street roots
6
Sept. 27, 2013
‘One paper
at a time'
Hands
by Ron S a n fo rd
Manual dexterity, agility
are things controlled by the mind
We put big labels on those limbs
but still the secrets we’re trying to find
B Y A N N -D E R R IC K G A ILLO T
Truth is not always so simple as it may seem
The man behind the mask is leering with glee
Good things come to those who simply wait
Don’t look behind now and don’t you hesitate
Lay your hands on me
but don’t confess your sins
Love what we’re talking about now
Be sure to take a shower before you come in
Shake the dust off outside the golden gates
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
requent visitors to Hawthorne
Avenue will recognize vendor Keith
Montgomery, who sells the paper, 9
a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday,
outside Powells Bookstore.
“I’m always here during those times,” he
says, “unless I have a prior engagement like
a doctors appointment.” He laughs.
Keith first started selling Street Roots
six months ago, after moving up from his
hometown Los Angeles. Having worked in
sales over the past couple decades, selling
newspapers nationwide via the phone,
F
Take your shoes off before you enter
We have been expecting your grace
Keith Montgomery
The time is here for us to just live
to count our blessings
as we joy in God’s hands
Keith naturally took to selling the paper
once he established his turf. “It’s just now
we’re talking face to face,” he says.
Overcoming shyness was never an issue
for him. He stands listening to music
emitting softly from his phone, sometimes
by his favorite singer, Beyonce, and he
greets those who pass by. “He’s a great guy
to talk to,” says his friend Kevin at Fresh
Pot. Espcially when it comes to sports,
depending on your perspective.
“I’m a big football fan. See, the
Cowboys,” he says motioning to his light
blue, zebra-print Dallas Cowboys hat. “So
I’m gonna wear my Cowboys hat all the
time.”
And Keith certainly has plenty to choose
from — he has 12 Cowboys hats. Harder to
see are the bracelets he wears on his wrist.
One is for Justice for Families, an
organization that works to end the
epidemic incarceration of juveniles.
“Sometimes kids make mistakes and they
have really harsh punishments,” he says.
“The punishment is disproportionate from
one kid to another kid, from race to race.
It’s not right... But these punishments,
you’re not gonna make anybody better. All
they’re gonna do is come out tougher
criminals. You know?”
His other bracelet? It states “I Have a
Dream,” the quote by Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Keith spent the 50th anniversary
of the March on Washington selling Street
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and protecting children. It turns out we had
met once before, when Keith marched with
Street Roots in this summer’s Gay Pride
parade. “I want the right for people to live
happily. That’s important. And more to have
people decide how they want to live and
still have the same rights and be happy.”
Looking forward, Keith, is hopeful about
what the future might bring. “Everything I
believe in I hope for. I believe in things that
haven’t happened, but I hope they will
happen. With Street Roots, I’m hoping for
the best.” Among Keith’s hopes are that he
doesn’t get too wet this winter and that his
health stays well enough to keep selling the
paper. “I figure somebody writes, somebody
takes the photographs, somebody has ads
and marketing, and then there has to be
somebody that actually sells the paper...
One paper at a time.”
At the end of our chat, Keith gives a
shout out to everyone who supports Street
Roots. “To everyone I’ve met, thank you
very much. And I’ll be seeing you soon!”
VENDOR WORK ADS
A helping hand, inside or out, reasonable
rates. Larry Montgomery. 503-875-6487
L
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Roots and reflecting with others on the
changes he has seen since the '60s. As a
child living in LA, Keith was first told about
the civil rights movement by his mother.
“I know it really helped her. That caused
change... My mother was a housewife. She
became a secretary and she worked for
Hewlett Packard for a long time. And she
did this because of all this educational
opportunity. My great-aunt was a maid, but
she went to school. She ended up working
for an electronics company. See, all that
training, change did come from that.”
Keith’s passion for civil rights issues
does not stop at his bracelets. Despite
being a relative newcomer to Portland,
Keith has already made it a habit to serve
his community, volunteering for both
Justice for Families, where his sister also
works, and Adoption Mosaic, an
organization that provides support and
education for families in the adoption
community.
Being the oldest of seven brothers, it is
no wonder Keith’s passions lie with helping
Dog walker; House cleaner; Care giver.
Dog lover who is honest, sober and
reliable. Rate: Private treaty. Eileen V.
(message) 503-228-5657
Find out more about
Street Roots a t
www.streetroots.org
Need a worker? Can do almost anything,
light or heavy. References supplied. $10
an hour, four-hour min. Ask for Cassidy
Morse, 503-228-5657 (SR office), or 503-
875-6504 (cell).
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