PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 7, 2021
SKPS hosting community learning
sessions celebrating Black history
Salem-Keizer Public Schools is part-
nering with members in the community
to provide a series of learning sessions
throughout the 2021-22 school year.
These sessions are currently held online
and are open to the public.
The second Community Learning
Session is scheduled for 6 p.m. on
Monday, Jan. 31 and will be hosted
by Salem-Keizer School Board Chair
Osvaldo Avila and SKPS Director
of Student Equity, Access and
Advancement Cynthia Richardson.
The event will be hosted on Zoom
and will run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with
time for questions from attendees.
The online-only session includes
an interactive presentation celebrat-
ing Black history in our state. Panelists
include McKay Senior Grace Caldwell,
who also serves as the student advisor to
the school board, Oregon State Senator
Lew Frederick, Oregon Black Pioneers
President Willie Richardson and Gwen
Carr, who served on the board of the
Oregon Black Pioneers for close to 20
years — panelist bios are featured below.
Salem-Keizer’s second student advi-
sor to the school board. She represents
the voices of nearly 40,000 students.
Outside of her district responsibilities,
she is active in her school’s community.
She enjoys competing in tennis, singing
in the McKay Concert Choir and aca-
pella group and drawing cartoons. She
has plans to attend a four-year university
and study political science.
GRACE CALDWELL
Caldwell is currently a senior at
McKay High School and serves as
Richardson
WILLIE RICHARDSON
Richardson and her spouse of 50
years, Thomas, moved with their fam-
ily to Salem in 1978. She was employed
Caldwell
with the State of Oregon from 1978-1991
where she held several positions. In 1993
she opened Willie’s Fashion Hats and
More and in 2003 the store became A
Time for Elegance, a retail shop for wom-
en’s formal wear. She retired from the
retail business in 2010 to pursue her love
and passion of sharing the rich history
of African-American contributions and
culture with Oregon.
Since 2004, Richardson has served as
chairperson of Oregon Black Pioneers
where she actively researches and docu-
ments the history of African Americans
and their contributions to the develop-
ment of the State of Oregon. Their con-
tributions are recognized, honored and
shared with the broader community in a
variety of ways.
She is the fi rst and only African-
American who has served on the Salem-
Keizer School Board.
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