See Opinion/Forum pages on A6&7 See Sports on page Bl*
The Ch RON IC LE
Volume 45, Number 16
WTNSTON-SALEM, N.C.
THURSDAY, December 27, 2018
NAACP targets voter ID
again
Voters cautioned to be
informed of provisions
in new law
BY WENDY POTEAT
FOR THE CHRONICLE
The new Voter ID law on the midterm election ballot,
presented as a constitutional amendment, passed in the
state of North Carolina with 55 percent of voters approv
ing the measure. A similar law was passed in 2013, but
was dismissed in 2016 by federal judges that were quoted
as saying the policy “targeted African-Americans with
almost surgical precision.” This ruling speaks to the histo
ry of voter suppression experienced in many southern
states.
Senate Bill 824, sponsored by Forsyth County Senator
Joyce Krawiec, was introduced as legislation to imple
ment the new Voter ID law. Governor Roy Cooper vetoed
Senate Bill 824, stating that the bill is “a solution in search
of a problem,” and said that asking voters to show a photo
ID is meant to confuse and discourage voters. “The fun
damental flaw in the bill is its sinister and cynical ori
gins,” Cooper said in his veto. “It was designed to sup
press the rights of minority, poor and elderly voters.”
Inevitably, the veto was overridden by the current
Republican-controlled state legislature with a 72-40 vote.
When the veto was nullified, the new photo ID
requirements were challenged and a lawsuit was filed in
Wake County
Superior Court. The
lawsuit also calls for
a stay of rule imple
mentation while the
lawsuit is in
progress. The full
complaint and the
motion for prelimi
nary injunction can
be viewed
at https://www.southerncoalition.org/voterid/.
While the lawsuit is being fought in the court system,
there should be intentional and proactive focus placed on
preparations to ensure the ability of voters to participate in
upcoming elections.
The North Carolina NAACP has also filed suit in fed
eral court contending that the law contains the same dis
criminatory aspects of the 2013 Voter ID law that was dis
missed by federal judges in 2016. The local NAACP
chapter in Winston-Salem is named as a plaintiff in the
lawsuit along with several local chapters. “We do not
believe in the fairness of the law,” the Rev. Alvin Carlisle,
the president of the Winston-Salem NAACP, said
Thursday. “We feel it disproportionately affects minori
ties.”
While the lawsuit is being fought in the court system,
there should be intentional and proactive focus placed on
preparations to ensure the ability of voters to participate in
upcoming elections.
One provision to understand in the law is how regis
tered voters can obtain free voter photo identification
cards. The county board of elections are required to pro
vide the ID that will contain a photograph of the regis
tered voter, the name of the registered voter, and the voter
registration number for that registered voter. You must
provide your name, date of birth, and the last four digits
of your Social Security number to obtain the free ID.
As voters, we must be informed on everything the new
law outlines. There should be a clear understanding of
what photo ID will be accepted at polling locations.
Voters must arm themselves with information in order to
work to protect their rights at the polls.
To become informed on all the provisions outlined in
the new Voter ID Law, the .entire session law can be
reviewed . by going to
https://www.ncleg .net/Sessions/2017/Bills/Senate/PDF/S
824v7.pdf.
Wendy Poteat is a graduate of Guilford College with a
BS in Policy Studies & Criminal Justice and a Master’s in
Public Administration. She was previously the Director of
Government Affairs for the Winston-Salem Chamber
where she was a registered lobbyist. Wendy is a motiva
tional speaker, community organizer, and certified life
coach.
Photo By Tevin Stinson
Wooten, Burton join Team Kimbrough at the Forsyth County Sheriff’s office.
Wooten, Burton join
Team Kimbrough,
Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Office
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Earlier this month we all witnessed history when
Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough was officially sworn in as the
first African-American elected to serve in Forsyth County.
While neighboring counties struggle to find suitable rep
resentation to fill positions, just a few weeks on the job
Kimbrough has already started putting together a team of
individuals to help him lead the Forsyth County Sheriffs
Office into the future.
Shortly after he was sworn in, Kimbrough appointed
Tim Wooten as Deputy Sheriff and Dr. Tony Burton as Sr.
Human Resource Officer.
Kimbrough said he wanted a team of people with
strong will and integrity.
"... I didn’t want any Yes-Men or Yes-Women, I want
ed people around me who would tell me when I'm
wrong," he said.
Although they competed against each other in the pri
mary election, Kimbrough said he knew Wooten was the
man for the job. Kimbrough said his relationship with
Wooten dates back to the 80s.
"I knew he had worked here previously but that didn't
matter to me. If he needs to, I know he will tell me we
See Sheriff on A2
Word of Mouth Teen
Experience draws
diverse crowd
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
2 *
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was®
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Arts For Arts Sake was the place to be last Saturday night
as more than 50 people from all walks of life came together to
witness the creativity, artistic prowess, and courage of several
teens during the first-ever Word of Mouth Teen Experience
(WOMTE).
The brainchild of well-known spoken word artist and
activist Larry "LB The Poet" Barron, WOMTE is a spinoff of
Word of Mouth Wednesday, a monthly showcase of local
spoken word artists and performers. A 2008 graduate of Carver
High School, Barron said after connecting with students at
Main Street Academy and Winston-Salem Preparatory
Photo By Tevin Stinson
Larry “LB The Poef’ Barron and Zoe Anderson host the Word of Mouth Teen
Experience on Saturday, Dec. 22 at Arts for Arts Sake.
See Teen on A2
We Rent U-Haul Trucks!
tor first month
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