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Page 8
PORTLAND OBSERVER
Volume XV, Number 27
May 1,1985
25C Copy
Two Sections
U»FS «•«■>■»
Stevenson death:
600 demand justice
by Lam ia Duke
GRASSROOT NEWS, N.W . — A
united cry for justice was heard across
the city A p ril 25. as more than 600
Portlanders
demanded,
"Justice,
no more choke hold and Barbour s
got to g o !" at a noontime march and
rally downtown a, C ity Hall.
From the Justice Center to City
Hall, marchers verbally expressed
sympathy, outrage and bitterness over
the sleeper hold death o f Tony Stev­
enson. Stevenson died Saturday,
A p ril 20th, at a 7-11 parking lot after
police used a carotid artery hold to
subdue Stevenson.
Ronnie Herndon, co-chair o f the
Black United Front, said the purpose
o f the march was to press for the sus­
pension o f the officers and a perma­
nent ban on the carotid artery hold,
known as "th e sleeper h o ld ."
Currency, Police Chief Penny
Harrington has issued a temporary
ban on the sleeper hold and instituted
a committee to study its use. Ollicers
Gary Barbour, who administered the
hold, and Bruce Pantley, who said
Stevenson struck him as he intervened
between Stevenson and two gas sta­
tion attendants, have been reassigned
to desk duty.
But eyewitness accounts disputed
the police version o f the incident, and
the marchers definitely do not be­
lieve the police.
A united front o f Northeast min­
isters and bishops led the march.
Bishop A A Wells told the rally,
" I ’ve not been one to be on the lore-
front, but when this happened some­
thing cried out in me: ‘ I t ’s enough’ ’
Bishop Hardey added, ‘ ‘ We’ re here
today because a young man who
committed no crime is out o f it. He
simply had a neck. And we had to
rallv against the sleeper and stran­
gling hold on our schools, jobs, living
facilities, transportation and pocket-
books. Now. we’ re rallying against
the sleeper and strangling hold on our
tnnxns, just like they put it on
Tony’s throat. Everyone o f us has a
throat. Just like it worked on his
throat, it can work on our throats."
An inquest is tentatively sched­
uled for May 9 10 in the hearing rixm i
o f the Multnomah County Commis
sion in the County Courthouse " A in ’t
goin’ to be a whitewash this tune,"
Herndon noted, referring to the re­
instatement o f officers who threw
dead opossums in front o f a Black
owned restaurant, "and when the
inquest comes, we want to see jurors
who look like us."
Slate
Representative
Margaret
Carter sent a press release to the
rally expressing grave concern over
Stevenson’s death and a ban on the
sleeper hold.
" In the jsast, there has been con­
troversy between the police depart­
ment and the community. Now, we
have a new mayor and police chiet. I
am hoping that our experience w ill be
proven d iffe re n tly ," Carter stated
Part of a crowd of 800 that gathered at City Hall to
kenfUinn r \ i »h« I lovH
•
A ia S v A n A
a t •
Stevenson death by officiala
lO k m n
n i< -K * r H
.1 R r n w n )
Food Bank cancels:
continues program
by Robert Lothian
drawal of Food bank supplies at the Overstreet Powerhouse Temple,
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
But "Powerhouse doesn't solicit
donors. Harvest Tunc Ministries
does," said Smith Harvest Time so­
licits frxxl on its own and donates to
14 churches and organizations, many
in Northeast Portland, he said H ar­
vest Time donated frxxl the Power­
house program because Powerhouse
was not getting enough frxxl from the
Frxxl Bank, according to Smith
"They don't have any control over
where Harvest Tune gels us frxxl.
but they want to ," he said. "They
want you to be dependent on them,
and they let it out a little at a tim e ."
The Overstreet Powerhouse Tem­
ple is a humble church in a small fo r­
mer hou-e a 4525 N Williams.
Each Friday before noon, people
begin lining up in front o f the church
for free food boxes.
Rev. Mary Overstreet and her hus­
band, Rev Thomas Smith, said that
until February, when Powerhouse
was suspended by the Interagency
F ixxl Bank, the church supplied 15«
to 2«) families each week with the
free frxxl boxes.
The Food Bank charged Power­
" I f they didn't make an example
house Temple with breaking Frxxl
ixit
o f Powerhouse, all the other
Bank regulations. They lodged 12
agencies
would go out and solicit frxxl
complaints, and after they said Smith
and the Frxxl Bank would lose reve­
and Overstreet failed to comply with
nue," he said.
requests to correct the complaints.
Powerhouse was susjiended in Feb­
Powerhouse was removed from Frxxl
ruary
alter a Frxxl Bank inspector
Bank membership on A p ril 8th.
allegedly
found a box o f mildewed
Overstreet and Smith say that a
powdered milk and other garbage in
power play was behind the Frxxl
hack o f the church.
Bank decision. Powerhouse had been
"W e were suspended on the spot,”
extremely successful in getting frxxl
said Mary Overstreet. "T hey did it
to the poor, yet it w ouldn't knuckle
without even coming out here and see­
under to what they described as arbi­
ing how many people we were serv­
trary Frxxl Bank rules.
ing " " I l was planted," said Thomas
They charge the Frxxl Bank with
Smith about the powdered m ilk.
being discriminatory — applying
Mary Overstreet said that powdered
rules that might work well for a well
milk is one o f the most popular items,
heeled white organization, but inap
and that they don’t slore it long enough
propnate to an all-volunteer organiza­
for it to get mildewed. “ When we get
tion run by Black people.
it one one day, it ’s gone the n ext,"
Powerhouse Temple received the
she said.
second highest amount o f frxxl from
Powerhouse was also charged with
the Frxxl Bank next to the Salvation
dividing
frxxl under unsanitary con­
Arm y for the last six months o f 1984
ditions.
That included 62,000 pounds o f free
But according to Overstreet, "W e
U .S .D .A . commodities and 19,000
have
never divided U .S .D .A . com­
pounds o f frxxl purchased from the
modity foods except when they start­
Frxxl Bank at 7 cents per pound.
ed lim iting us. We did cut the cheese
Powerhouse continues its free frxxl
in half when they told us to do so.’
program with food donated to H a r­
Furthermore, their record keeping,
vest Time Ministries, a cable televi­
another
point o f dispute, was found
sion ministry o f which Smith and
to be in order by an inspector, said
Overstreet are the directors.
Overstreet Their program is small
The lines are down, said Mary
and inform al, with no paid staff, but
Overstreet, but 100 people or more
"a stack o f volunteers," she said.
continue to line up on Fridays, the
" I w ill not do th a t," she said about
lines dw arf the small, white building.
furnishing names and addresses o f
Smith and Overstreet also con­
food recipients as the Frxxl Bank
tinue to offer free hot meals to about
requested.
a dozen people three times a week in
Powerhouse was also accused o f
their home.
selling
the food boxes for $2.50 each.
One o f the disputed issues, said
The
accusation
was based on an
Smith, is the Frxxl Bank charge that
Powerhouse was soliciting food on its anonymous phone tip, said Smith.
Overstreet said they have never sold
own, or that at least a lack o f organi­
the
food, but they do ask for dona­
zational clarity and accountability ex­
tions, receiving no more than $18 at
ists between Powerhouse and Harvest
fha* mract in “ n trkrK and dlfTWS
SU students protesting apartheid as Gov. Victor Atlyah m at w ith
Students protest apartheid
by Nathaniel Scott
“ Freedom, yes. Apartheid, no.
U.S.A. has got to go,” chanted P ort­
land State University (PSU) students
in Smith Memorial (enter last
Wednesday as Gov. Vic Aliyeh and
about TO business leaders toured
PSU’ s campus on the delegation’s
tour o f Oregon's state colleges and
universities.
The governor and his delegation’s
education mission coincided with
PSU’s students’ participation in the
National Student
Anti-Ajsartheid
Protest Day which joined Harvard
University, Boston College, U (T A ,
Rutgers University, Princeton, and
other schixils throughout the nation
in a dramatic show o f student soli­
darity.
PSU students were demanding
that Oregon's House Bill 2ÎKJI, which
calls for divestment o f state funds in
South A frica, be passed, and that
freedom from oppression be granted
all citizens o f South Africa.
The students, about 60, in a sepa­
rate demonstration in the South
Park B lix k , vowed that they would
not rest until Oregon’ s "shameful
support” o f the racist regime be
stopped.
David Cress, the student-body
president-elect for the 1985-86 aca­
demic year, said, "A partheid is ter­
rible. Students (at PSU) agree that
it’s im m o ra l." Cress emphasized
that PSU’s student senate has a reso­
lution that calls fo r students to do
everything possible to work toward a
free South A frica, and to also pres­
sure the stale board o f higher educa-
non io divest itsell horn companies
that do “ Significant” business in
South Africa.
Moreover, he said, " I ’d like to see
something (rallies and demonstra
tions) done here (at PSU) on a weekly
basis.” He added, “ I ’d also like to
see some constructive dialogue with
the university president because we
(students) need more faculty and
administration support.”
Cress isn’t the only student leader
at PSU who is emphasizing more uni­
versity involvement. Abdi Hassan,
president o f the Association o f A fr i­
can Students' organization, said
last
Wednesday’ s demonstration
should not be the last time students
come together to protest South A fr i­
ca’s Apartheid system He added,
"The U S. has already taken a stand
for freedom (in most parts o f the
world) but when it comeds to South
Africa, it doesn’t "
Steve Vohs, director o f student
and government affairs at PSU, said,
"W e don't want our (student) money
in South Africa. We don’ t think they
(the state) should be using our tuition
fees in South A frica; we think we
(the state o f Oregon) should divest."
The matter can be summed up by
one student's comment. He said, “ I
think we are forgetting what our gov
eminent stands for. As long as we sit
quietly, we are in trouble! because we
are encouraged by the way we are
taught to be passive."
The irony o f his words was echoed
by the fact that only three faculty
members joined the students in their
National Day o f A nti Apartheid
Protest