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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 2, 1981)
Train today I i i Í for leadership tomorrow By Mane Martin IN T E R E S T IN G Big Sister program. After becoming it's fa c ilita to r, she was then promoted to the position o f Public Inform ation Specialist at the age o f 17. From there, she became a board member o f the N ational Youth Workers Alliance and is presently a s ta ff consultant fo r the N ational Com m ission on Resources fo r Youth in New York City. Mary Kay advocates that young people should be politica lly active and more aggressive. Her message to young people who are attempting to do something w ith their lives is:‘ ‘ To have a positive attitude and the desire to succeed. You have to be w illin g to go a fte r what you want, and be able to stand up fo r w hat’ s yours. We young people have to start training today to be leaders o f to m o rro w ,” she ex plained. Her accomplishments include: An oral address to the Senate regarding youth em ploym ent program s; several interview s w ith Congressmen; the host o f a weekly radio show in Chicago. But the biggest accomplishment o f all "was being able to raise $4000 dollars by myself, to attend an Ivy League school in New York where I was ac cepted soley on my accom plish ments,” she concluded with a smile. At 18 years o f age, she can indeed smile! Recently, while attending the An nual N ational Youth W orkers Alliance Conference at the Univer sity o f W ashington, I had the op portunity to meet a proud, young, gifted and Black woman by the name o f Mary Kay Penn. She ad dressed the conference where over 300 nation wide affiliates attended. Her topics being youth participation on boards and the positive show casing o f our youth. This remarkable young lady, when asked why she was motivated to address youth issues said, “ I believe in young people. I believe that young people should be given a chance, an opportunity, and the patience that should accompany those things. W ith those elements, we as young people can do and take a stance on anything.” Due to racial problems at school and a poor a ttitu d e , M ary Kay became involved in the Youth Ser vice System upon the suggestion o f a school counselor at the age o f 14. The Youth Program was her outlet from the torm ent o f grow ing up. This outlet provided her with an im portant factor that many Black youth often lack: self esteem. She went from being an average client to a pa rticip a n t in the Big B ro th e r/ FACTS r Brought To You Every Week By A M E R IC A N S T A TE BA NR The U .S. once had a state named Franklin, but it lasted only 4 years. The State of Franklin ceased to exist in 1788 and became part of Eastern Tenessee. • Youngest man ever to w in the Nobel Peace Prize was M artin Luther King Jr., who won it at age 35. • Even though 13 is supposed to be an unlucky num ber, th e G reat Seal o f the U .S . has 13 a rro w s, 13 leaves, 13 olives, 13 stars and 13 feathers - and the man who designed it, William Barton, has 13 letters in his nam e, and th e m o tto on th e Seal, E P lu rib u s Unum, also has 13 letters. American State Bank AN INDEPENDENT BANK Head Office 2737 N. E. Union Portland, Oregon 97212 J VINCE JONES Tri-Met honors Jones High school basketball players boarding T ri-M e t operator Vince Jones’ bus may recognize Jones, but they no doubt w ill th in k the uniform ’s all wrong. That’ s because Jones, named May operator o f the m onth at the T ransportation D is tric t’ s Center Street Garage, refrees high school basketball games when he’s not driving a bus. Jones finds the time to keep track o f the players on the hardwoods in between his keeping track o f his own basketball team o f sorts at home. Jones is the father o f six children; the Jones fam ily lives in Northeast Portland. Jones’ transit career goes back to Rose C ity Transit days, and Jones says things have improved a lot sin- te then. Jones’ philosophy of dealing w ith the public is one of open conversation...he says, ” li helps both o f us have a better day.” SAFEWAY WHOLE BODY FRYERS Diet nt Pepsi Light (Cragmont Soft Drinks, Asstd flavors 2 oz Cans b-Pak $1 09 Plus Dep ) Speaking universal language By Nathaniel Scott D ETROIT — Horace Greeley, in his endeavor to inspire people to become m aterially w ealthy said, ‘ ‘ Go West young man, go W est.” And I, in my endeavour to inspire educational wealth, cultural fusion and national togetherness, say to my fellow Oregonians, ‘ ‘ Go East Oregonians, go East.” And when I say East, I am speaking about a destination point o f Detroit, Michigan. D e tro it, M ichigan, like many other cities in and around the country is experiencing economic problems, unemployment, increased crime rate, unrest, and grow ing pangs. But, a new trend and a blossoming concept is moving the city in a modernistic approach that is paying p a rtic u la r a tte n tio n to learning. One such concept is CODE, (C ultural O pportunity for D etroit Exchange), introduced ten years ago by native Detroiter, Leno Art Jaxon. Jaxon, whose father, Keno Jaxon, was a painter, sculpture, poet and singer-m usician, is also founder o f the American Black A r tist Inc. C O D E ’ S concept says, " W e are committed to the concept that the bridge o f common interests among to d a y’ s people is stronger and broader than the gap o f difference. These interests can become shared experiences through the universal language of art forms, which trans cend age, racial, religious, eco nomic, national, ethnic and sexual differences.” And Leno Art Jaxson, it’ s founder says, ‘ ‘A rt is a universal language, to some it has no mean in g ...to others it communicates values. Cultures nestles in art. We create it as we live.” The concept o f art deals w ith colors, shapes, form s - w ritte n , spoken, drawn and words in song. It stim ulates, m otivates and, ‘ ‘ C hildren respond to art form s more readily than anything known to man. Music is the easiest - and the color comes second,” Jaxon said. “ The educational value is far reaching, and since the inception o f the program (C O D E) it has been Hot Spot Record Shop 3613 N.E. Union Ave. Records Good Shoe Shine Phone: 284-3086 Tu« Frl 1 7pm • Sat t 00 8pm Ice Cream Snow Star Assorted Flavors Ä Ä Potato Chips - 4 * 4 * « POTATO Lay's or Ruffles (Party Pride Potato Chips, 8 oz 69‘ , Safeway Franks Premium Franks Turkey Franks Scotch Buy Franks CUM > 4-4 * V-J A Manor House Chicken I rank LENO ART JAXON Lindsay mandated that all the schools o f the City (Detroit) do art programs.” Leno Jaxon is a man who is in search o f many things: Heritage, lineage and truth. He said, "B lack people as a whole are lacking in in form ation and knowledge that w ill lead to the tru th ; a tru th that an swers, who am I; that which instills pride, self-worth and dedication to self and a race o f people.” He said distorted h isto ry has led Black people to no, recognize the im por tance o f Black peoples’ con trib u tio n s to Am erica and w orld history. And that “ The 1967 riot in D etroit brought a great deal o f at tention to Black people, which was good because they (whites) were not aware that Black people were dis content -- or that Black people had problems.” alifnmiu I’illt'd MprONwo Pitted Olives Lindsay Calif Colossal f 1 ? oz Cans or Bottles SAW Family Favorite 0/ Mrs Wfiqht s White or Wheat 3? 0 / l oa* Charcoal Briquets Scotch Buy Brand (Kingsford Charcoal Briguets 10 lb Bag $1 98) PAMPERS Disposable Diapers Extra Absorbent Prices good July 1 thru 7 at all Portland area Safeways SAFEWAY COUPON Coupon Good Thru Thurs . July 7, 1981 / Problems are being dealt with through such modernistic approach as C O D E, an approach tfrat has won Leno pu b lic and private ac claim by City, State and Federal of ficials alike who see and understand the need for truth and unification. Leno is currently com piling data and inform ation from the four cor ners o f the world that hopefully will culminate in a book to be published within five years. The book, he says, “ W ill deal with truth.” Leno A rt Jaxson is a Black man who is on the rise; forever searching fo r ways to bridge the gap o f ignorance, and as he said, "Knowledge is self, is the key to the mystery o f life ,” and the fusion o f a race o f people. 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