Page 10, Portland Observer, May 13, 1987
Black Women's Gathering Celebrates Five Years of Sisterhood
Bring It Back Home' was the
theme of the 5th Annual Black
Women's Gathering held Saturday,
May 9th at Matt Oishman Commu
nity Center in Portland The theme
was defined variously as a return to
our roots, African identity, cultural
heritage, and as embracing our
sisterhood.
The Gathering was originally the
idea of Linda Williams, former re
porter for the Oregonian, now work
ing with the Wall Street Journal in
Atlanta A committee was formed
in 1983 to plan an event that would
help Black women deal with isola
lion, and fear and outrage surround
ing the deaths of several young
Black women in the community.
The committee also looked at the
need to develop ari opportunity for
Black women to network with one
another whether or not they belong
ed to an organization or church and
across class lines and other super
ficial barriers And, they looked at
the need to have a celebration of the
spirit and survival of Black women
against all kinds of odds and all
forms of oppression
A powerful highlight of the after
noon program of cultural entertain
ment and information was the out
standing panel presentation by state
representative Margaret Carter, Dis
tnct 18, Portland; Debra Cook, Eu
gene activist and organizer for Cler
'gy and Laity Concerned; Dr Maxine
Mirrims, innovative educator from
Evergreen State College in Washing
ton State, and former Portlander
Charlotte Rutherford, Attorney and
Director of the NAACP Legal Do
tense and Education Fund, Black
W omen’s Employment Program
based in New York
In their brilliant presentations, the
panelists addressed issues such as
AIDS, employment, education and
youth These were issues identified
by respondents to a questionnaire
distributed at last year's Gathering.
The
panelists
challenged
the
Gathering participants to gain as
many skills as possible, seek non
traditional |obs and educate them
selves about AIDS
They were
also challenged to be more suppor
five of one another, community or
ganizations, and to support those
Black candidates for political office
who have earned their support
The enthusiastic audience was in
vited to participate by asking ques
tions of the panelists, as a Gathering
committee member walked through
the crowd with a cordless mike
seeking comments
The panelists
received a long standing ovation
and all were quickly surrounded by
appreciative well wishers as they
left the stage
The day long event also featured
information tables and displays re
presenting 25 community organize
tions and businesses
Information
was circulated by these organiza
tions on subjects as diverse as AIDS
(NE Multnomah County Health),
The Coca Cola Boycott (POSAF),
The Black United Fund, NAACP,
Travel Roberts Agency, YWCA and
the Oregon Commission for Black
Affairs An extremely popular pos
ter was the Free South Africa, Win
me Mandela poster of the Call to
Conscience network
Donations to the Gathering were
received from over 80 individuals
and organizations and ,7 male child
care volunteers entertained over 80
children with films, educational
games and storytelling at nearby St
Phillips Church
For the second year, community
service awards were given.
Five
women were lecognized for their
outstanding contributions to the
community: Seona Baldwin, Bob
bie Foster, Geneva Knauls, Dr Vir
ginia Phillips and Cornetta Smith
Janice Scroggins was Musical Di
rector of the program which fea
tured dance and song and many
young people The Reverend Hen
ry Greenidge of Maranatha Church
offered a Mothers' Day tribute
which was followed by stunning Af
rican fashions and designs by Ad
nene Cruz, Chonitia Smith and Ro
lea Manyangai. all local designers
Other highlights included the deeply
moving rendition of "Oh, Mary,
Don't You W eep" by members of
several gospel groups, and a speech
by Benson High School student
Zeenab Johnson.
Ten teams of mother daughter
hostesses helped register the parti
cipants and make sure that they
found childcare and were otherwise
comfortable during the day
I
1987 Steering Committee mem
bers included Faye Burch. Antoi
nette Edwards (Co Che*), Bobbi
Gary, Avel Gordly. Pier Ormond,
Mattie Peterson, Donna Maxey
Pomerantz. Pam Smith, Jean Ves
sup, Star Waters (Co Chair), Faye
Williams (Co Chair),
and Gina
Wood
They were supported by
15 subcommittee members
As women were leaving the
Gathering, they referred to one an
other as sisters', as they had during
the day Many commented on what
a positive, uplifting, and spiritual
experience had occurred
One
woman was heard to say. "I've
been waiting all year for today and
I can t wait until next year.'' An
other woman said she was feeling
guilty about not being involved in
the community after seeing so
many people involved with the
Gathering and the other organiza
tions present
As she wondered
out loud how she might get invol
ved, a member of the Black
Women's
Gathering
Committee
shared her phone number
Black
women reading this article, wishing
to get involved in the Gathering or
other Black community organiza
tions can call Avel Gordly at 503
230 9427 days
So, Linda Williams, your dream
of sisterhood and a day of celebra
ting our being, our spin» and our
survival is alive and well in Portland,
Oregon I
C harolette Rutherford, law yer with the N A A C
Fund, w as one of the panelists that spoke at the
by Avel Gordly
Other panelists w ere M arg aret C arter Debra Cook and
ms
Photo by Richard J Brown
Z*« I
n 1962, a seventeen year-old
discovered the world.
L“?J‘ k when Patricia Lightfoot u’ot interested in sp«ue flight,
cars had (ins. movies had double features and mathematkafly
gifled Black girls had limited career pros|x‘cts But 1962 was
the year Patricia Lightfoot won a scholarship to Howard
University And on the way to becoming a math teacher, she
discovered a world of opportunities
JLJ n the unique environment that historically Black colleges
provide. Patricia Lightfoot learned that her dre.ims of becom
trig a mathematician were acluevable At Howard, she says,
I learned how to learn A Black college gave me confidence
and a support that was always there when I needed it
I T | hat confidence helped Patricia master higher mathematics
computer science, graduate school and her own destiny
Today, as head of the Spacecraft Control Branch of NASAs
Goddard Space Plight Center, she directs the design and
development of ground support systems for vital satel
lite protects
[W Jhen you re considering coleges. doesn t it make sense
to consider the ones that produce distinguished achievers
bke ( atncia Lightfoot and 37% of the nation s Black college
graduates7 America s Black colleges II you want to make a
world of difference in your future, they can show you how
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