Portland Observer July 2 . 1961 Page 7
PASSAGES bridges Africa/USgap
By Nvewusi Askari
There exists a tremendous gulf o f
knowledge, understanding, and
communication between the people
o f Am erica and those o f A fric a .
The g u lf is sim ilar between Black
people on both these continents.
Alex Haley’ s Roots stirred some in
terest and clarified some o f the old
myths about the very life connection
that Black Americans have w ith
their ancestors. And Black history
courses in the schools have for the
last decade washed some o f the
caked on falsehoods about the great
Black civilizations o f Ghana, Mali,
and Songhai. But, how much con
tact, in fo rm a tio n , and love does
Black people have - and how
frequently? It is generally accepted
that increased contact with a d if
ferent culture creates respect and
appreciation fo r those little d if
ferences that the inhabitants o f the
world permit to divide them.
Here in P ortland, a dedicated
group o f Black artists arc working
to bridge the gap between A fric a ,
Portland and all points in between.
The artists, under the direction o f
Bruce Smith, C honitia Henderson
Smith and Bobby Fouther, have
form ed
a
project
called
PASSAGES. PASSAGES is a West
African/Pacific Northwest Cultural
Sharing Project whose objective is
to better understand cu ltu ra l
relationships and choreographic
usage o f the ethnic dance forms o f
Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea,
West Africa.
PASSAGES intends to bring to
Portland, the culture o f the peoples
o f West Africa. The founders o f the
project see this great void and are
proposing to fill it using the arts as a
bridge to get from one side o f
emptiness to the other. To accom
plish this purpose, the artists are
seeking statewide financial support,
which, i f fo rth co m in g , w ould
enable them to participate in the
1981 Annual A fric a n Dance and
Music W orkshop held in West
A frica , July 30th through August
29th. Sponsored by A ir A friq u e ,
and coordinated by Art Safari, Inc.,
o f New Y ork, the artists would be
exposed to in-depth and on-site par
ticipation. Worshops will be held in
studio settings and in villages,
taught by Black people who live the
tradition. The total project cost is
$8492.
According to C honitia, the im
portance o f the project cannot be
over emphasized. “ Even if all mem
ber artists are unable to make the
trip , we want to be able to send at
least one artist, so that the N orth
west w ill be represented in A frica.
A t this p o in t, A fric a is allow ing
m ore artists from America to come
in and learn many o f the traditional
forms o f African culture,” she ex
plained.
Each o f the PASSAGE pro
ponents is an accomplished artist
in their field: C honitia Henderson
Smith, in Textile A rt and Fashions;
Bobby Fouther, as a painter; and
Bruce Sm ith, a renowned per
cussionist and a member o f the Por
tland based group, Pleasure.
T hrough the PASSAGE project,
they plan to bring knowledge in the
areas o f Dance, Music, and Textile
art back to the Northwest fo r the
consum ption o f young and old
alike, but p a rtic u la rly to those
young people in the schools.
Passages w ill connect its idea with
the African A rt Safari which leaves
fro m New Y ork on the firs t o f
August each year. It w ill be a first
for this area and is way overdue.
Bobby Fouther is particularly in
terested in bringing this type o f
program to Portland, especially af
ter having worked professionally in
the P acific Northwest fo r several
years. “ Our dedication and work
has been to create cu ltural under
standing through music, dance and
the visual arts, especially with youth
in programs such as Artists-in-the-
Schools, and the Jefferson perform
ing Arts Magnet Program. We are
a ffillia te d with the Opening Night
Community Calendar
Society, a non-profit organization.
We feel that this trip is im portant
fo r our continued w ork in the
Northwest area school and com
munities,’ * he said.
Michael Grice, whose organiza
tional and prom otional skills help
make Thara M em ory’ s "T im e -
sound” Civic A uditorium concert
a reality, and who is also working
w ith PASSAGES, says, "W h e n
Chuck Davis came to P ortland
schools this year and involved
over tw o hundred m iddle school
students in A fric a n dance which
culm inated w ith a great concert
through the Jefferson H igh Per
form ing A rts program , everyone
was amazed and impressed with the
beauty and depth o f cultures which
had been a mystery to them. Bruce
Smith worked with Odo Addy and
The Chuck Davis Dancers out o f
New Y ork as a lead percussionist
and received much inspiration fo r
this venture. The artists involved in
the project are well q u a lifie d to
represent the N orthw est, so, we
want c o m m u n ity /c ity and state
residents to support th e m ," he
elaborated.
For more inform ation call Bruce
Smith at 285-3861 or by mailing a
donation in any am ount to
PASSAGES, P.O. Box 11143, Port
land, OR 97211.
Cell Talk
MRS. C’s
WIGS
(AND HAIR BEADS)
By Asmar Abdul Seifullah
Aka Joe West
Since the last installment o f Cell
Talk, I ’ ve had a chance to converse
with M r. W alt Everetts, Hospital
Manager at Oregon State Peniten
tiary. M r. Everetts was interested in
knowing, or so it seemed, how valid
my com plaint was against tech
nician Ron Beriault. I informed Mr.
Everetts that on June 20th, Ron
Beriault
w ithheld
prescribed
m edication fro m me at a very
crucial point in my illness, that his
denial to administer medication had
no valid m edical founda tion and
that it constituted a racist act o f
re ta lia tio n fo r my exercising my
first amendment rights in an article I
had w ritten about the hospital de
partment.
I inform ed M r. Everetts that I
had been forewarned about the
treatm ent I w ould receive in the
hospital departm ent. However, I
can’ t reveal my source o f in fo r
m ation at this tim e because the
usefulness and safety as witnesses o f
my source would be destroyed. Mr.
Everetts wanted me to believe that 1
was over reacting to the situation.
He acknowledged that Ron Beriault
had a bad a ttitu d e but that he
wasn’ t racist. A t one p oint M r.
Everetts suggested that perhaps my
attitude created the problem , and
that he had talked to Ron Beriault
and could fin d no evidence o f
d is c rim in a tio n or m edical mis
conduct. However, M r. Everetts
failed to question any o f the w it
nesses I submitted to the incident. It
was a pure case o f the slave master
supporting the overseerer against
the pains o f the slave.
Never did I expect Mr. Everetts to
act fa irly in my com plaint. I only
talked to him to re a ffirm the fact
that the problems that exist in the
medical department ran from top to
bottom. When departmental heads
actively endorse racist acts by their
underlings the only solution to the
problem is to cut o ff the head. “ Kill
the head and the body w ill d ie .”
I f W alt Everetts sanctioned this
overt act o f racism, he therefore
must be condemned as a racist. I f
the prison adm inistration supports
Mr. Everetts then, it too is racist for
allowing further spread o f a infec
tious disease. There is no excuse for
what happened to me. 1 was denied
medical treatm ent because I ’ m
Black and vocal but there are
brothers in this institution who are
denied treatm ent fo r a lo t less
reasons.
This isn’ t an isolated incident -
Black prisoners are seldom patients
in the hospital. You can’ t tell me
that Blacks don’ t get sick in Oregon
State P enitentiary. But a brother
has to be damn near dead before he
is admitted to the hospital. There is
a double standard fo r Black and
white prisoners in the medical de
partm ent. " M o s t brothers would
rather be sick in their cell than seek
medical help in Oregon State
Penitentiary. Why?”
One other incident took place
when I was denied medical atten
tion. On June 13, 1981,1 was sent to
the hospital by Assistant Superin
tendent L a rry Roach. M r. Roach
called the hospital and ordered
technician Richard Frye to give me
m edication fo r my respiratory
problem . He inform ed M r. Frye
that he personally knew I had a
problem and that i f necessary he
(M r. Frye) should call Salem
M em orial Hospital and get a doc
to r ’ s order fo r some m edication.
When I arrived, technician Frye
totally disregarded M r. Roach’s in
struction. The man w ouldn’ t even
listen to my chest; he d id n ’ t come
from behind his window. The o f-
If you want
to stay
on top,
you have
to stay
in touch.
Ram has the signal that keeps you in constant touch.
Providing direct dial, tone alert, tone voice, and
mobile telephone service.
“S c e f i c i
“P e o f i t e f
713 S.W 12«h Avr . Portland. OR 97205
ficer present, Mr. Leja, was so sur
prised that he called Mr. Roach and
told him that Frye treated me pretty
badly and that he too felt I should
have been given medication. I suf
fered the rest o f the weekend and
was admitted to the hospital on the
15th. On the 20th, the incident with
M r. B eriault took place and I ’ m
suppose to believe that is all coin
cidental.
A t the time o f the writing o f this
article, I am once again a hospital
patient. The medication I ’ ve been
receiving isn’t accomplishing much.
I have no faith in this department
but my request fo r outside tre a t
ment has not been acted on.
Medication has been withheld; it has
arrived late, which is detrimental in
itself. I have called these things to
the attention o f the administration.
Inmates and staff w ill bear witness
to the way I ’ ve been treated and still
I ’ m placed in a hostile environment
possible treatment.
Please bear in m ind that at the
w ritin g o f this article I am in the
lion’s den. I don’t put anything past
these people. They have proved how
beastly they can be. I shall focus all
future articles on a much broader
base because this medical depart
ment is racist and it is used against
all m in o rity prisoners. I f these
people are allowed to adm inister
treatment to whomever they please,
as they please, when they please,
then Black life behind these walls is
on the verge o f extinction.
We pray A lla h that a fu ll in
vestigation o f the medical depart
ment at Oregon State Penitentiary is
conducted in the near future.
Prisoner’ s Legal Services has been
notified o f the situation. Legal ac
tion w ill be taken in the near future
but any outside support is
welcomed.
County positions available
M ultnom ah C ounty Executive
Don Clark announces that vacancies
exist on tw o citizen boards and
commissions - the C om m unity
Health Council and the A dult and
Family Services Review Board.
The Com m unity Health Council
has five vacancies for consumers of
any o f Multnomah County’ s health
programs who reside in either the
North, Northeast or Southeast areas
o f P o rtla n d , or East M ultnom ah
C ounty. The C ouncil advises the
Community Health Division on the
programs and services provided by
federal grants, including the
Primary Care Center, the Southeast
Urban H ealth In itia tiv e , Fam ily
Planning clinics, and the programs
for Women, Infants, and Children
PSU film: Wargame, directed by Peter Watkins, 47 min., B/W Produced
for BBC-TV. A scrupulous attempt - based on inform ation supplied by ex
perts in nuclear defense, economics, and medicine - to show what would hap
pen to Britain in the event o f nuclear attack. The images have the authentic
quality o f a newsreel and an impact more forceful than any book or lecture.
Hiroshima - Nagasaki: August I945: A com pliation made from original
Japanese footage shot in the immediate aftermath o f the bombings, this film
offers an unblinkingly frank look at the human cost o f nuclear war - July 8,
1981,7:30 P.M.Portland State University Room 435 SMC Phone: 229-4454.
Flrahousa T h eatre: Summer Classes July 11 - August 22. Day and
evening Theatre and Dance classes and workshops for ages 6 - Senior Adults.
Classes include: Puppetry, Stage, Movement, Aerobics, Jazz and Ballet (ages
7 - adult), Voice and Diction, auditioning, improvisation, Drama Day Camp
(10-15), Introduction to Theater (6-9) Adult Theater classes and Theater for
Senior Adults. Registration July 6 - 11. Students may register by stopping by
the theater or by calling for class brochure. For further information call, 248-
4737 - 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. The Firehouse Theater is located at 1436 S.W.
Montgomery.
Unique Day Camp: A chance to experience, study and enjoy the natural
environment w ill be available to Portland area students in a day camp offered
by the Western Forestry Center this summer. The camp, called Nature Ven
tures is open to students in grades five through seven. Three sessions o f the
five-day camp w ill be offered in August. Campers in the program will meet at
the Forestry Center and travel to field study sites in the vicinity o f Portland.
These include Sauvie Island, Magness Memorial Tree Farm, the Columbia
River Gorge, M t. Hood, and T ryron Creek State Park. For more in fo r
mation call 228-1367.
S um m er C hildren's Program s: Albina Branch Library, 3605 NE 15th
Ave. Puppet Show: "One Fine Day” plus: “ Make a Puppet!” July 14, 3:00
P.M. - “ Funny Bone Party” July 22, 3:00 P.M ., Free films Saturdays, 3:00
P.M. For more information call 287-7147.
Veterans — Need help on getting a job? Contact the National Alliance o f
Business and fin d out about their free Veterans Em ploym ent Seminar
Program. Call 226-4063.
J o b S e m in a r: A veterans Em ploym ent Seminar sponsored by the
National Alliance o f Business w ill be held on Friday, August 7th from 1:30 to
4:30 p.m. at the Public Service Building, 2nd floor auditorium, at 920 S.W.
6th Ave.
(WIC).
The A d u lt and Fam ily Services
Review Board has one vacancy for
someone who is interested in the
state assistance program and in
helping clients understand it. The
Board advises the Regional O ffice
o f the State Division o f A dult and
Fam ily Services on its programs,
and serves as a liaison between
clients and the Division.
Citizens interested in serving on
either o f these boards are en
couraged on contact Maggie Pend
leton at the O ffic e o f the C ounty
Executive Room 136 M ultnom ah
County Courthouse, 1021 SW 4th,
P ortland, OR. 97204. Ms. Pend
leton may also be reached between
8:30 am and 5:00 pm at 248-3308.
Forest Jenkins has written 3 lA
million dollars o f life insurance
to date in 1981. Mr. Jenkins is
opening a convenient new lo
cation to better learn your needs
and better f i l l them. Discover
the advantage o f having all your
major insurance coverages with
one agent who provides mean
ingful savings, who gives fast,
fair, friendly service and who
has monthly payments available.
Call Forrest for auto, life, hom eowners, fire,
commercial at 249-2966 or drop in for open house
at 3714 N. Williams.
‘ 10 Wig Sale
Be'ty Cabine, Proprietor
64 DIFFER ENT STYLES AT *10 IN A VAR IETY O F C O L O R S I
Hundreds of Wigs & Hairpieces
at 10% * 50% Savings
Featuring w ig . by NAOMI SIMS. ANDRE DOUGLAS. BILLIE b NATALIE COLE
I
f
t
w
À
COOL K-1700
Reg. 117.96
NOW
8 days only. Sale ends Fri., July 11th
MRS. C ’s WIGS
7 0 7 N.E. Frem ont 2 8 1 -6 5 2 5
Closed tun.A Mon. 0 P IN T im s . thru ta t. 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM
MORGAN KENNEDY IS THE BIG REASON
HIS FOLKS CONVERTED TO NATURAL GAS.
saw
Gracye Kennedy of Northeast Portland converted
her home heat.oq from or» io natural qas last year
The Kennedy s younq son Morqan h id a lot to do
with the decision
The baby was a big reason Two years ago dunng
the tee storm we ran out of od and t thought I It
never go through this again« So we converted in gas
last fall I had my baby m December and it s |ust
been qreai With qas we ran keep the temperahire
on 70 and fhe house is retat-vety warmer because of
a more comfortable even heel
In my |ob l do a tot of home rehabrtttahon work and
many of my chants were converting to gas and I was
persuaded Io look into it for our home
i romprded it out and based on what we pa<1 »or oil
spr«ng I know »s going to mean savings tor us
If someone asked for my opinion Id say —
go gas«
Mi and Mrs Kennedy — and Morgan - are one of
needy 7 0 00 famrtes who converted to Northwest
natural gas last year
For information on converting your own home Io
convenient reliable and economical naturai gas ca»
Northwest Natural Gas today
NORT^ V ^ S T NATURAL QA8
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2 2 6 -1 5 0 7
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