Bailey
from page AI
said Mayor Allen
Joines. “In fact, he became
their voice. Sometimes we
know it was a lone voice
because he was often by
himself. He was the only
African-American on the
school board for a long
time.”'
In a 2010 interview
with The Chronicle, Bailey
said some of his proudest
accomplishments were
done behind the scenes on
the school board.
“One of my biggest
accomplishments, working
through the superintendent,
was getting minorities
involved in administration
- principals, things of that
nature,” Bailey said.
Bailey retired as
WSSU’s media director in
1993. He then successfully
ran for county commission
er in 2002, after several
leaders in the black com
munity suggested he
run. He was a commission
er for eight years. He listed
Caterpillar opening its
local plant as one of his
major accomplishments.
The company was drawn to
the area in 2010 by incen
tives approved by the coun
ty commissioners and
training offered by Forsyth
Technical Community
College, whose board he
sat on.
Perhaps his most dra
matic vote as county com
missioner was in 2010.
While still recovering in
the hospital from colon
cancer surgery, he cast a
tie-breaking vote for that
year’s library bond. The
bond, which was approved
by voters, resulted in the
newly renovated Central
Library that reopened last
year.
In the 2010 Democratic
Primary, he was edged out
by just 95 votes by current
Commissioner Everett
Witherspoon. When asked
about it in 2010, Bailey
said he should have “beat
en the bushes” more and
not relied so much on name
recognition in that election.
Witherspoon told The
Chronicle he respected
Bailey as a political trail
blazer and former oppo
nent.
“He was always some
Photo, by Todd Luck
Community members give their condolences to family members at a funeral held
for Beaufort Bailey on Monday at Greater Church.
Members of Phi Beta Sigma, Inc. stand to honor their late fraternity brother,
Beaufort Bailey, at his funeral service on Monday.
one who would put a smile
on your face,” said
Witherspoon. “Even when
we was running, he had
encouraging things to say
about you. He added
humor to the campaign.”
County Commissioner
Fleming El-Amin told
funeral attendees that the
smile and pleasant
demeanor Bailey was
known for served him well
in getting things done as a
commissioner. State Sen.
Paul Lowe Jr., who also is a
pastor, said during his ser
mon that Bailey was a
voice for the voiceless that
will be missed. There was
also a proclamation by Phi
Sigma Beta Fraternity Inc.,
of which Bailey was a
member.
Bailey served on
numerous boards, includ
ing the Urban League.
When he was president of
the Winston-Salem State
University. Alumni
Association, the group
restored the Atkins House
and got a custom license
plate from the N.C.
Department of Motor
Vehicles.
According to his obitu
ary, Bailey became a mem
ber of Cleveland Avenue
Christian Church (now
called Greater Church),
and his final membership
was at Saint Phillips
Moravian Church in
Winston Salem.
Bailey’s son Rev. Dr.
Nikita Joel Bailey said he
and his siblings referred to
his father as “Big Daddy”
and that his father was in
touch with them to the very
end. He said his father was
also there for countless oth
ers as their mentor and
father figure.
“There are people here
Russians
from page At
ads would say, “ You know a great number
of black people support us saying that
#HillaryClintonIsNotmyPresident” and
“Hillary Clinton doesn’t deserve the black
vote.”
And, again according tp the Mueller
indictments, Russian conspirators spon
sored “Down with Hillary” rallies, and
would invite unwitting American activists
to take part.
One of those activists was Conrad
James of Raleigh. According to published
reports, James was approached in
September 2016 by a woman claiming to
represent a group known as
“BlackMattersUSA,” asking him to speak
at a rally in Charlotte. James is quoted in
the report that members of the group, “...
were definitely trying to stir up trouble.”
Mr. James was contacted for this
report by email Monday evening, and
asked, "... do you feel that you saw evi
dence of Russian involvement in the 2016
election here in North Carolina?”
Conrad James’ reply was, “Yes, defi
nitely, as far as voter suppression.”
Goodbye
from page Al
wrote, after noting that
Michaux’s “handprints”
were all over “North
Carolina public policy
decisions that are in the
best interests of all of the
people ...” “Thank you for
your life of service.”
Indeed, Michaux’s
razor sharp physical pro
file, snapping dressing, and
witty, yet knowledge pro
nouncements, have served
him well during his long
legislative tenure.
“Remember Lincoln’s
opening line in the
Gettysburg Address, ‘Four
score and seven years ago?
That’s me,’ he says slyly,
adding that he never
thought he’d live this long,
or doing what he’s been
doing.
There can be no ques
tion that Rep. Michaux is
one of the most knowl
edgeable state lawmakers
of any stripe. So when
younger legislators like
Rep. Ed Hanes of Winston
Salem, or Reps. Amos
Quick and Cecil Brockman
of Greensboro, think about
how Michaux helped to
mentor them upon their
first years serving, it rein
forces the notion that
Michaux is very much a
father figure to younger
black lawmakers.
“He took an interest in
me, and shared his vision,”
Rep. Hanes recalls. ‘I’m
forever grateful for that.”
“The N.C. House will
have a void with his
absence,” mused Rep.
Quick. “But his work will
speak for him throughout
history.”
The Durham native
remembers his father tak
ing him to one of the first
meetings of the Durham
Committee on the Affairs
of Black People in 1935.
Years later, as a young
teenager, Michaux recalls
seeing two water fountains
in downtown Durham -
one for whites, the other
for blacks. He also can’t
forget being chased out of
a “duckpin” alley by some
“white folks” looking to
beat him up near the
Carolina Theater.
It’s history Mickey
Michaux refuses to forget,
because he sees the legisla
tive clock being turned
back by the Republican
majority, and fears that
along with their apparent
thirst for power, there will
be a rachetting up of racial
tensions, which will ulti
mately hurt North
Carolina.
Michaux says that over
his nearly 40 years in the
state House, his name
appears on important laws
such as the automatic
restoration of citizenship
rights for the formerly
incarcerated; voting rights
and same-day registration;
and assistance of HBCUs.
Thankfully, he says,
recent court cases have
restored many of the vot
ing rights laws the
Republicans got rid of. But
the onus will be on young
leaders coming up, to learn
their history, so that they
won’t repeat the mistakes
of the past.
Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. once told Michaux that
“we can’t make people
love us, but at least we can
make them respect us. And
that’s why we have to keep
strong people out in the
forefront to make sure that
that happens.” It’s a lesson
Michaux took with after
the assassination of his
close friend almost 50
years ago, when he almost
dropped out of politics.
But when the people
called, Mickey Michaux
answered, running for the
seat he’s held onto for four
decades. He says he’s
learned a lot, especially
from his short tenure as
U.S. attorney, and two con
gressional campaigns.
When he finally steps
down from the legislature,
Michaux says, after a long
rest, he wants to be around
so that young people
don’t forget the legacy that
they have inherited. They
are enjoying the fruits of
people’s labor in the past...
fruits some died for.” He
doesn’t want to see those
fruits lost.
“We’re about to repeat
history that we don’t want
to repeat,” he cautioned.
today who shared stories of
how he was a father to
them,” said Dr. Bailey.
“Our Big Daddy Was Big
Daddy to many people we
don’t even know.”
Bailey was also sur
vived by his wife of 63
years Pollye Graves Bailey
and children Dr. L’Tanya
Joy Bailey, Eugene Orrell
Bailey, Goley Jock Bailey,
Jan Perrin Bailey and Jay
Perrie Bailey along with 10
grandchildren and one
great-grandchild. He was
interned .at Baileytown
Cemetery in Walnut Cove,
where he was bom.
.. - m.
* Submitted photo
Vernell Springs is the first recipient of the Maize S.
Woodruff Scholarship offered to students at
Forsyth Technical Community College.
Legends
from page At ~~
Scholarship helped her purchase books, and helped her
stay in school. She said, “This scholarship has tremen
dously helped me.”
In 1926 Woodruff became the first African-American
to be elected to the Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners, on. which she served for 14 years. In
1997, when Woodruff died, she was known for standing
up for those in need throughout the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County community.
MarhsaU, a native of Wadesboro, moved to Winston
Salem after finishing his education at Winston-Salem
State University. Soon thereafter, he became a member
and advocate for the local NAACP Chapter. After
becoming chapter president in the’ 1980s, Marshall
would go on to serve on both the county commissioners
and school board.
While delivering the keynote address, the honorable
Judge Denise Hartfield said Woodruff and Marshall left
legacies that will live on forever. She said the first thing
we learned from Woodruff and Marshall is that you don’t
have to leave your home to make a difference.
Hartfield said, “It’s not about your ZIP code; it’s
about what you’re getting in the framework of where you
live, and we have to build up this community where
Walter Marshall worked every day, where Maize
Woodruff worked every day. We have to work in that
same vineyard to make sure East Winston remains a bea
con not just for North Carolina but for the United States
of America.
“The legacy is not always about land, the legacy is
not always about money. The legacy is about what you
have given to somebody and how you have empowered
somebody,” Hartfield said.
For more information on the scholarship fund visit
www.foundation.forsyth.edu.
The Chronicle
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