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PORTLAND OBSERNER
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September
25C
Black Churches Challenged to
Provide AIDS Education
by Avel Gordly
Gil Gerald —"AIDS does not discriminate, it's a human disease.'"'
Photo by Richard J. Brown
A "50-hour AIDS vigil", with the
theme "A Time to Heal", was held
September 11-13 at the Metropoli
tan Community Church in Portland.
The second annual event was deve
loped to raise community aware
ness about
AIDS,
education
resources, and to foster more com
passion and empathy for AIDS vic
tims.
Gil Gerald, Director of Minority
Affairs for the National AIDS Net
work, was the keynote speaker for
the vigil. In an interview, he com
mented that the National AIDS Net
work based in Washington, D.C., is
a 2-year old organization represen
ting 300 community based groups.
A primary concern of the organiza
tion and the focus of Gerald's work
is developing education programs
for Black and Latino communities.
According to Gerald, some of the
best sources of information for the
Black community have been deve
loped through "m odel” programs
such as the Minority AIDS Project
in Los Angeles, Blacks Educating
Blacks About Sexual Health Issues
in Philadelphia, and the Hispanic
AIDS Program in New York.
Gerald pointed out that getting
AIDS prevention information to
Black communities is critical be
cause although Blacks make up
12% of the population, they are
25% of the people with AIDS. Ap
proximately 10,000 Blacks nation
wide are known to have AIDS.
Gerald's message is basically one
of hope and challenge. Growing
numbers of Black churches are be
ginning to deal responsively to this
health crisis. Gerald cited the ex
ample of Rev. Joseph Lowery, his
wife and the Atlanta based South
ern Christian Leadership Con
ference (SCLC), which had the first
major conference on AIDS and the
Black community in the spring of
1986. Mrs. Lowery, according to
Gerald, has been a driving force
behind the Atlanta education effort.
Black churches were initially reluc
tant to tackle the AIDS issue, but
that is changing considerably. They
are focusing on the need for edu
cation to bring about prevention of
this "disease which knows no geo-
graphic, racial, social or class boun
daries", and seem to be more con
cerned with "the principles of com
passion, civil rights and leaving
judgment to a higher authority"
says Gerald.
Gerald believes that in addition to
what churches can do, the best way
to impact Black communities with
AIDS Prevention information is to
develop programs "more akin to
door-to-door voter registration . . .
that we . . . need to put volun
teers on the street and provide them
with stipends." He further stated
that, "Some of the people who
need information don't have the lit
eracy level to understand wordy
brochures", so that what is needed
is verbal communication at the
street and peer level. Reformed
intravenous drug users and re
formed prostitutes could be ex
tremely helpful at this grassroot
level and this approach has been
tried successfully in Neward, Balti
more, Washington, D.C. and San
Francisco.
Gerald, who travels extensively
ound the United States, also
authored the Gay/Lesbian Issue Pa
pers for the Jesse Jackson '84 pre
sidential campaign and recently at
tended the Minority AIDS Confer
ence sponsored by the Center for
Disease Control in Atlanta.
His
organization was instrumental in de
veloping outreach for the confer
ence.
Black health professionals
attending the conference made it
very clear that resources to fight
the disease are desparately needed
in Black communities. The argued
that there would be an equitable
distribution of available resources to
Black and Latino communities,
which are most heavily impacted by
the disease. Asked to comment on
the reality of AIDS for the Black
community, Gerald said, "AIDS
does not discriminate, it's a human
disease".
Gerald was invited to Portland by
Amani Jabari of People of Color
United Against AIDS, a local coali
tion recently formed to develop an
AIDS education program especially
for communities of color.
Dr. Dorothy L. Alexander
Photo by Richard J Brown
Alexander Accepts New Position
at Grambling State University
Dr. Dorothy L. Alexander, Chair, Oregon Commission on Black
Affairs, has accepted a faculty position at Grambling State University,
Grambling, Louisiana. Dr. Alexander will head the Department of Develop
mental Education in the College of Education, beginning this fall.
For the past seven years, Dr. Alexander has been employed as a
Research Associate at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in
Portland. She received the Ph.D. in Education Research and Evaluation
from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; M S. in Guidance and
Counseling from Portland State University, Portland, Oregon; M. Librarian-
ship from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; B.S. Biology
from Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi.
In addition to her work with the Commission, Dr. Alexander has been
very active in her church, Mallory Avenue Christian Church, where she is
an elder and trustee. She loves Oregon and plans to return for her retire
ment years.
"Children Helping Children" Program
To Collect Clothing for Needy Kids
Amani Jabari (standing) and Joe Hooker sang "That's What Friends
Are For" during the opening ceremony of the 50 hour A.I.D.S.
vigil. The 2nd annual A.I.D.S. Vigil was held from Friday, Sept. 11
thru Sunday. Sept. 13 at Metropolitan Community Church.
Photo by Richard J. Brown
School-age children's clothing is especially needed in the Portland-
Vancouver area for this year's "Children Helping Children" clothing drive.
The annual event will be held from September 1 through October 31.
Children can directly help children less fortunate than themselves
through the drive.
"Children Helping Children" is a simple idea, according to its sponsors.
Kids (or parents) can bring outgrown or unneeded clothing to any of nine
child care centers operated by Children's World, or to KGW Television,
two of the sponsors. There will be clothing collection barrels inside the
entrance at each location.
Once the barrels are filled, the clothing will be collected by Low Income
Families Emergency (LIFE), a human service agency which operates cloth
ing and food banks and other programs serving families. LIFE will sort and
display the clothing and provide it free for those in need.
Charles Carter, Director of LIFE, said that last year's drive provided
clean, wearable, used clothing for 375 children of more than 100 families.
"A ll of last year's donations were immediately picked up, so this year we
hope to more than double the number of children clothed," Carter said.
"W e need clothing for kids through high school age."
Clothing donations are tax deductible in the amount of the value of the
clothing.
Following are locations where clean and wearable clothing may be
dropped off during business hours: Children's World locations: Beaver
ton: 18425 N.W. Walker Road, or 4845 S.W. Murray Blvd., or 12360 S.W.
Pioneer Lane; Gresham: 3200 N.E. Hogan; Hillsboro: 1771 S.E. Minter
Bridge Rd.; Rockwood: 840 N.E. 181st St. E.; Sunnyside: 10501 S.E.
Sunnyside; Vancouver: 622 S.E. 117th Ave., or 10021 N.E. Hazel Dell Ave.
KGW-TV location: Portland, 1501 S.W. Jefferson.
For information about the program or donation locations, call (503)
626 6266
Reggae star Peter Tosh, 42. was killed in his Kingston, Jamaica,
home by gunmen during an attempted robbery. Another guest in
his home was also killed and five others were wounded. Tosh, a
former member of the Waiters, along with Bob Marley and Neville
Livingstone were the fathers of Raggae music.
Photo by Richard J. Brown