Page 2. Portland Observer. January 16, 1906
First
lack w om an sworn in Legislature
by Lam ia Duke
G R A S S R O O T N E W S . N .W . —
Oregon’s 63rd legislative session start
ed January 14th with the swearing in
o f its mem bers. A m o n g them was
Oregon’s first A fro-A m erican female
representative — Margaret Carter (D -
Dist 18).
Rep. C a rte r said being the first
was inconsequential to her, but she
expected great scrutiny fro m her
colleagues. " I ’ m not trying to hide
fro m it, but my tra in o f thought is
on doing a jo b ,” she added.
C a rte r's top p rio rity this session
is to find solutions to alleviate high
p ro perly taxes, which she feels dis
proportionately impact her district.
" W e have a high co n cen tratio n o f
senior citizens and fixed-income fam
ilies. They can barely a ffo rd to stay
in their own home. This is u n fa ir,”
she said.
Rep. C a rte r is a m em ber o f the
Joint T ra d e and Eco n om ic D e ve l
opment Com m ission as well as the
E d u c atio n and H u m a n Resources
Committees, and went on to explain,
" I w ill fo llo w the m oney fro m the
stale lottery very closely to see that
economic development gets targeted
Cultural center
offers variety
Margaret Carter, Democrat. District 18. takaa har placa as Oregon's
first Black woman legislator
(Photo: Richard J Brown)
for businesses em ploying 20 people
or less. These small businesses have
been ignored by E conom ic D e ve l
opm ent and I w ill cham pion their
cause.
She plans to jo in the fight to se
cure welfare funding for two-parent
families. “ Again, it is unfair for a sys
tem to deny support to those who
paid into a system all their lives. We
must maintain the dignity o f the fam
ily and I plan to do this in Salem. ”
Rep. Carter plans to question why
Black students score one to three
grades behind whites (in the Portland
Public Schools). " A s a m ember o f
the Education Com m ittee. I w ill ask
how and why this came about. Also.
I w ill ask why m oney allocated to
education from the Joint Trade and
Economic Development Commission
did not w ind up in the co m m un ity
colleges,” she noted. She campaigned
strongly for the creation o f the C iti
zen U tility Board and plans to over
come any and all pressure from utility
lobbyists.
Rep. Carter said she will introduce
a b ill to make M a rtin Luther King.
J r .’ s birthday an Oregon Stale h o li
day, and a bill to divest state funds
from South Africa.
As soon as she is unpacked. Rep.
C arter plans to hold m onthly co m
m u n ity meetings to listen, answer
and discuss concerns from her con
stituents.
“ Please, consider my door open
and I will always return your calls. I f
you have any concerns or problems,
call me at 378-8018. L e t’s enter this
legislative session together,” she con
cluded.
Results can be easy when you
advertise in JOBS Magazine
CLASSIFIED DEPT.
283-0090
by Robert Lothian
T h e interstate Firehouse C u ltural
C e n te r is o ffe rin g the co m m un ity
some unique cu ltu ral opportunities
this winter.
Forem ost is the a w a rd -w in n in g
p lay, " C h ild re n o f a Lesser G o d ,”
playing through January 27th in the
center’s 100-seat playhouse.
This unique play depicts romance,
marriage and conflicts in the life o f a
deaf woman. Rollie W u lff directs, in
co lla b o ra tio n w ith H e n ry Stack o f
Vancouver’ s Northw est Theatre for
the Deaf and M ark Azure o f the Deaf
A rts C o u n c il o f O reg o n . T im o th y
G ero is assistant d irec to r/in te rp re t-
er.
Much o f the dialogue is both signed
and spoken by the characters, three
SUE BUSBY
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
out o f seven o f w hom are hearing
im p a ire d , and in terp reters sign all
dialogue that is spoken only. A ll per
form ances are accessible to both
hearing and deaf audiences.
"P o rtlan d has a huge hearing im
paired com m unity," said IF C C direc
tor Sue Busby. "They consider them
selves a subculture. But there’s been
no history o f professional acting for
the hearing impaired in Portland.”
By offering the play, she said, the
center is fu lfillin g its role as a place
where artists o f all cultures can ex
press themselves. Busby said the center
staff underwent sign language train
ing so as to better accommodate hear
ing impaired artists and audiences.
The center is also cu rren tly host
ing a display o f opera costumes and
set designs by Chinese artist Carey
W on g, fo rm e rly w ith the P o rtlan d
opera.
Coming up in February, from the
1st through (he 23rd, is South A f r i
can Black playwright Athol Fugard’s
dram a " M a s te r H a ro ld . . .and the
Boys,” directed by Rick Jones. Sun
day evening, February 3rd, the center
will host "Keith M artin Ballet in Con
c e rt," a benefit perform ance for the
IFC C .
F ro m Feb. 3 - 27, the M em bers
gallery, a group o f Black artists, will
exhibit their work in the center gallery
— photos, p a in tin g , ceramics and
needlecrafts. Artists represented will
include R ich ard J. B ro w n . Samuel
B rya n t, Sh errian H a g g a r-W a rre n ,
Bobbye Jackso n -B ro w n , Janice
Ingersoll-Williamson, Judy Madden,
P. C . P e ri. C a ro l Probasco, P hil
Reid, Bill R u th erfo rd , and Thomas
Unthank. The exhibit w ill open with
a reception for (he artists on Sunday,
Feb. 3rd from 2 to 5 p.m.
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