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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1984)
Portland Observer April 25, 1984 Page 3 10 HOURS OF READING METROPOLITAN Teacher builds deaf community spirit Silent Night doesn't always mean Christmas. For a growing number o f Port land area residents, the phrase refers to a talent show done com pletely in sign language And, through the auspices of Rogers Cablesystems, a growing number o f the residents o f the area learn about the skills of those in the deaf community. Mark Azure moved to the Port land area from Seattle in 1979 to see if he couldn’ t bring back to his home state some o f the good leader ship and sense o f community he had discovered in working with the deaf in Seattle. Azure attended the Oregon State School for the Deaf in Salem and left the state to study commercial arts in Seattle. He continues as a free lance commercial artist while trying to establish an artist association o f the deaf for Oregon. A part-time instructor for Port land Community College, Azure teaches American Sign Language and was specifically hired to work with an advanced class to give input from the deaf. “ One o f my first questions to Becky Long, P C C instructor, was, ‘Where are the deaf contacts?'” Azure related. In order to build those contacts for the college stu dents in the interpreter program, he volunteered to set up Silent Night, structured after a model from his Seattle experience. Mark Azure telle his story to interpreter Jim Mcknight at Portland Community College Both work to Improve education and social opportunities for the deaf community. “ There are 25 people who showed u p ," Azure remembers “ They sat in a circle, but d idn't participate," he continued. The program was billed as an op portunity to watch or perform. There was only one rule: no voice during the program; only sign language or notes could be used. A t first, Azure told a story to the group and still couldn't get any par ticipation. "T h e y still didn’t move from their chairs,” Azure reported. He had no idea how many deaf people lived in Oregon and almost returned to the com fort o f the Seat tle area. But after three years o f trying, Azure feels he's making some progress. At a January Silent Night, more than 300 people showed up. Since those early beginnings. Azure has determined there are more than 180,000 people in the state with hearing problems. Silent Night is designed so that deaf, hard o f hearing and hearing people of any age can share artistic feelings of photography, painting, dance, mime, story telling, comedy Book explores Black leadership by Nathaniel Scott Question: " W h o are the Black leaders in Portland and how do they perceive themselves? W hat are their styles, their forms, and how do Blacks and whites look at leader ship?” D r. W illiam “ B ill" Little, professor o f Black Studies at Port land State University (P S U ), in a book slated for publication in 1985, looks at Black Leadership in P o rt land. The book, in part. D r. Little said, will examine the difference between a Black being in a leadership position and whether that person is actually a leader in the Black com munity. His contention is: perception is crucial. “ Most white people do not un derstand who the Black leaders in Portland a re ," he said. In most cases when they refer to a Black leader, “ they are referring to a media figure.” T o illustrate his point, D r. Little drew attention to two personalities. One, Matthew Prophet, Superin tendent o f Portland Public Schools, and two, Paul W illiam s, Vice President o f Portland Com m unity College. His point is: Does “ their leader ship position ...m ake them Black leaders in the com m unity?" D r. Little does not think so; he advances the idea that leadership is a complicated role that has to be defined in several ways. “ I t ’s a question o f how people perceive themselves and how they are perceived by the community. The question is,” he said, "h o w you identify the leaders and are they responsive to the Black com m u n ity." Perception and identity are always valid points, but in an elec tion year, they take on added significance. They take on the significance o f leadership gained through elective office. A year ago this spring. D r. Little resigned as department head of PSU's Black Studies Department. He took a year’s sabbatical leave and began directing his energy towards writing. In addition to Black Leadership in Portland, he is co-authoring a text book, A Paradigm f o r Black Studies, with D r. Adolphus Turkson, a Black Studies professor at PSU, and Dr Wayne W illiam s, Director o f A fro- American Studies at the University o f Washington. It too is slated for publication in 1985 and another in- dependent work, Urbanization in A fric a, is being developed. A Paradigm f o r Black Studies is funded through the National En dowment of Humanities. Before resuming his teaching duties in the fall. D r. Little plans to visit Atlanta, Georgia and several African countries on a data gathering mission. Sale prices shown hare in af fect Wednesday, April 26th through Saturday. April 28th unless otherwise noted. skit or rhyming verse. The performing arts goal is only one of those for the Deaf Arts Council o f Oregon (D A C O ). They are attracting members statewide, according to Azure, and now num ber 250. They have established a goal o f 5,000 members to make the organization viable. Azure finds the deaf community contacts especially valuable for students in the interpreter program “ They see different deaf people and get ideas about the future ...look toward what they could become," Azure said. So far, only a few people graduated from the second year of the program, especially those people who are really dedicated to gel in volved in working side by side with the deaf Azure said, although 25 beginning students have been enrolling in sign language classes each year “ Now there is an oppor tunity for everybody to get together at Silent Night for an open, friendly atmosphere,” Azure explains. Azure encourages the PCC graduates to stay in contact with the deafies and attend Silent Night. "Silent N ight” continued with another taping at the PC C Rock Creek Campus on March 31st and plans for two theatrical nights, April 28th and M ay 12th at the Bonneville Power Administration auditorium. Taping by Rogers Cablesystems will be later aired over their deaf channel Dem os hear BUF teen care plan MAYOR VOTE FOR ONE @Bud Clark Bud Clark has a genius for Making things happen: - Founder neighborhood newspaper; - Founder, three businesses that generate half a-million Portland dollars annually. - Partner m life with Signd, Clark’s wife, mother of their four children, violinist, with the Oregon Symphony Bud Clark has care, compassion and concern for the young, the old and those who cannot care for themselves: The Black United Front's "Teenage Care Project" will be presented by a representative of the BUF at the monthly meeting of District 18 Democrats on Monday. April 30th. at Neil Kelly Designers, 804 N Alberta at Albina (Enter by rear door o ff lighted parking lot.) Business w ill begin at 7:00, program at 8:00 — United Good Neighbor — Area Agency on Aging — 11 year delivery Meals on Wheels Let Bud C lark’s genius make Portland first again in prosperity, in livability and in the joy of living Ef. ote Bud Clark, 1217 S.W. 19th. 227 2426 P«td fo< by Bud Clark foi M ayor Commute« E Lawrence Perrin treenorer ■ SAVE *50 *300 Craftsman® lawn mowers and riding equipment These Crsttsmon gaa m o w tti all have those taaturaa • Solid state ignition tor dependable starts • Quick height adjusters • E-Z Oil Fili n Drain with dipstick A 4 0-RP Deluxe Eager-1* rear discharge power pro pelled mower 22-in cut Reg $419 99 SAVE M Weed and F eed Lawn food p*u6 2 * e * i milers 10IO6 Aeç t u V9 7 W B 3 5-RP standard Eager-1 • push-type rear bagger 20-m cut Catcher Reg $299 99 239" C 4 0-RP Super-start Eager-1’ power propelled rear bagger 22-in cut Reg $499 99 379" D $150 OFF 8-HP riding mower 5-speed transmission, in line gear bo» Adjustable 30-mch single blade deck Ad justable seal lor e«tra comfort Reg $1049 99 H aqqsh «itra 8 9 9 " $300 OFF 11-HP lawn tractor Electric Start 2-speed transaxle automotive-type differential 38-mch mower deck included Infinite cutting height ad|ust ment Reg $1699 99 1399" NAACP party The Vancouver Branch is spon soring a special N A A C P Hom e coming on Sunday, A p ril 29th, 2:00 to 5:00 p .m ., at Pacific First Federal Savings’ community room, 915 Broadway, Vancouver, Washington. 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