WS Chronicle

Voting is over, now what? We need to pray

To the Editor:

Prior to the election, we were urged not “to boo,” but to vote.

Some people took that advice some did not. Regardless of what we did, the election is over.

Now, I think, we need to pray. We need God to help us not to be misdirected because of the unexpected. We need to pray for correction as well as for direction.

We heard a lot about change but some decisions that have been made can’t be changed by us. We are only human but there is our divine intercessor who told us in the Bible “I changeth not.” Because God is in full control of what happens, he alone is able to bring all needed changes.

After the vote counting, we heard “too close to call.”

Let us remember that there is one who is too close not to call.

That one is God. Whether we are satisfied or disappointed, God is aware and can make it be available for us.

We cast our votes but God has not cast us away, and we have the assurance that we can trust Him because He changeth not.

Jessie Meadows Crockett 

Winston-Salem

Leadership of Saunders-White will be missed

To the Editor:

I am saddened by the passing of Chancellor [Debra] Saunders-White. Her leadership, her dedication to our students and her commitment to excellence will be sorely missed at NCCU and all across our great state.

She was a powerful force in our educational system and she played an integral role in shaping the lives of so many young people.

On behalf of the entire Congressional HBCU Caucus, I extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and the entire NCCU community. The legacy of Chancellor Saunders-White will be felt for generations to come.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams 

(NC-12) Charlotte

Note: NCCU alumni mourn the passing of Chancellor Debra Saunders-White. See page A1.

NC AIDS group urges public  to speak out about AIDS

To the Editor:

World AIDS Day is an opportunity to remember and reflect on those we’ve lost to HIV and AIDS. But it also must be an opportunity to stand up and speak out about what we need to do to end the epidemic.

Maintaining a strong AIDS Drug Assistance Program, expanding access to PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] through our county health departments and investing in prevention so that young people have the tools and information they need to stop the spread of HIV.

These are the tools to end AIDS as we know it in North Carolina. The only question is, will our local, state, and national political leaders have the courage to act.

Lee Storrow, 

Executive Director

N.C. AIDS Action Network 

Raleigh

Note: World AIDS Day 2016 is Dec. 1. Here are some events:

*Dec. 1:  World AIDS Day Service at 7 p.m. at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem, hosted by North Star LGBTQ Community Center and Interfaith Voice. The theme of this year’s service is “Love, Serve, Remember” and will feature remarks by N.C. AIDS

*Dec. 1: A World AIDS Day

Luncheon at noon at Marriott Charlotte City Center in Charlotte, hosted by RAIN. N.C. AIDS Action Network Executive Director Lee Storrow will make remarks.

*Dec. 1: World AIDS Day

Gathering at 8:30 p.m. at The Junction Salon and Bar in Raleigh, hosted by Crape Myrtle Festival.

N.C. AIDS Action Network Executive Director Lee Storrow will make remarks at this gathering to remember those that have lost that battle and those still fighting.

*Dec. 2: “Where Do We Go From Here?: HIV Treatment and Prevention Advocacy in North Carolina” at 8:30 a.m. at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy in Durham, hosted by the N.C. AIDS Action Network. The main event will consist of a panel conversation to discuss HIV treatment and prevention efforts in North Carolina and the policy changes we need to make in 2017 to keep our state mov-ing forward. Vanessa Duren-Winfield, N.C. AIDS Action Network board member and Winston-Salem State University professor, will serve as the panel moderator, and national expert, Ronald Johnson, the vice president of policy and advocacy at AIDS United, will join a panel of North Carolina HIV advocacy experts.

About the NC AIDS Action Network: The organization improves the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and affected communities through outreach and public education, policy advocacy and community-building to increase visibility and mutual support of people living with HIV/AIDS throughout the state of North Carolina.