PCC offers contemporary African literature T im o th y Saben was raised in Uganda learning English and Swahili as he lived w ith " o n e fo o t firm ly p la n te d in B lack c u ltu re and the other in colonial white cu ltu re ." Saben w ill o ffe r a course in Con­ temporary A frica n Literature winter term at P o rtla n d C o m m u n ity C o lle g e , S ylva n ia C e n te r, 12000 S.W. 49th Avenue. The class lasts 12 weeks and meets each M o n d a y , Wednesday and Friday from 10-11 a.in. Students can audit the class or earn three tra n s fe ra b le college credits. “ When I was growing up in Ugan­ da my companions were Black kids my own age," Saben said. "1 learned the A fric a n ve rb a l en cyclo pe d ia fro m my c o m p a n io n s . 1 knew S w a h ili so it was easy. 1 learned stories o f the slave trade in Swahili from old wizened men in A fric a ." Saben credits his childhood com ­ p a n io n s, his p a re n ts ( " t h e ir w e lls p rin g o f p h ilo s o p h y was h u m a n ity ") and early friendships w ith Black A frican intellectuals with his interest in A frican literature and w ith helping Americans understand contemporary A frica n culture. When Saben was growing up in the 1950‘ s in A frica he said the literary tradition was coming from the West. “ The written tra d itio n was a white perspective but 1 knew how much o f a bias it was because my other foot was in the Black w o rld ,” Saben ex­ plained. The most fam ous o f the 195O's A frica n novels was "S om ething o f V alue” by Robert R uark--a book which is not on Seban's list for the PCC course. " R u a r k 's book is a white man's view o f Black c u ltu re - fu ll o f stereotypes that white men are big, rugged and handsome and white women are beautiful and simpering and Blacks are either nice or beastial savages jum ping around in skins to the throb o f to m -to m s," Saben said. "T h e re 's treineindous lite ra tu re coming out o f A frica now ,” Saben said. " I t doesn’ t have the groping cynicism o f western literature. It is ru ra l, c o lle c tiv e and a g ra ria n literature rather than industrial, in ­ literature that you don’ t find much in western lite ra tu re ." Saben, w ho was educated in Kenya, Scotland and England before receiving his doctorate at the Univer­ sity o f Oregon, lived in Canada and Australia before settling in Portland in 1974. T w o experiences in P o rtla n d d iv id u a l and u rb a n as o urs is. There’ s a spontaneity about A frican (please turn to page 10 column 5) PORTLAND OBSERVER Volum e 9 N um ber 50 Decem ber 20. 1979 10C per copy USPS9S9 680 Blacks celebrate January 1st as "Jubilee Day." January I, w ill not be just the ad­ vent o f a new year; National N AA C P Executive Director Benjamin Hooks has called on Black people across the country to annually celebrate January 1 as "Jubilee Day,” to commemorate the signing o f the E m ancipation proclamation by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 which abolished slavery in the United States. Hooks and the N A A C P look to “ Jubilee Day” as a day o f "spiritual renewal; a day o f worship and thanks­ giving; a time to commemorate our Black Heritage, and a time to reflect, rededicate and revitalize our efforts. . in our quest for equality o f opportu­ nity. The "Jubilee Day” concept was fir­ st intrixluced by Director Hooks in his benedictory address at the 70th A n­ nual N A A C P N ational C onvention held in Louisville, Kentucky last June. A re so lu tio n to include the com ­ memoration as part o f the national o rg a n iz a tio n ’ s agenda was passed overwhelmingly. The annual celebration is intended to involve various p ortions o f the Black community in a conjuctive ef­ fort to solidfy and embrace 'he two m a jo r in s titu tio n s w hich have historically key to Black survival in America; the Black fam ily and the Black church. S p e cifica lly, the "J u b ile e D a y” resolution calls for local branches to encourage governm ental leaders to issue commemorative proclamations; for families to take time out to recount “ the experiences o f Black freedom fighters, historic Black heroes and heroines...to instruct children about the value o f hope and perseverance in overcoming adversity and despair.” Black pastors are encouraged to hold special services "lin kin g the civil ■ t I ' * ,• » National NAACP Executive Director Benjamin Hooks rights struggle, the N A A C P ’ s role, generate the funds necessary fo r its campaigns. and the mission o f religion to the vitality o f family life. "Jubilee Day’ ’— January I — will not The national N A A G P leadership only signal the advent o f something w ill set aside "Jubilee Day” to con­ new, but the effort by Black people to re-new their faith in themselves and in vene, reassess and plan strategies for obtaining its civil rights goals, and to a unity o f purpose. NAACP give top honors to Zodiac contest winners. Calvin Russell Graham Jr. at age 12 take time out to pause with violin. Calvin is 17 years old now. Young violinist tour Tokyo, Japan with Portland Junior Symphony Hv Stephanie L. Michael Recently the P o rtla n d Y outh P hilharm onic, better known as the Portland Junior Symphony went on a twelve day educational tour to Sap­ poro, Ebetsu and Tokyo, Japan. The group o f I02 musicians, ages 13-23 plus 30 staff and escorts participated in six concerts, tw o school visits, two n a tio n a l television broadcasts and home stays w ith Japanese fam ilies while in Japan. The trip to Japan opened up the or­ chestras 1979-80 season. The groups visit to Sapporo was in recognition o f the 2(Xh anniversary o f the sister-city re la tio n sh ip between Sapporo and Portland. The orchestras trip was to demonstrate Portland's commitment to the sister-city program , o ffe r a recognized Portland cultural entity to the Japanese and to allow a person-to- person experience through home stays. The trip cost was around $125,000 dollars. The city, orchestra families and the community each contributed one-third to the cost o f the trip. Calvin Russell Graham Jr. is the only Black musician in the orchestra, now in its 56th year o f existence. The |7-year old violinist has participated in the accomplished orchestra on several occasions since he was 12 years old. G raham is one o f the few young people in the group representing not only Portland, but distant cities such as the Dallas, Salem and Longview. The orchestra conducted by Jacob Avshalomov is maintained by the Por­ tland Junior Symphony Association, a n o n -p rofit educational organization which provides annual music training at no cost and without tax support for its regular operating expenses. Russel Graham began playing the violin when he was four years old. His parents initiated the start o f private lessons for the instrument as soon has he turned five. Looking back through the years Russell says he d islike d taking the lessons that lasted through junior high school. But now, he feels the w ork, time, and money put into lessons helped him get a seat in the or­ chestra. Grrahatn says, " I was 12 when I signed up to be in the orchestra, so it was necessary that I audition fo r a seat. I had to pick a piece and play it for two or three minutes. Then you are required to play a scale and do on the spot sight reading. I guess I must have been pretty good, because I got in and there was alot o f kids who wanted to be in the orchestra." " I didn’ t then and I still don’ t find it hard being the only Black in th? group. Now there are fo u r other m in o rity people playing in the orchestra. I don't think that many Black people listen to classical music. I think they appreciate any type o f music, but money has alot to do with the lack o f Black people being involved with classical music. It takes money to have private lessons and to own an instrument such as a v io lin .” When young Graham first started playing in the orchestra he was not serious about being a musician, his outlook was towards being a doctor like his father. But now in his last year o f high school, he's made some decisions about his future life. " A t first, I didn’ t know what I wan­ ted to do with my life. I think when you’ re grow ing up i t ’ s d iffic u lt to make decisions about the future. To tell the truth, I wasn't serious about playing music u ntil this year. Right now, I know 1 want to be an accom­ plished musician in a metro orchestra, hut I also want to do many things in my life. I'd like to always do work in the community and help people. Over a person's life tim e you ju s t d o n ’ t know where things might lead yo u ." As a daily pratice, Russell not only has to keep ahead on his academic studies, he also has to pratice on his v io lin and tru in b o n e . He says his pratice sessions on the instruments can range from 2 to 3 depending on how he feels. He stressed that at this time, he’s trying to learn how to discipline himself. “ Hopefully next year, I will be ac­ cepted to a school next fa ll. I'm preparing m yself fo r that whole process right now. I'd like to go to school somewhere in the east, Ms. Nicola Murray ms. Nicole Murray and Ms. Jawall Bowman walked off with top honors as winners of the Portland Branch N A A C P ’s Holiday Seal C hildren’s Zodiac Contest and King/Queen Contest respectively "Operation Phone Lions Club in the greater Portland metropolitan area w ill again be con­ d ucting th e ir “ O p e ra tio n Phone Btx»k" recycling project. The proceeds from this year’s December 14 through January 12 co lle ctio n o f obsolete phone books w ill be shared between the Lions Sight and Hearing Foun­ dation and participating youth groups. Each Lions C lub w ill w ork w ith a youth organization in their area About 30 collection sites where the Ms Jawall Bowman general public can turn in their old phone books are listed on an insert in the new 1980 directories. M ajor users o f telephone books are going to be collected on a scheduled basis. Since 1925, Lions throughout the world have responded to the needs o f the blind, and more recently have ex­ tended into sight and hearing conser­ vation. In 1959 the Oregon Lions founded the Sight and Hearing Foun­ dation. The foundation is a regular ook" contributor to the Devers Eye Clinic and the Oregon Lions Eye Bank at Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, as well as supporting other projects fo r the b lin d such as the Southern Oregon Blind Center and a summer camp. Chairman of this year's “ Operation Phone Book” project is Dick Brattin (233-2522) working closely with District tiovernor [Tennis Tnchenor I