WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM Advocates seek to The Triangle stop all evictions until the end of pandemic RIBUNE STAFF REPORTS THE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE DURHAM – On Dec. 31, the national moratorium on evictions T will expire. In preparation, the Stop Evictions Network has launched a digital campaign to help keep North Carolinians VOLUME 22 NO. 49 WEEK OF DECEMBER 13, 2020 $1.00 housed this holiday season and to extend the moratorium until the end of the pandemic. To kick things off, the network has re- leased a video and webpage with NC-based legal, educational, and housing advocacy resources for tenants. South Carolina State In August, the Centers for Disease Control ordered a nation- wide moratorium on evictions due to nonpayment of rent, fees, extends coach Buddy and other charges until the end of the year. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper additionally enacted an executive order in October Pough’s contract. that required landlords to give tenants the option of utilizing the moratorium before starting eviction action. Even with these temporary measures in place, North Carolinians are still being forced unlawfully out of their homes. Moreover, evictions have caused thousands of excess COVID-19 infections and deaths, according to a recent study. The Stop Evictions Network is a broad, coalitional effort of Please see EVICTIONS/2A Dip in Will school black grades people coming take By Greg Childress Howerton Jacobs Carter THE POLICY WATCH vaccine? The COVID-19 pandemic has been “disastrous” for By Stacy M. Brown public education and will NNPA NEWSWIRE leave large learning gaps that will take years to The first wave of coronavi- close, North Carolina law- rus vaccines should reach makers and education the public this week, with the leaders agreed last week. Centers for Disease Control They expressed those and Prevention (recommend- sentiments during a Joint ing that all adults receive the Legislative Education vaccination in 2021. Oversight Committee While the CDC said there meeting held to discuss should be enough doses for how students and edu- Allam Burns as many as 20 million people cators have fared during to receive vaccination by the the pandemic, which State end of December, health of- Board of Education Chair- ficials expect a much larger man Eric Davis described supply in the coming as the state’s biggest chal- Historic Durham months. Still, with a justified lenge since the Great De- distrust of unproven vac- pression. cines, and a perceived lim- “We made great systemic ited participation by African changes to our public edu- Americans in clinical the board sworn in trials that lead to the devel- cation in response to that challenge,” Davis said. “It’s opment of the COVID-19 vac- By Bonitta Best the Board in 2008. ance released in a statement. cine, many question whether going to require the same Former chair Wendy Jacobs In her board chair accept- type of aggressive, state- [email protected] black people will accept vac- was named vice chair. Also ance speech, Howerton shared cination. wide, coordinated The Durham Board of elected to the Board were new her priorities. strategies and new ways of County Commissioners was Others are also concerned commissioners Nida Allam “We must mitigate the im- that, even if the Black com- thinking about the delivery officially sworn in on Tuesday, and Nimasheena Burns, plus pacts of the pandemic on our of education, the prepara- climaxing a historical election munity generally accepts the veteran Heidi Carter. local economy and remain fi- vaccine, would doses be tion for our teachers, the that saw Bull City residents The bar has been set. nancially sound while doing training for our principal elect their first all-female available. “I’m guessing Already the Durham’s People so. We must also work closely white folks will be first in and superintendent board, including the first Mus- Alliance has issued a list of with our state government and leaders.” lim elected to public office in line,” Monica Roderick, a progressive actions it wants industry leaders (every area Temple Hills, Maryland, The pandemic has left a the state. the Board to take on, including has been affected) to success- mark. There are 51,565 Brenda Howerton was unan- mother of four, opined. “One property tax relief to low-in- fully get a safe vaccine to our of the reasons I shudder fewer students enrolled in imously selected as board come homeowners, expanding residents. And, finally, we the state’s traditional pub- chair for the next year. when I hear people talk the county’s racial equity work must identify additional ways about how Black people are lic schools this year ac- “As a history-making board, and partnerships, ensuring all to build efficiencies in order to cording to second month we have an opportunity to still suspect because of the public employees are paid a reduce the burdensome obli- Tuskegee experiment and enrollment data, and atten- demonstrate cohesiveness living wage, and more. gation on our residents during dance is down 0.39%. En- about how we operate as other vaccines that ended “Ultimately, the community this economic downturn.” wrong is because it tends to rollment has dipped from board members with decency looks to the county commis- The commissioners can be 1.53 million a year ago to and respect so that we focus give other folks the green- sioners to make wise policy reached at light to leave us out.” 1.48 million this school on the issues that matter most decisions that make Durham a [email protected]. year. to our community,” said How- Putting whether the Black more just and prosperous community can trust the vac- Educators expect the erton who was first elected to community for all,” the Alli- state’s graduation rate to cine aside, the next contro- also dip, along with pro- versy on the immediate motion rates. And there horizon is whether African are 15,000 fewer students Americans will have access. in kindergarten classes be- The initial supply certainly cause some parents will overwhelm demand, elected to spare young New Black-owned retail CDC officials said. The fed- children, and themselves, eral government plans to dis- the stress and trauma tribute the vaccine in phases. sometimes associated with Health care workers and online learning. Mean- store opens in Raleigh patients in long-term health while, others have opted to care facilities are first in line. homeschool young chil- By Freda Freeman According to guidelines, sen- dren or send them to pri- CORRESPONDENT ior citizens and those with high-risk comorbidities and vate schools, many of RALEIGH – Black Friday Mar- which have offered in-per- essential workers are next. ket, a new retail store showcas- After that, state and local son instruction since Au- ing Black vendors and small gust. Many districts are government officials will de- business owners, is set to open termine who next receives a reporting that students in downtown Raleigh. find online learning diffi- vaccination. There will be men and So far, most states have yet cult and are failing classes women’s clothing, shoes, jew- at an alarming rate. “I don’t to develop a concrete plan. elry, health and beauty pro- The outline reportedly pro- know any other word, ducts, hair care products, we’ve got a disaster on our vided suggested no explicit artwork, and more. details about reaching mar- hands,” said Rep. Craig Co-owner Johnny Hackett Jr. Horn, a Union County Re- ginalized populations like said not only will shoppers the Black community which publican who co-chairs the find high quality products at oversight committee. have suffered the most. “I’m the store; they’ll also be sup- looking at social media, and There will be a hefty porting the greater com- price to pay if a plan isn’t I’m seeing [former President] munity. Barack Obama saying he’ll in place to address educa- “We’re offering a sense of tional problems brought take the vaccine on televi- pride in the African American sion, and I’m shaking my on by the pandemic, said community. We want things to State Rep. Ashton Wheeler head,” said Tonia Everhart, a really change. We’re making an Washington, D.C., nurse. Clemmons, a Democrat investment. An investment from Greensboro. “All of Johnny Hackett Jr. is jostled by his female colleagues during “First, understand that you don’t walk away from,” he renovations for the Black Friday Market. Obama isn’t necessarily the those are going to be huge said. gaping holes in our system most trusted voice in the Hackett, 37, worked in IT as Black community, and he’s moving forward,” Wheeler a project manager for several started Black Dollar NC, an on- sion of Black Dollar NC. Over Clemmons said. line directory of about 900 the past year, Black Dollar NC not a doctor. While I under- large companies, including stand what he’s trying to do She asked if the SBE and Xerox, IBM, Wells Fargo, and North Carolina Black-owned has partnered with The Mela- the N.C. Department of businesses, organizations, and nated Exchange Market in to encourage participation Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, be- and eliminate fear, our com- Public Instruction have a fore venturing out on his own. entrepreneurs. Charlotte and Black Flea Mar- Plase see SCHOOL/2A In February 2019, Hackett The new store is an exten- Please see MARKET/2A Please see VACCINE/2A Index 5007 South Park Drive, Suite 200-G Publisher: Gerald O. Johnson Durham, NC 27713 Managing Editor/Sports Editor: Bonitta Best 1A 5A News Religion (919) 688-9408 Advertising: Linda Johnson 4A 6A Classifieds Sports [email protected] 8A Focus © 2020 The Triangle Tribune www.triangletribune.com 2A NEWS/The Triangle Tribune Sunday, December 13, 2020 Halt to evictions called Continued from page 1A concerned individuals and organizations fighting to end evictions and advocating for affordable housing in North Carolina.