YWCAemployees battle for back wages and jobs of financial responsibility. “They’re still trying to get a tion on programs they’d like to see started back at the lo- By Sommer Brokaw sense of the money,” Burge said. “The program last night cal Y if it is reconstituted on a smaller scale. They also re- [email protected] was a positive step. That the board finally met with work- quested a business plan. ers and offered to help.” “All of that kind of takes some time, particularly when RALEIGH - Board members of the YWCA of the Greater Olivia Robinson, a former program specialist for the you’re dealing with volunteers who have full-time jobs and Triangle, which closed last month, are still trying to find Golden Oaks program for seniors, said she was also pleased other responsibilities. It can take longer than someone money to pay several employees back wages as part of a they finally got some answers. “I thought it was an open concentrating on nothing but that particular effort,” she larger plan to pay off the organization’s debts. dialogue and a good start to better communication,” she said. “We continue to review with our financial and legal Two weeks after the agency closed, leaving several work- said. advisors our next steps as well.” ers with less than 24 hours notice and without pay, and The board also held a meeting last week with business Spaulding said her first inclination is to say there are following a candlelight vigil and meetings to air concerns, and community leaders to give them a status report. “The about 23 employees who were laid off without pay. Some former staff members said board members finally met with group was totally unanimous in saying please don’t file employees were released on the last day, and others had them. bankruptcy, but look at ways that the YWCA can be recon- been let go earlier that month. Out of 14 whose last day The meeting took place Tuesday night at Martin Street stituted with a different structure, which would be a lot was Feb 29, 11 were full time and three were part-time em- Baptist Church in Raleigh. more financially stable,” Spaulding said. ployees. Bridgette Burge, a former director of advocacy and com- Spaulding has “thrown out the figure $500,000 as the “We’re making a little progress everyday,” she said. “This munity initiatives for over three years, said former board maximum indebtedness, but each day and each month the is going to be a process that’s going to take a little while.” President Maria Spaulding talked with workers for about indebtedness increases.” Burge said there are 25 employees owed two weeks of 30 minutes, and apologized for making decisions so abrupt- She said business leaders have asked for board members back wages and some of their financial circumstances are ly. to provide more specific information regarding the orga- Burge said Spaulding admitted they need a better grasp nization’s financial situation. They also wanted informa- Please see YMCA/2A SPORTS Hillside JV teams celebrate record- breaking season VOLUME 14 NO. 15 WEEKF OOF MARCH MA RCH25,2012 25,2012 $1.00 THE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE New Hiding homeless emotions projects exacerbates Female nonprofit leaders black male get Activist empowered the voiceless depression federal STAFF REPORTS fight. She got her golden “She more than anybody Enduring subtle, insidious parachute package.” else is responsible for open acts of racial discrimination Williams was executive di- is enough to depress any- funds election seasons, voting one, but African-American rector of N.C. Fair Share for early, because she felt it men who believe that they By Sommer Brokaw 24 years, which was estab- was very much important should respond to stress lished in 1987 to bring peo- [email protected] to open up that process to with stoicism and emotion- ple together in communi- poor people,” said the Rev. al control experience more Triangle agencies received ties impacted by injustices David Forbes, retired pas- depression symptoms, ac- a share of nearly $6 million to work on their own behalf tor of Christian Faith cording to new findings in Continuum of Care grants for solutions toward a fair- Baptist Church in Raleigh. from the University of North awarded to new homeless er North Carolina. “She believed in the tradi- Carolina at Chapel Hill. The study, “Taking It Like projects in North Carolina. “She always felt like the tion of Sojourner Truth, in The U.S. Department of people that are impacted by a Man: Masculine Role that someone has to take Norms as Moderators of the Housing and Urban the problems should be at Development grants are the point, and she was will- Racial Discrimination- awarded competitively to lo- the table making decisions ing to take the point of ad- Depressive Symptoms cal programs that meet the about issues,” said Erin vocacy for the poor and left Association Among African- needs of their homeless Byrd, an activist and friend. out. She is very well-known American Men,” was pub- clients. “For some people, that kind in all 100 counties of North lished online March 8, 2012, In Durham, the Point-in- of work takes more time, a Carolina and beyond be- in the American Journal of Time Count identified 652 deeper commitment and cause she was able to or- Public Health. “We know that traditional people as homeless. Durham humility. It takes a differ- ganize poor people to received these grants for ent kind of passion than role expectations are that speak on their own behalf, men will restrict their emo- two new projects that will most people have, and she focus on the city’s chroni- to challenge the powers tions - or ‘take stress like a cally homeless population: would do all that with real that be.” man,’“ said study author a $368,073 supportive hous- grace. And then she just re- Williams, who was a li- Wizdom Powell Hammond, ing program grant for the ally deeply loved people. If censed minister, was a Ph.D., assistant professor of Goley Point project of you knew her, to know her faithful disciple and minis- health behavior in UNC’s Development Ventures, Inc., was to love her.” ter at Christian Faith Gillings School of Global and a $106,001 supportive Through N.C. Fair Share, Baptist, where she served Public Health. “However, the more tightly some men cling housing program grant for Williams successfully as chair of the AIDS Streets to Home under fought battles in rural com- to these traditional role Ministry. norms, the more likely they Housing for New Hope, Inc. munities for clean water Housing for New Hope is a Octavia Rainey, who knew are to be depressed. It also nonprofit organization es- and health care, which she her as an activist and as a is clear that adherence to tablished in 1992 that serves considered basic human friend, said Williams was traditional role norms is not the needs of homeless indi- rights. She pushed Holly “one of the greatest com- always harmful to men. But viduals and those at-risk of Springs to extend water and munity activists across the we don’t know a lot about homelessness in Durham sewer lines to communities state of North Carolina.” how these norms shape how and Orange counties. whose well water was con- “Lynice would take on is- African-American men con- front stressors, especially The Goley Pointe develop- taminated, and she forced sues that other nonprofits ment will consist of 20 en- Edgecombe County to re- those that are race-related.” wouldn’t touch with a 10- Hammond studied the ergy efficient units, of which open health-care clinics. 12 will be reserved for foot pole,” she said. phenomenon researchers homeless families and The Rev. Lynice Williams She also advocated for Williams was born on Dec. call everyday racism, which homeless individuals with statewide and national 8, 1948, in Bronx, N.Y. Her is marked not so much by incomes at or below 50 per- By Sommer Brokaw “It all happened so fast, causes. She led a statewide family moved to Queens, magnitude or how egregious cent of the area median in- but she didn’t suffer,” her campaign for same-day vot- where she was raised in a the prejudice and torment [email protected] were, but by persistence and come for the city. The re- daughter, Latrece Williams- ing at early voting sites, household of union organ- maining eight units will pro- and, in 2007, registering izers. She and her husband subtlety. RALEIGH - The Rev. McKnight said. “I think that “It chips away at people’s vide housing for persons and voting on the same day of 47 years, the Rev. James earning 80 percent or below Lynice Williams, an activist was God’s promise to her sense of humanity and very became a North Carolina Williams Sr., shared a pas- AMI. Goley Pointe will be that fought for health, civ- because she fought for likely at their hope and op- law. Nationally, N.C. Fair sion for activism. constructed on land owned il and environmental jus- everybody else. He didn’t al- timism,” Hammond said. Share partnered with A website has been dedi- by DVI and Durham Housing tice for the underprivi- low her to suffer. “We know these daily has- Historic Thousands on cated to her memory at sles have consequences for Authority. DVI is an instru- leged, died March 10 after “I call this her early retire- mentality of the DHA estab- Jones Street to fight for the http://www.revlynicewil- men’s mental health, but we an aggressive three-month ment.