By james art 
By Derwin L. Montgomery
In his stirring and provocative address, Dean Corey Walker challenged us to rethink what Winston-Salem could be. He draws a vision for a city that does not simply carry the “City of Arts and Innovation City”, but embodies a deeper values of justice, love and community – a city where these principles are more than ideals, but have lived realities. His words were not just a recognition of the challenges we face, but a call for action: to reject complacency, to face our past, and radically transform our collective future.
Walker referred to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., warning against the decrease of the King to a renovated symbol of comfort. Instead, he reminded us of King’s radical message: this true justice requires interruption of status quo and courage to live incorrectly adapted to injustice. “The whirlwinds of the uprising will continue to shake the foundations of our nation as the bright day of justice appeared,” quoted Walker, who pushes us to look at how we as a community can embody this ethics of creative improper adaptation.
Recognizing our story
One of the most influential aspects of Walker’s speech was his deep diving in the history of Winston-Salem-Two story of progress and deep injustice. Since the enslavement of the African Moravian Church, American such as Johan Samuel to the 1967 rebellion, caused by police violence, the history of our city is marked by both innovation and inequality. These are not just stories of the past; They are the basis of our present. Walker’s reminder is clear: we cannot build a better future without encountering these truths.
For example, the 1967 rebellion, fueled by systemic racism and economic inequality, echoes the differences we see today in East Winston. The sustainability of food deserts, insufficiently funded schools and unequal economic opportunities serve as an extremely reminder that the work of justice remains unfinished. In order to honor our history, we must commit ourselves to deal with these systemic inequalities.
Becoming a city of unscrupulous
Walker’s vision for Winston-Salem requires radical reorientation of our priorities. We are required to reject “the surface above the substance, the tradition over truth and rhetoric over reality.” In order to respond to this call, we must take specific, collective action:
*Invest in East Winston: The systematic neglect of Eastern Winston cannot continue. The counting of Walker from the 1967 rebellion emphasizes the long history of economic and racial discrepancy in this part of our city. We need a focused business growth plan, an affordable home and more accessible health care to East Winston. This includes the use of public-private partnerships to ensure that economic growth in our city is beneficial for all residents.
*Public Safety Reform: Walker reminded us of the deep pain caused by police violence in the history of our city, by the murder of James Eleire in 1967 until the occupation of the National Guard of East Winston. As a community, we must advocate for policies that give priority to de -escalation, accountability and police in the Community. Public safety should refer to the protection of all residents, not to continue the cycles of fear and distrust.
*Create an inclusion culture: Walker’s speech emphasizes the importance of seeing every resident as a vital part of our community. This requires listening and raising marginalized votes, whether by budgeting participation, community forums or partnerships with historic black colleges and universities such as Winston-Salem State University.
*Champion Education Equity: Walker emphasized how the “aggressive aristocracy” formed the inequality in our community. While Winston-Salem schools can obtain similar funding, the needs of students in low wealth students are often larger and require more resources. In order to create true justice, we must ensure that schools in these areas have the additional support that advisers, after school and technology, so that every student has an equal chance of succeeding, regardless of their circumstances.
Building a deep democracy
Central to Walker’s call is the idea of building what he calls “deep democracy” – a democracy that is not built on official equality but rooted in love and expressed through justice. Ralph Ellison’s question from “Invisible Man“ – “Can politics ever be an expression of love?” – emphasizes this challenge. In order to build a deep democracy in Winston-Salem, we must prioritize policies that reflect our love for all inhabitants, especially the most vulnerable.
Walker’s concept of “creative incorrect adaptation” provides a framework for action. Being unequivocally means refusing to accept food deserts, housing instability or systemic racism as inevitable. This means choosing to live differently, to love deeply and to learn boldly. This means rejecting the comfortable and challenge of making justice and dignity the fabric of our city.
To stay awake on the challenge
In conclusion, Walker called for us to “stay awakened” while building this new Winston-Salem. It’s not just a slogan; This is a call to remain vigilant, engaged and engaged in justice. It is a reminder that the work on building a better city requires all of us – civil servants, business leaders, teachers and everyday citizens – to play our role.
Walker’s speech was not just a reflection on who we are, but the challenge of becoming what we should be. Let’s rise to this challenge. Let us encounter our history, envelop the creative wrong adaptation and work together to build Winston-Salem, where justice, love and community are living realities. Only then can we really honor the King’s heritage and create the “bright and brilliant time of freedom and justice” that Walker and King envisaged.
This article is by Derwin L. Montgomery, edited and formatted by Chatgpt.