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THE CHRONICLE
See Opinion/Forum pages on A6 &7
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C
THURSDAY, February 6, 2020
Volume 46, Number 20
East Ward candidates tackle crucial
issues, discuss East End Master Plan
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Last weekend candi
dates vying to represent the
residents of the East Ward
came together to discuss
some of the most pressing
issues including gentrifica
tion, the lack of jobs and
affordable housing, the fu-
mre of Union Station, and
the East End Master Plan,
just to name a few.
With four candidates
on the ballot and another
running as a write-in can
didate, the battle for the
East Ward is arguably the
most intriguing race this
election season. Candi
dates include incumbent
Annette Scippio, George
Redd, Kismet Loftin-Bell,
Phillip Carter, and Michael
Banner, who is the write-in
candidate.
Candidates speak out
Scippio has repre
sented the East Ward
since late 2018 when she
was appointed to fill the
vacancy left by Derwin
Montgomery, who went on
to serve in the N.C. House
of Representatives. When
discussing her platform,
Scippio said she is the best
person for the job because
she has the most experi
ence working with the peo
ple. Before joining City
East Ward candidate Phillip Carter makes a point during the Candidates Forum held
on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Delta Fine Arts Center.
Council, Scippio served as
executive director of Lead
ership Winston-Salem.
“I am the most quali
fied candidate for this po
sition because of my life
experiences,” Scippio said.
Redd currently serves
as the director of pro
gram services for Habitat
for Humanity of Forsyth
County. When sharing his
reasons for running, Redd
said he hasn’t seen enough
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development in.the East
Ward. He said some parts
have grown while others
have lagged behind.
“Growing up right
here in this community,
I’ve seen a lot of change,
but not enough. That’s
why I’m running today,”
Redd said. “Parts of the
East Ward have grown and
thrived while others parts
have remained the same.”
Kismet Loftin-Bell, a
professor at Forsyth Tech
and community advocate
who has served on several
boards since moving to
Winston-Salem 13 years
ago, said she knows what
it’s like to deal with some
of the issues that residents
of East Winston have to
live with on a daily basis.
She said, “I understand
what it feels like to be
unemployed and under
employed, to have folks
question my abilities and
skills. I understand how
it feels to be undermined.
I also know how it feels
to be violated and have
my home and cars broken
into and have drug trans
actions right outside my
front door. And wake up
to gunshots, worrying be
cause my next door neigh
bor had a bullet go through
her home. That’s why I’m
running for City Council
for the East Ward,” Loftin-
Bell continued. “I’m com
mitted to putting people
over politics.”
Longtime East Win
ston resident and com
munity advocate Phillip
Carter recently finished his
second term as vice chair
of the Forsyth County
Democratic Party. Carter
said his platform is cen
tered around “keeping the
people first.” He said if
elected, one of his points
of emphasis will be mak
ing sure the East Ward
receives its fair share of
fimding from the city.
“I believe as your next
East Ward Councilperson,
it is my job to see that the
taxes are appropriate and
create legislation to better
the economy, the commu
nity and the citizens of the
East Ward.” Carter said.
Michael Banner, who
www.wschronicle.com
CN
Photos by Tevin Stinson
Last weekend candidates running to represent the East Ward on the Winston-Salem City Council came together
for a forum at the Delta Fine Arts Center.
is known throughout the
community for his work
as an activist and com
munity farmer, is running
as an Independent write-
in candidate and will face
off against the winner of
the primary election in the
General Election in No
vember.
Banner said the lack of
justice in the East Ward is
what is holding the com
munity back. If elected,
Banner said he will work
with his fellow City Coun
cilmembers and other
leaders to reduce poverty.
He said he would push for
investment in the commu
nity and entrepreneurship
through farming, agricul
ture, and other programs to
cut down on recidivism.
Banner also discussed
the need to start testing wa
ter in communities where
toxic gases are known to
be contaminating the land;
for example, the neighbor
hood near Bowman Gray
Stadium.
“I would like to work
with City Council and
those in leadership posi
tions to take some of the
sting out of poverty in
our community. When
you look at our commu- Ayers Saint Gross, is ex-
nity, you see a community pected to serve as a guide
that is highly harassed by for future investors in the
the police. We’re over
charged for rent in spaces
that are not decent,” Ban
ner continued. “When it
was very clear that it was
red lining, it was policy.
It’s not physical slavery
but mental slavery that’s
inflicted upon our people,
that keeps us in a stagnant
poverty state-of-mind. We
have to be intentional in
demanding equality for
our people.
East End Master Plan
One of the biggest is
sues discussed during the
forum was the future of
the neighborhoods west
of U.S. Highway 52 and
along Martin Luther King
Jr. Drive known as the
East End. Despite receiv
ing mixed reviews from
the community, in 2018
members of City Council
approved the develop
Write-in East Ward candidate Michael Banner shares his thoughts on the East End
Master plan during the Candidates Forum held last weekend.
ment plan designed to ad
dress community needs
and make the East Winston
neighborhood a “destina
tion location.”
The master plan, de
veloped by designers with
East Ward. Loftin-Bell re
minded those in attendance
at the forum that there cur
rently isn’t any funding for
the plan. She said before
looking at the plan, it is
important that we address
other issues in the com
munity first. Loftin-Bell
also discussed the need
to push more residents
toward home ownership,
support programs that help
homeowners already in the
community, and build rela
tionships with private enti
ties to invest in the area.
“One of the challenges
we all have to face is that
folks are leaving and not
coming back into the East
Ward. The way we change
it is one house, one build
ing, one piece of property
at a time. He who controls
the land controls what hap
pens,” Loftin-Bell said.
“Also we have to change
the narrative of what’s hap
pening. Oftentimes folks
believe there is a high level
of crime in the East Ward
and that is a misnomer. So
we have to shift the story
that is taking place so we
can see the vision come to
pass.”
Carter didn’t waste any
time sharing his thoughts
on the East End Master
, Plan. He said, “Let’s call it
what it really is, they call
it an East End Master Plan,
but it’s gentrification.”
Carter said when city of
ficials and S.G. Atkins
CDC first announced plans
to create a master plan, he
asked that they reach out to
residents and find out what
they needed to do to be a
part of the process and it
never happened. Although
there were several public
meetings to get public in
put on the plan, Carter said
more should’ve been done
to reach out to residents
who weren’t able to make
it to the meetings and their
needs.
“They said they did,
but they didn’t,” Carter
said. “They didn’t go out
into the community to find
out what was their income,
who had disabilities, what
was their education level.
I don’t want anybody to
think I don’t want inno ¬
See East Ward on A8
WILSON
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