Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Sept. 3, 2020, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
A2 September 3, 2020 The Chronicle Initiative assists former offenders to become entrepreneurs BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE Those individuals who have been formerly incarcerated are often a forgotten demographic in our country, which is un fortunate. Realizing there was a void that needed to be filled, Brian Hamilton founded Inmates to Entre preneurs (ITE). Winston Starts, which is a startup incubator dedi cated to nurturing entre preneurs, is offering a free eight-week program that is designed for individu als with a criminal back ground who are interested in learning how to start or grow a business. Classes are offered every Wednes day for eight weeks, from 6-7:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the 500 W. Fifth Street Tower. According to Hamil ton, the idea for ITE came to him while visiting a prison in Orange County, N.C., with a friend. Dur ing the visit, he engaged in a conversation with an inmate pertaining to what the inmate was going to do once he was released. “I clearly remember thinking to myself, that would be really hard to do with a record,” said Ham ilton about the conversa tion. “I thought, instead of trying to get a job, what if people with criminal re cords go and create one.... That was the inception of Inmates to Entrepreneurs. “When people with criminal records get that real second chance at free dom, we all win. Employ- Adams holds public forum on police budget BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE At a place in time where citizens across the country are asking elected officials to take a closer look at how they fund law enforcement, earlier this week Mayor Pro Tempore Denise “DD” Adams held a virtual forum to discuss the police department’s budget for fiscal year 2020-21. Adams, who represents the North Ward, said the purpose of the event was to educate the public and find ways to cultivate the relationship between the community and law en forcement. “We know that it’s not perfect. We know there are a lot of things that could be better, but we are here willing to learn and make this process better,” Adams continued, “so our citizens can be more informed than what has happened in the past. In the past we pre sented the budget and had listening sessions all over town, but as I explained to staff and the council, we need to start communicat ing in a way that every body can understand.” To begin the forum, Patrice Toney, the city’s budget and evaluation di rector, gave a presentation on the police department budget, detailing how the department plans to use Free From page Al one else was the assail ant, not Mr. Long,” Lau continued. “A suspect hair was collected from the scene, fingerprints were collected from the scene, matches were collected from the scene. They were all tested and none of them were similar to Long. There were 43 fingerprints collected that didn’t match submitted photo Lawrence Carpenter, chairman of Inmates to Entrepreneurs, enjoys sharing his story to inspire others. ment goes up, crime goes down and prisons become less crowded. Tax dollars get used for other purposes and at the end of the day, our country makes good on its promise of equal op portunity.” Lawrence Carpenter, chairman of ITE, connect ed with Hamilton in 2009. As a former incarcerated individual turned entrepre neur, he is a shining exam ple to those in the program of what a success story looks like. He says the program breaks down the basics of entrepreneurship to give the participants the best plan moving forward for their business. “It is an eight-week program and you will learn everything,” said Car penter. “It’s like Business 101 and we go from how Submited photo DD Adams the $78.7 million outlined in the budget. After the presentation, Toney opened the floor for questions and comments from the public. While several speakers called for the city to bump up the po lice presence, most of the speakers called for more training on de-escalation. Karen Dorr suggested the city use funding allocated for the Field Services di vision to offset the cost for the training and create a de-escalation response team. The Field Services Bu reau, which includes the Patrol and Special Opera tions divisions, makes up 54% of the total budget. “I really think it could come out of the Field Services part of the budget,” Dorr said. “I think it would re ally behoove this body to Long or the victim, point ing to someone else.” Lau, the Duke Law Wrongfill Convictions Clinic, and other support ers of the “Free Ronnie Long” movement, re ceived word from the U.S. Court of Appeals and the state on Monday, Aug. 27 and on Thursday Long walked out of the Albe marle Correctional Institu tion a free man. As he greeted family to start your business all the way down to taxes and marketing. We cover every point of business. “We just try to break it down to its simplest form, because for me business is simple; it’s just certain things you have to do per taining to business to put yourself in a position to be successful.” While incarcerated, Carpenter knew that he wanted to start his own business upon his release. He knew that working for someone else was not what he wanted to do. He said he realized he made a mistake, but that should not define who he was for the rest of his life. “I came home and started a very successful business and I realized that the reason why these push for what I’m calling a de-escalation response team which would consist of a social worker, psy chologist, a police officer and a community member who are all trained specifi cally in de-escalation tech niques.” Pastor Tembila Cov ington, president of the Minsters’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vi cinity (MCWSV), echoed Dorr’s sentiments when she spoke during the fo rum. She said that we need to put more effort into training officers in de-escalation, counseling and prevention, as well as more social programs for the community. “I believe that as we have detailed a budget, perhaps developing a stra tegic plan that would real locate some funds towards educational and training programs would be help ful,” Covington said. Before wrapping up the forum, Toney said she would be taking sugges tions made during the fo rum back to the police de partment to explore some of the changes that need to be made. A link to the budget presentation including a breakdown of the budget will be posted on the city’s website by the end of the week. The forum can be viewed by visiting the city’s YouTube page. members and other loved ones outside the prison, Long, who is now 64, told reporters, “It’s been a long road but it’s over with now.” Although he is a free man, to receive compen sation for his wrongful conviction, Governor Roy Cooper will have to grant Long a pardon of inno cence. things happened for me was I had to change certain things in my life,” he said. “I had to change the way I talk, I had to change the way I presented myself, which are things that some of these young men are not willing to do. “The first thing I al ways try to do is get them to understand to work on yourself first, because the first thing you have to deal with is yourself.” Carpenter says he loves sharing his story with oth ers, because it serves as Gif^ur love one with a For more details call: 330-722-&624- ext. "I "1 3 or e-mail adv@wschronicle.com. The Chronicle Only $ 50 Includes photo Dreaming Up the Ideal Retirement Is Your Job. Helping You Get There Is Ours. To team more about why Edward Jones makes sense for you, call or visit my office today. ■Ml ’■A'' edwardjones.com Member SIPC Charmon M Baker Financial Advisor 135 Jonestown Road Winston Salem, NC 27104 336-768-7687 Edward Jones MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING less 39 Years Pest Control. Termite Inspections FHA& VA Reports. Bed Bugs Senior Citizens are given a 1 time service FREE of charge, (some stipulations may occur). Bo Gilliam n J r Telephone: 336-788-3020 President&CEO Toll Free; 1 . 8 00.930-WASP(9277) bogtriadpestcontrol@yahoo.com , w inspiration for others to do the same. He feels his job is not only to provide and support his family, but also use his platform as a ministry to show others there is a right way if you follow God’s plan and not your own. “I serve hope and that’s where it comes from, hope,” he said. “It is a blessing for me to see these guys transform from being street guys to busi nessmen. My passion is seeing others being suc cessful. I understood that God put me in a position to help people that other people wouldn’t.” Over the years, Car penter said he has enjoyed all of the success stories that have come through ITE. One of the best re wards for him is hearing that participants in the program have gone on to W/iehael ID. Poefen Is him the porter openeth. end the sheep his v3.ce end he caOeth bis own sheep • by name, end bdeth- them :.’ become successful entre preneurs themselves. Carpenter wanted to emphasize that everyone in prison or that has been to prison is not a bad person. He says there are plenty of people walking around that have done things that would have landed them in prison, but just have not been caught. “Everyone wants grace and mercy when it’s for them, but when it’s time to extend grace and mercy, everyone doesn’t want to do that,” he said. “That is the problem that I have with society, we are a soci ety of judgmental people.” For more information about the initiative, please visit www.inmatestoen- trepreneurs.org/program/ national2020, or email hannah.huskey@winston- starts.com, or allit@inma- testoentrepreneurs.org. (336} 575-2890/(3361723-0511 CONTACTING THE CHRONICLE www.wschronicle.com To send news items: email news@wschronicle.com 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101 Main Phone Number: 336-722-8624 To send a Letter to the Editor (350 words or less) or column (550 words or less): email letters@wschronicle.com Advertising: Ext. 113 For advertising: email adv@wschronicle.com Circulation/Subscriptions: Ext. 100 For subscriptions: email plewis@wschronicle.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/WSChron- icle Follow us on Twitter: WSChronicle The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Chronicle Media Group, LLC, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. An nual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636 Editor: Ext. 108 y
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 3, 2020, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75