WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM Durham fast food The Triangle workers strike on MLK birthday RIBUNE Challenge Biden administration TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE to raise minimum wage VOLUME 23 NO. 4 WEEK OF JANUARY 24, 2021 $1.00 By Bonitta Best [email protected] DURHAM – Fast-food workers in Durham used Martin Luther Raleigh Firebirds sign 2 King Jr.’s birthday to make their voices heard for better wages. Striking McDonald’s and other employees led a car caravan to roster as season rally and protest on Roxboro Street demanding $15 an hour minimum wage, which is more than double the $7.25 current kicks off. wage that hasn’t changed in 10 years. “We are striking on Martin Luther King’s birthday because we are carrying on his fight—for fair pay, union rights and racial justice,” said McDonald’s worker Monteigo Wilson. “We demand a $15 federal minimum wage. It’s time to close the racial wage gap!” Durham partnered with workers from Atlanta, Chicago, De- Please see STRIKE/2A Students NCAE fight to wants remove tighter SROs reins on By Courtney Napier CORRESPONDENT virus The Youth Justice Proj- ect, in partnership with the By Greg Childress Southern Coalition for So- THE POLICY WATCH cial Justice, announced the launch of its #LiberateToE- With cases of COVID-19 in- ducate campaign. The YJP fections surging and nearly is a youth-led organization 4,000 people in North Caro- comprised of students lina hospitalized with the from Durham Public deadly virus, the N.C. Associ- Schools. The goal of the ation of Educators has called partnership is to create a on Gov. Roy more equitable and nurtur- Cooper to take ing learning environment stronger “ex- for Black and brown stu- SAUL LOEB/POOL PHOTO VIA AP ecutive action” dents and dismantling the Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as to control the disease. school-to-prison pipeline. her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible. Last week’s press confer- NCAE Pres- ence was conducted by YJP ident Tamika students’ Valerie Ziegler, Walker Kelly Walker Sonia Green, Mari D., Nico- said in a letter to Kelly las Brown, Zora Deberry, Vice President Harris: the governor and Sophie Yarwood. The that educators are concerned SCSJ’s lead counsel, Tyler about the spike in infections. Whittenberg, and com- She asked Cooper to “make munications director Mi- a difficult” decision to chelle Rash were the A new chapter opens tighten COVID-19 restric- facilitators. The students tions to slow community attend Jordan High, a spread so that schools can school with a predomi- operate safely. nantly white student body, “It does not matter how and Hillside High, a pre- in US politics fastidiously educators en- force masking and distanc- dominantly Black high By Kathleen Ronayne son of South Asian descent to tion that sought to overturn school. hold the position — in front of the election results. Harris was ing mandates in the The students introduced and Alexandra Jaffe the U.S. Capitol by Supreme wearing clothes from two classroom if infection rates the five demands that con- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Court Justice Sonia Soto- young, emerging Black de- are in excess of 10 percent outside the classroom,” stitute the #LiberateToE- WASHINGTON — Vice Pres- mayor. signers — a deep purple dress Walker Kelly wrote. “There- ducate campaign: remove ident Kamala Harris broke the The moment was steeped in and coat. After taking the oath fore, we request that you police, end exclusionary barrier Wednesday that has history and significance in of office, a beaming Harris take immediate and signifi- discipline, liberate the kept men at the top ranks of more ways than one. She was hugged her husband, Douglas cant executive action to school environment, im- American power for more than escorted to the podium by Emhoff, and gave President again curb community plement culturally relevant two centuries when she took Capitol Police Officer Eugene Joe Biden a first bump. spread of this virus until curriculum, and establish the oath to hold the nation’s Goodman, the officer who sin- Her rise is historic in any such time that infection rates mental health safe spaces second-highest office. Harris gle-handedly took on a mob of context, another moment are again under control.” with certified therapists was sworn in as the first fe- Trump supporters as they when a stubborn boundary Last week, the N.C. Depart- and youth-led support male U.S. vice president — and tried to breach the Senate floor falls away, expanding the idea ment of Health and Human groups that are available the first Black woman and per- during the Capitol insurrec- Please see HARRIS/2A during and after school Services reported 5,098 new hours. COVID-19 cases. That was The YJP feels that the down from the 6,851 cases. cost of maintaining a po- State health officials re- lice presence in Durham ported that 14.7% of COVID- Public Schools takes away 19 tests were positive. from resources that could In late March, shortly after go to hiring more support- schools closed for in-person ive staff — like counselors CHCCS new superintendent talks instruction, Cooper’s “ex- and nurses — as well as ecutive action” to slow the implementing restorative virus included a 30-day stay- justice programs that priorities, in-person schooling at-home order requiring res- would help deter students idents to remain in their from the use of violence. By Katie Clark homes to slow the spread of “SROs are valued higher CORRESPONDENT the virus. Residents could only leave homes to visit es- than school counselors.” CHAPEL HILL – Nyah Hamlett sential businesses, exercise Ziegler shared. “You can began her role as superinten- outside or to help a family see this by the fact that dent of Chapel Hill–Carrboro member. More recently, there are more arrests than City Schools on Jan. 4. She Cooper extended a modified suspensions in Durham joins the CHCCS community Stay at Home Order for three County schools.” after working in public educa- weeks. Under that order, Of those interactions tion in Virginia for over 15 people must be home be- with school police, 86% of years. tween 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. school-based complaints In a Jan. 15 media conver- Cooper issued the order on to the justice system are sation, Hamlett announced Dec. 11. It was supposed to Black students, though that a school board meeting on expire Jan. 8. It now expires they make up 44% of DPS’s whether students should re- Jan. 29. student body. When com- turn to in-person learning will Walker Kelly noted that the pared to the Latinx stu- be held Jan. 21. The meeting COURTESY N.C. Nurses Association said dents making up 14% of will discuss options for return- New Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Nyah in a letter to Cooper last delinquency complaints, ing students pending corona- Hamlett is sworn into her new position. week that hospitals and med- and white students making virus updates from public ical personnel are over- up virtually none, it is clear health sources, as well as ognize how important it is to cipal areas: racial equity, whelmed. “Despite clear to the YJP members that sports teams participation and know that our students will re- school-based mental health guidance from your office, something needs to extracurricular activities. turn to in-person learning as and wellness, deeper learning NC DHHS, and even the CDC change. Hamlett said she recognizes quickly and as safely as pos- and family engagement. These [Centers for Disease Control One of the first questions the benefits that in-person sible,” she said. “Our commit- priorities will be the focus of and Prevention], compliance the students were asked learning offers, such as in- ment is to provide an her leadership even though with the masking and dis- after their presentation creased socialization and ac- environment that is conducive students remain in an online- tancing protocols is not was who would intervene cess to additional services. to meeting the academic and learning environment. working well enough to pre- in the event of a school When students do return to social needs of our students, Of the four priorities, the ra- vent rampant viral spread shooting without an SRO school, focus will be directed staff and families when it is cial equity focus will include throughout our com- on site? Several pointed to towards following the “three safe to do so.” conversations about anti-racist munities,” Walker Kelly said. the data suggesting that Ws”: washing hands, waiting 6 Hamlett expressed plans to and culture-responsive equity She said schools can’t wait SROs are not particularly feet apart and wearing a mask. begin her role as superinten- and curriculum work. Hamlett Plase see LIBERATE/2A “As a parent myself, I rec- dent by focusing on four prin- Please see SUPERINTENDENT/2A Please see EDUCATORS/2A Index 5007 South Park Drive Publisher: Gerald O. Johnson Suite 200-G Managing Editor/Sports Editor: Bonitta Best News 1A Religion 5A Durham, NC 27713 Advertising: Linda Johnson Classifieds 4A Sports 6A (919) 688-9408 [email protected] Focus 8A © 2021 The Triangle Tribune www.triangletribune.com 2A NEWS/The Triangle Tribune Sunday, January 24, 2021 Harris: A new chapter opens in US politics Continued from page 1A came to Washington as a the presidential escort. of what’s possible in Amer- senator from California, After the ceremony, she ican politics. But it’s par- where she’d served as at- and Emhoff escorted ticularly meaningful torney general and as San former Vice President Mike because Harris is taking of- Francisco’s district attor- Pence and his wife, Karen fice at a moment when ney.