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THE CHRONICLE
History I Heritage I Culture
Volume 47, Number 17
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
THURSDAY, January 21, 2021
new day dawns for democracy
Submitted photo
The inauguration comes in the shadow of violent Capitol riots in which white
supremacists, pro-Trump supporters stormed the legislature as U.S. Representatives
and Senators worked to certify the final votes of the EteetoraUGollege. Advancement
Project National Office, a national civil rights and ra^ftyastwe Organization released
the following statement.
“The inauguration of Kamala Harris as the nation’s first Black and South Asian
Vice President is the result of the tireless work of Black women who chose an inclusive
democracy over the country’s racist legacy. It is the result of young people of color
voting unapologetically for a transformative agenda on policing, voting rights, climate
change, education and immigration. This cannot be lost in our conversations around
this historic inauguration.
“We also know that the movement for racial justice must continue to organize and
engage communities across the country to hold the new Administration accountable
to their promises and policy platforms. With the nation reeling from a global health
pandemic that knows no race or nationality, unjust police killings claiming the lives of
the Black ^nd Brown, an economic crisis, and a rapidly deteriorating environment, we
cannot afford to go back to the pre-Trump status quo,” continued Dianis. “Communities
of color voted for bold and audacious solutions to the nation’s most pressing issues.
“It is clear that under a Biden-Harris Administration, we must continue to organize
to protect our democracy. We must fight and thwart disinformation that threatens to
silence the voice of Black and Brown communities. We must also work to dismantle
the carceral state and invest in the infrastructure that will truly make all people free and
safe.”
- Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project National
Office.
Chronicle’s Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast viewed
virtually by thousands
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
For the past 21 years
The Chronicle has kicked
off Martin Luther King Jr.
Day by hosting a prayer
breakfast. While we
weren’t able to physically
bring the community
together this year due to
the pandemic, more than
2,000 timed in to view the
virtual event on Facebook
and YouTube held earlier
this week.
In the wake of the
insurrection we saw unfold
at the U. S. Capitol last
week, speakers said now-
more than ever we need to
keep the ideals and beliefs
of Dr. King alive. During
File photo
James Taylor, publisher of The Chronicle, gives the welcome during the virtual
Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast held on Monday, Jan. 18.
the welcome, publisher
James Taylor mentioned
that in 1964 while visiting
Winston-Salem, Dr. King
gave a speech about the
importance of voting and
his beliefs on what he saw
as two Americas. “As we
look at the events that are
happening in our country,
it is evident that those
two Americas still exist,”
Taylor said.
“When we unpack the
events of terror that were
www.wschronicle.com
recently inflicted upon
the United States Capitol,
we saw just how fragile
our democracy is and we
realized the severe urgency
that’s needed to work to
achieve Dr. King’s dream
now, more than any other
time in the history of
this country'. While we
continue to write our
history, I challenge you to
consider a question: what
side of history will you be
on? Will you side with the
dividers, those that seek
to tear us apart with their
words and even with their
bare hands like we saw
in the nation’s Capitol,
or will you stand with
the dreamers, those who
believe that our people and
our country can be better if
we stand together?”
Mayor Allen Joines
said elected officials from
Congress all the way down
to the state and local levels
have a responsibility to
condemn the attack on
the Capitol and those
determined to divide our
country. “Martin Luther
King said that we can’t be
silent about such things,
so we condemn that with
all the strength that we
have,” said Joines in a
prerecorded message.
He said as we reflect on
Dr. King’s legacy and what
he means to this country,
we must remember that
darkness can’t drive out
evil. \
“We remember the
things that Dr. King said,
that darkness can’t drive
out evil, only light can
drive out evil, and so today
we are working to shine
the light of compassion
and righteousness on
those dark areas in our
community and our
country,” Joines said.
While delivering the
Charge to the Community,
Elder Tembila Covington
said injustice on any
level must be exposed.
Covington, who is serving
her second term as
president of the Ministers’
Conference of Winston-
Salem and Vicinity
(MCWSV), said Dr. King
argued that such times of
tension shows us who we
are as a nation and now
more than ever we must
stand for justice. She said
in order to heal the soul
of the nation, we have to
begin with ourselves and
include God in our plans.
“When we
acknowledge to include
God in our plans, we
will be advocating just
laws. Just laws towards
one another, for the good
of each other, and the
common good of all. We
have a responsibility to
lead with a measure of
humanity that upholds
such law,” Covington said.
“We must continue to stand
for a just law and that law
is to stand for justice.”
The virtual Martin
Luther King Jr. Prayer
Breakfast can be viewed
by visiting The Chronicle’s
Facebook page or by
visiting The Chronicle’s
YouTube channel.
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