Page 10, Portland Observer, September 4, 1906
Portland man lays his life
on the line in Guatemala
by Robert l.o lh ia n
A P o rtla n d man has put his life on
the line in C e n tra l A m erica, w ith
nothing to defend him self hut his faith
tha what he is doing is right.
Jim C onroy, a form er Roman C ath­
olic priest active in the C entral A m cr
ica so lid a rity movement in P o rtla n d ,
arrived in G uatem ala C ity in M ay.
Since then, he and a group o f foreign
ers have provided a daily escort service
fo r to w om en leaders o f the M u tu a l
S up po rt G ro u p (G A M — G ru p o de
A po yo M utuo).
The G A M , o n ly a year o ld , is a
com m ittee o f m others, spouses, and
relatives o f “ the disappeared” — the
thousands picked o f f by death squads
and security forces and never heard
from again.
Because the G A M petitioned Guate
m ala's president and staged dem on
slra tio n s, it has been the target o f
right-w ing violence. T w o leaders were
k ille d in A p r il, one went in to exile
and another felt compelled to drop out
o f the organization.
The g ro u p ’ s tw o rem a ining lead­
ers, both women, "w ere detrm ined to
con tinu e their a ttem p ts to fin d the ir
loved ones o r to get some response
fro m the governm ent as to where the
disappeared are and w h y no one has
been brought to justice in these cases,”
C o n ro y w ro te in a letter to P o rtla n d
friends.
C o nro y and others put their bodies
in the way o f bullets by accompanying
the w om en to m eetings, interview s,
shopping, “ wherever they g o ,” he
said. “ W e hope that the presence o f a
fo re ig n e r w ill make it less lik e ly that
these tw o people w o u ld be kidnapped
and kille d .”
“ We try to be aw are o f what is
going on all around us and to be pre­
pared fo r the unexpected as best we
can,” he continued. As a p re cau tion­
ary measure, he said, they contacted
embassies in G uatem ala C ity w ith the
hope that foreign officials would com ­
municate their awareness and support
o f the escort service to the Guatemalan
government.
In a d d itio n to the escort service,
C onroy offers his house in Gautemala
C ity for G A M meetings. The fear is so
great, he sid, that no oth er g ro u p or
organization w ould allow the G A M to
use their facilities for meetings.
A bo ut 150 people crow d in fo r the
Saturday meetings, he said, including
many Ind ian s w ho travel three hours
or m ore, ta kin g th e ir lives in their
hands. “ It was only a few blacks from
here that H ector (fo rm e r leader) was
kidnapped as he le ft a m e e tin g ," said
C o n ro y. H is body was fo u n d a few
days later.”
C o n ro y described a m eeting o f
(» A M leaders and G u a te m a la ’ s
P re sid e n t. G e n e ra l M e jia V ic to re s .
" H e was sa rca tic a n d e xtre m e ly
in se n sitive . . . because o f his re ­
m arks, the tw o leaders o f the gro u p
have become rather frightened. They
arc not going to stop the ir w o rk but
they do feel that som ething is going to
happen to th e m .” The tw o fo rm e r
leaders were kille d , he said, after M e ­
jia V ictores accused them o f being
subversives.
Notices appear in the newspapers
every day about m urders and disap­
pearances, Conroy said He urged Ins
supporters to w rite letters o f protest to
G uatem ala's president and archbish­
op.
C o n ro y ’ s friends in P o rtla n d sup­
port his e ffo rts by sending periodic
subsistence checks. “ H e’s living very,
very sim p ly do w n th e re ," said C a ro l
Halvorson, w ho is coordinatin g fund
raising and c o m m u n ic a tio n fo r Jim .
She described C o n ro y as a little edgy
and “ co n sta n tly on g u a r d ," but in
good health other than having lost a
little weight.
" I feel that his real strong religious
convictions have given him the courage
to be d o w n th e re ,” said H a lvorso n.
" I t ’ s alm ost like he's been called to
do it.”
Discussion group
A book discussion group sponsored
by the M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty I ib ra ry
w ill be held on W ednesday, Sept. 11,
7:00 p.m , at 512 N. killin gsw o rth.
Topic lex the evening w ill be W ork
ing — E xploring the Role o f the
W o rk e r. Book to be discussed is
G rowing U p by Russell Baker
Now Open
Bar-B-Que Connection
1438 N .E . A lb e rta
"We re Senz'n It"
Delicious BBQ Beef and Pork
Extra Added Attraction
Featuring the Big Buster
Free Delivery with $5.00 Minumum Purchase
Senior Citizens' Discount
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Mon.-Sat.
Colon Jonea. South African preacher, at press conference See story on
PageS.
(Photo Richard J Brown)
Call 249-9609
T
H ow C oors keeps
Charlie Sampson
ropin
bustin’
ridin’
The Royal Esquire Club's
Community Service Statement
byA .D .S.
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Volume V
Community Service Benefit Coming Upl
Portland, Oregon, is a unique slice of America for Blacks, who
are able to produce and perform meaningful services. No-
where in the world will you find a place that has the kind of
background and history of racial prejudice toward Blacks, and
yet has so many very successful Black professionals in busi
ness, as well as Blacks in key prestigeous jobs. To name a few
who readily come to mind are: Bill Hilliard, Editor, The Ore
gonian; James DePriest, Director, Portland Symphony; Mat
thew Prophet, Superintendent, Portland Public Schools; Mer
I cedes Deiz, Judge, Multnom ah County; Aaron Brown Jr.,
Judge, Multnomah County; Hazal Hayes, Oregon State Pa
role Board; Bill McCoy, Senator, State of Oregon; Margaret
Carter, Representative, State of Oregon, Multnomah County;
Jim Hill, Representative, State of Oregon, Marion County;
Dick Bogle, City Council, Portland; Venerable Booker, Presi
dent, American State Bank, Portland; David Nero, Founder
and Chairman of Nero and Associates, also of Nero Industries,
Inc.; Walter Reynolds, M .D., Founder of Phil Reynolds Medi­
cal Center; Henry Scott, Founder and President of Coast Jani­
torial Services (Coast Janitorial is the second largest janitorial
service in Oregon); Marion Blackburn, Founder and Owner of
Raleigh Hills Racquet Club; Richard W ashington, Oregon’s
first Black commercial artist, 46 years in business; Dr. E. C.
Oqbuobiri, electrical engineer and founder o f EZAK; Paul
Knauls, very well known businessman of Portland; Alfred Lee
Henderson, Founder, Portland Observer; Gary Ann Garnett,
Editor Manager, Portland Observer; Al Williams, General Man­
ager, Portland Observer; Bernice Foster, Founder, Editor and
Publisher, The Skanner; Don Vann, Founder, Vann and Vann
Funeral Directors; Arthur Cox, Founder, Cox Funeral Home;
Thomas Boothe, Founder, A ddiction Diagnostic Services;
R. D. Sevier, Founder, Sevier Sanitation Services.
We can all remember those who are no longer with us, some
who are deceased and some w ho have moved on such as
Charles Jordan, Gladys McCoy, several TV news anchor per
sons; deceased Richard M uffet, Sherman Thomas, George
Baldwin, Rosalie Boothe, Ira Mumford, Sidney Porter, Thom
as Johnson, and many others.
I know that I have not named many persons who may be
lust as successful, tf not mor • so, than some I have named, to
those I apologize. However, my intent here is to show and
document that out of a population of approximately 30.000
Blacks, success is not denied those who can perform and pro
duce quality services. The above mentioned Blacks excelled
out of a population of approximately 700,000 people living in
and around the Portland Metro area.
Charlie Sampson can break horses
and bust broncos with
the lx‘st of them. Fact is, not only is Charlie among the best Black
nxleo stars, in 1982 he was the best hullrider in the world, period.
It you haven’t been lucky enough to see Charlie perform yet, you
may soon have the opportunity.
Coors is C harlie Sampson's proud sponsor. We’re helping him
show the world what unique, exciting talent is all about.
So the next time you’re at the nxleo, watch for Charlie Sampson
as he locks horns with the best hull riding stars in America.
Outstanding talent m ust I k - free tu stand out.
Cot»« Company 1 »■ Mn- i <*» nV «»40’