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1. 1093 T j M t M i t
Show Your Pride
With Flying Colors!
'local news
In memory of an ally
The county mourns the passing of one of its most dynamic
and devoted public officials
v
by Irene K. Hislop
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McCoy was instrumental in integrating
he gay, lesbian and bisexual commu­
nity, and indeed all of Multnomah Portland’s public schools. As a school board
County, lost a powerful friend on member, she wouldn’t settle for anything less
Easter Sunday, April 11. Multnomah than integration for all grade levels. When the
County Chairwoman Gladys McCoy Portland City CJub finally agreed to admit women,
McCoy
died after a determined battle with a rare
and was the second woman admitted.
aggressive form of thyroid cancer. She was Her 65 pioneering work earned her a steady stream
of awards. In 1974, she won a Woman of Achieve­
years old.
McCoy was the first African American woman ment award. In 1980, McCoy was named Oregon
to hold many of the government positions she Mother of the Year. She won two awards in 1987:
held in a quarter-century of public service. She National Association of Blacks in Criminal Jus­
was also among the first public officials to speak tice Services’ Community Service Award, and
out against the Oregon Citizens Alliance. McCoy Oregon Assembly of Black Affairs’ Political
will be remembered as a political trailblazer, a Development Award.
McCoy’s many firsts included being the first
devoted mother, a role model, and a powerful
woman president of the Association of Oregon
advocate for justice and civil rights.
Counties.
She also served on the national board of
McCoy was raised in the South, where she
grew up learning firsthand the horrors of oppres­ the National Organization of Black Elected Offi­
sion. She moved to Portland in 1949 to work for cials.
“She was one of those people leaders,” said
the YMCA, and she met her husband, state Sen.
Bill McCoy, here. After going to graduate school state Rep. Margaret Carter, “who transcended the
in Boston, she relumed to Portland and earned a label of ‘black leader,’ working tirelessly for all
master’s degree in social work from .Portland the people of the state.”
State University in 1970.
It was a te ary-eyed Carter
That same year, she entered
who called for a moment of
the political arena as a mem­
silence after announcing her
ber of the Portland School
friend’s death on the House
Board. As usual, she was the
floor. Carter worked on
first African American mem­
McCoy’s first Portland
ber.
School Board race.
Her interest in the school
Gov. Barbara Roberts
board was more than politi­
didn’t serve with McCoy on
cal. She and her husband had
any of the various boards
seven children. She was an
and committees each
involved mother, despite her
woman was part of, but they
busy career. McCoy found
did meet often in their years
time for Little League, as
of public service.
well as a host of other com­
“If there’s a word that
munity service projects, in­
sums Gladys up, it is public
cluding the Mental Health
service,” Roberts said. “Her
Advocacy Board. McCoy
whole career, not just her
was a teacher. In the broad
political career, but also her
sense, her life stands as a
career prior to that, working
lesson in compassion and dedication. But she also in programs like Head Start and early
taught sociology and social work for five years in education...was about public service.”
various local colleges. She spent three years as
McCoy’s public was everyone.
director of social services for the Head Start
“She talked about her rainbow,” recalled Don
program before winning public office.
Clark, a former Multnomah County executive.
McCoy went on to serve a second term on the “One of her major themes was that we needed to
school board before she became state ombuds­ build up a community of diverse people — and
man in 1975. Her duties in that office included that ought to be so in everything we do. She
counseling the governor on affirmative action thought there was a strength that comes from
issues. She was appointed by then-Gov. Robert diversity that you don’t get when everyone looks
Straub and served until 1978, when she was the same.”
elected for the first time to the Multnomah County
Nearly 1,000 people gathered on Thursday,
Board of Commissioners. She then ran unsuc­ April 15, at North Portland’s Holy Cross Catholic
cessfully for a seat on the Portl and City Council in Church to mourn McCoy’s death. Approximately
1984.
700 family members, friends and admirers
That defeat was temporary. Two years later, crowded the pews inside, and hundreds more
she ran for chair of the Multnomah County Board filled the parish hall and the sidewalk outside. In
of Commissions. Just Out endorsed her in that a two-hour mass, the Rev. Cathal Brennan spoke
election. The voting public agreed; she won. of McCoy’s legacy, and how she inspired others,
Voters enthusiastically re-elected her to that posi­ especially younger women.
tion in 1990. Despite her illness, McCoy had
“Gladys herself was color-blind, but never
planned to finish the four-year term.
people-blind,” Brennan said.
In office, McCoy was fiercely dedicated to her
McCoy led Oregon vast distances down the
beliefs. She fought bigotry on too many fronts to road to a community where respect replaces hate,
list. She will be remembered for her work with the where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream comes
Columbia Villa public housing project McCoy true, and we are all judged by the content of our
had lived in the project, which at one point in the character. McCoy traveled past many obstacles,
late 1980s was discussedregularly in news stories and she led the way for countless other people to
about gangs, violence and drug problems. McCoy follow. Perhaps the most fitting tribute Oregon
made the project an issue for the county, and can pay to Gladys McCoy is to continue that
improved the quality of living for its residents. journey.
She was especially proud of her work there.