
James Weldon Johnson, a poly
math extraordinaire, spoke often to
inspire a black nation in his tenure as
NAACP president.
His words inspired Lorraine
Hansberry, who wrote “Raisin In the
Sun” years later. “You are young,
gifted, and Black. We must begin to
tell our young, there’s a world wait
ing for you, yours is the quest that's
just begun.”
The lyrics of “Lift Every Voice
and Sing,” told us to march “yet with
a steady beat.”
Mary McLeod Bethune makes it
clearer and declared, “The drums of
Africa still beat in my heart. They
will not let me rest while there is a
single Negro boy or girl without a
chance to prove his worth.”
Are we embracing the Spirit of
liberty? Perhaps this God is waiting
for us with light in the dark 21st cen
tury at the “path” from which we
strayed.
Elder Deborah Dickerson
Winston-Salem
My legislators
are missing
in action
To the Editor:
Senators Richard Burr and Tillis
and Rep. Virginia Foxx have been
spotted regularly in Washington
D.C., so we know they are alive and
well.
But it appears that none of them
will be spotted in the state of North
Carolina during the week of con
gressional break.
We know this because many of
us constituents of these legislators
weeks ago began requesting a Town
Hall meeting. We received either no
reply to our multiple requests, or
“Sorry he/she is unavailable.” Then
we asked for a small group meeting.
Same response. Then some of us
asked for a one-on-one meeting:
same reply. From all of them.
Nobody likes having to face
tough questions from whomever is
paying their salary - in this case -
we, the taxpayers. But we have a
right to ask those questions, and
those who work for us have an obli
gation to answer them. The form let
ters we receive to our written
requests are meaningless, empty
statements of platitudes. The
Congress people need to meet with
us face-to-face and respond to our
concerns about the many serious
issues that are facing our country.
Their unwillingness to meet with
constituents to discuss the frighten
ing, destructive and un-American
policies and statements coming from
this administration is shameful and
cowardly. Republicans in N.C. and
across the nation refusing to meet
with constituents strongly indicates
the power of the growing resistance
of the 54 percent of the people who
did not vote for this president.
Lois Roewade
Pfafftown
Positive Black men
still exist in
Winston-Salem
To the Editor:
As an African-American woman
myself, I would like to take this
moment in time as a “Black History
Moment” not only to recognize, but
to commend the Black Positive
Brothers of Omega Psi Phi,
Winston-Salem Chapter and the Mu
Psi Chapter brothers of this Black
historical Greek Fraternity: Cassius
Smith of the Winston Salem
Chapter, LeGrand Langford, Jeremy
Taylor, Nino Robinson and Ervin
McBride IV all of the North
Carolina A&T University.
Again, as a Black woman living
in a new strange community, a long
way from home, with no physical
help or good social action communi
ty resources for “outreach,” it can be
very hard and challenging.
But thanks for the information -
the Internet and decent black men
within this black historical organiza
tion in this area whom was just one
phone call away.
Omega Psi Phi and its positive
black men pride themselves on com
munity outreach and leadership;
along with an outpouring of com
passion. One call was made and the
immediate response to the need of
community integrity and success
was the end result.
All of these positive - do-right -
Black men showed up to help when
no one else would; with the right
heart and the right mind ready to
take on the challenges put before
them.
So lastly, this is my small salute
and tribute of recognition to the Men
in Purple and in the moment of
Black History, we should all tip our
hats to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
brothers for still doing “The Right
Thing.”
Let’s not be so easily deceived.
There are still outstanding Black
men within the community, ready
for the challenge.
Ms.L. D.
Winston-Salem
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