Many factors are playing a role in the recent rash of shootings that resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to 19 people in Winston-Salem, several members of the Winston-Salem City Council said Tuesday.
In addition, a man died from injuries received May 5 after police returned gunfire at a home during a standoff in Ardmore.
âItâs a myriad of things,â Council Member Denise âD.D.â Adams said. âIt goes further back than COVID.â
Problems such as poverty, hunger, unemployment, drug abuse, poor education, crime, mental illness, and health-care disparities plagued neighborhoods before the pandemic, Adams said.
The pandemic magnified those problems, and has played a role in increasing numbers of shootings nationwide and in Winston-Salem, Adams said.
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear about reparations: before you can support a resolution that calls for a commission to study the issue of slavery reparations for black citizens, you must first believe that today’s black Americans experienced slavery firsthand.
There is no way around it. No one can make an honest argument in favor of the resolution that recently passed the Democrat-controlled Winston-Salem City Council (a 7-1 vote) unless they honestly believe that today’s black Americans lived in slavery between the 17th and 19th centuries.
Republican council-member Robert Clark was the only dissenting vote. So, we can likely say that Councilmember Clark does not view today’s black Americans as slaves or victims of slavery.
Forsyth County Commissioner Don Martin, a Republican, says he canât see voting in favor of a resolution apologizing for past discrimination of Black people, nor supporting the concept of reparations.
Democratic County Commissioner Fleming El-Amin likes the idea, and thinks one form reparations could take locally might be support for scholarships to Forsyth Technical Community College or Winston-Salem State University.
Both commissioners talked about the topic in the wake of last weekâs passage by the Winston-Salem City Council of a resolution apologizing for the cityâs role in discrimination against Black people.
The idea has not come before the county board of commissioners, but if it does, Martin and El-Amin still might find some mutual ground despite the distance between their positions: Martin said he can support helping people who are disadvantaged with educational needs.
Forsyth County Commissioner Don Martin, a Republican, says he canât see voting in favor of a resolution apologizing for past discrimination of Black people, nor supporting the concept of reparations.
Democratic County Commissioner Fleming El-Amin likes the idea, and thinks one form reparations could take locally might be support for scholarships to Forsyth Technical Community College or Winston-Salem State University.
Both commissioners talked about the topic in the wake of last weekâs passage by the Winston-Salem City Council of a resolution apologizing for the cityâs role in discrimination against Black people.
The idea has not come before the county board of commissioners, but if it does, Martin and El-Amin still might find some mutual ground despite the distance between their positions: Martin said he can support helping people who are disadvantaged with educational needs.
The Winston-Salem City Council approved a resolution on Monday apologizing for the cityâs role in slavery and discrimination against Black people.
Passage came on a 7-1 vote, with Council Member Robert Clark casting the only vote against the measure.
âWe are hoping to clear some minds and hearts and hopefully get Winston-Salem on the right pages of history,â said Council Member D.D. Adams, who made the motion to adopt the resolution.
In addition to the racism and slavery apology on the cityâs behalf, the resolution: Apologizes for the cityâs role in past urban renewal programs and road construction that helped the city grow âat the expense of multiple successful Black businesses and homes in the eastern portion of the city.â