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‘The Eyes and Ears of the Com m unity”
Volume XVIII, Number 29
N E W S IN B R IE F
June 1,1988
Project
Payback
Expanded
The Black Family Reunion Celebration!!!
□ National Council of Negro Women works to bring Black
Families Together...
Twenty-five years since the
death of her civil rights activist
husband, Medgar Ever, Myrlie
Evers has left Mississippi, re­
married, and has assumed a
challenging new career in pub­
lic life, reports the June EBONY.
Since leaving the South,
Mrs. Evers has earned her
bachelor’s degree, and worked
in several professional capaci­
ties before writing the book,
“ For Us The Living,'1 which was
the subject of a 1983 made-for
TV movie of the same name,
starring Irene Cara and Howard
Rollins. She also launched two
unsuccessful bids for public
office before her recent ap­
pointment to the administra­
tion of Los Angeles Mayor Tom
Bradley.
INTRODUCING:
The O ’Jays, pictured here with Rev. Jesse Jackson and Dr. Dorothy I. Height
of the NCNW performed on the first day of the Black Family Reunion, perfor­
ming their hit song "Family Reunion" before the thousands gathered.
The Black Family Reunion Cel­
he Black Family Reunion
ebration was created by the Na­
Celebration, widely viewed
as the most significant live event tional Council of Negro Women
for a three-fold purpose: to build
in Black America in recent years,
upon the traditional, historical
returns in 1988 with an expanded
and cultural strengths of the
program, it was announced by
Black family; to facilitate self-help
Dorothy I. Height, president of the
solutions to the issues of teen
National Council of Negro Wo­
pregnancy, drug abuse, unem­
men. Called “ a show of strength”
ployment, education and health
by Newsweek Magazine, the Black
as they impact Black families;
Family Reunion Celebration has
and lastly, to create an umbrella
attracted over one million partic­
by which government, public and
ipants during its five previous
private institutions, corporations,
even ts from S e p te m b e r of
community-based organizations,
1986-87. Philadelphia will be add­
the media and concerned in­
ed this year to the list of cities
dividuals could work together on
hosting annual Black Family Re­
family-related issues.
union Celebrations, including
“ The response of more than a
Atlanta, Los Angeles, Detroit and
million people representative of
Washington, D.C.
T
families of all compositions and
walks of life is evidence of a signi­
ficant movement of people who
want to cut through the negativ­
ism,” commented Dr. Height. “ It
has provided an opportunity for
youth to take pride in their self-
image, for people of all ages to
speak up for the essence of Black
heritage and pay tribute to the
skills and the many ways Black
people have not only survived but
achieved.”
The 1988 Black Family Reunion
Celebration also increases the
scope of its free program ac­
tivities from the previous two
years, which include pavillion
areas devoted to Education,
Health, Work Ethics, Children,
Young Adults, Family Values,
Roots: The Diaspora, Sports,
Beauty and Family Films. The
presentations, w hich feature
entertainment, celebrity speak­
ers, lectures, demonstrations,
health checks, workshops, thea­
tre, dance, music, storytelling, ex­
hibits, among other activities, en­
compass over one hundred hours
per day.
The first Black Family Reunion
C e le b ra tio n to o k place in
Atlanta, May 27-29, followed by
P h ila d e lp h ia — Ju n e
17-19,
D e tro it — J u ly
15-17,
Los
Angeles — A ugust 12-14 and
culminating with the national
event in Washington, D.C.—
September 8-11. Events in each
city include a Black Family Lea­
dership Day on Fridays (a forum
in which community leaders ad­
dress concerns of the respective
communities) and a Family Fel­
lowship Day in cooperation with
area churches for an ecumenical
Sunday service.
Major funding for the Black
Family Reunion Celebration has
been provided by The Procter &
Gamble Company, whose support
along with other corporations
such as Coca-Cola USA, Anheu­
ser-Busch, Frito-Lay, Eastman
Kodak, CBS Records and Eastern
Airlines insure that the event is
held free of charge to the
attending public.
A fifty-two year old organize
tion, the National Council of Ne
gro Women serves as a clearing
house for the activities of four
million women, who are reached
through its thirty-one affiliated
member national organizations
and its two hundred charterec
c o m m u n ity -b a s e d s e c tio n s
NCNW women come from all
walks of life and all economic,
cultural and educational back­
grounds. Since it was founded in
1935 by legendary educator and
human rights a c tiv is t Mary
McLeod Bethune, the NCNW has
worked tirelessly on behalf of
Black women and families. "Com­
mitment, unity and self-reliance"
is both the motto and the objec
tive behind the NCNW and its
many programs aiding Black
families.
17th Annual ‘African Liberation Day’
Today, June 2, the musical
director and engineering crew
from Carsey-Warner, producers
of the Cosby Show, will meet
with Oregon Symphony music
director James DePreist and
the 84 member Oregon Sym­
phony at the Arlene Schnitzer
Concert Hall to tape a new
arrangement of the Cosby
Show's theme music.
T
Gladys McCoy
“ Project Payback is one of our
most successful programs,’' said
Gladys McCoy, Multnomah County
Chair, "it gives young offenders on
the job training and holds them
accountable for their criminal ac­
tivities. That's a combination that is
hard to beat."
Project Payback began in March
of 1987, as part of joint effort
involving Multnomah County's
Juvenile Division and the Boys and
Girls Club of Portland.
Special Correspondent
The police would not permit
drums, harmonica and maremba
Mr. Perkins then recited several
awn of the 17th Annual Afri­ are going to get it back!” Referr­
parents to find those children
also included Arnold Pitre on the
poems which memorialized the
ing to the savage infanticide of
can Liberation Day broke
whom they detained. Is this
flute and briefly on the maremba
infanticidal slaughter at Soweto.
Soweto, Azania commonly known
with angry Nimbus clouds hang­
peace? Is this justice? After
and
Art Alexander on the drums.
“ They came early in the morning.
ing ominously over Portland. By as the Republic of South Africa,
Sharpesville they said it would
Mr.
Askari
set the mood when he
The children of Soweto. The
noon the entire metropolitan area the young students like those
never happen again ... Oh! South
said
that
the
group was going to
young lions walked bravely to­
who died in the savage Soweto
was inundated with a torrential
make
an
attempt
to get inside
Africa,
why?
Why?
Why?
ward their adversaries. History
downpour, including pea-sized
Michael Grant from the Passin’
Steve
Bikko’s
head
in life and
denied their childhood. Hymns of
hail. But almost as if by some pre­
Art Theatre posed a series of
death through the idiom of music.
their courage will be sung before
arranged signal, minutes before
questions about the heroic life
Greg Gudger of the Metropoli­
Joyce Harris opened the ceremo­
they are written.”
and cowardly assassination of
tan Human Relations Commis­
These words are very reminis­
nies in the auditorium of the
sion concluded the major presen­
cent of "The Voices of Rage” so Steve Bikko, one of Africa’s great­
Cascade Portland Community
est freedom fighters.
tations with a review of issues
eloquently dramatized by Wingate
College Campus, a brilliant sun
Art Alexander of the Black
pertinent to Oregon and the dives-
Pearse-Sheena. “ I saw children
broke through the clouds as if to
United Front and the children
titute of business interests in
coming down the street to con­
portend the very essence of this
from the Saturday School were
South Africa. He exposed a laun-
gathering. Similar celebrations
front the police with stones. Oh,
also present. The students
•dry list of recalcitrant American
my God! What are those children
were taking place over the entire
recited their school pledge, “ We
Companies that had not cooper­
doing? The children tossed their
nation.
know we can learn. We know we
ated in the American initiative to
rocks and the police fired into
From the very outset the brutal
are smart. Excellence is our goal.
cease doing business in racist
their ranks. Dozens lay dead. An
struggle for freedom has put
We are proud of ourselves, our
masacre proclaimed, “ We are the
South Africa. Listed among them
eight year old boy m ortally
young children in the forefront of
parents and our communities.
children of Soweto. Europeans
were Texaco, Coca-Cola and
wounded lifted his frail arm and
the battle on the bloody fields of
exploited our land and our people.
An improvisational ensemble
Minute Maid.
tossed still another rock. The
Africa. The importance of their in­
They created the horrors of rac­
led by Nyewusi Askari on the
guns of many soldiers blasted
volvement was vividly displayed
ism and oppression. We will not
that small frail body into many
in a presentation by students of
die.
We will rise again. Azania will
pieces. His blood co-mingled with
the Black Educational Center.
be free!" They ended their decla­
Standing twenty abreast with tiny
that of many others and eddied
ration by having the audience join
arms folded across their chests
like a mighty river as it formed a
them in singing "Oh, Soweto.”
O B S E R V E R ’S I N D E X
first in pride and then in defiance
confluence with the filth and
Useni
Perkins,
chief
executive
they announced to the world not
stench of that Soweto gutter.
officer of the Portland Urban Lea­
EDITORIAL / OPINION.....................................................Page 2
only their identity with Africa but
Even the hospital was not a sanc­
gue,
continued
in
the
same
vein
also with the struggle of its peo­
ENTERTAINMENT............................................................Page 3
tuary for the wounded. The police
w ith inspirational words. He
ple for freedom. In rap fashion
shot tear gas into the emergency
RELIGION............................................................................ Page 4
noted that, “We are sending a sig­
they recounted the history of the
room. Oh, my God. This is my on­
CLASSIFIEDS............................................................. Page 6 -8
nal to the larger community. It is
struggle. Their young voices sang
ly baby! Don’t let him die. We
SECTION II — Special Careers Addition
the responsibility of us to teach
out their aspirations for the future
buried 800 babies and nursed the
children not only about our cul­
Classified / Display......................................................................... (503) 288-1756
wounds of 2,000 others. Some
of trie motherland, “ We want our
ture,
but
also
to
teach
them
what
News Desk....................................................................................... (503) 288-0033
were maimed or paralyzed for life.
land back. The land is changing
the
struggle
is
all
about."
hands. We had it. they stole it. We
D
Loretta "Regis” Smith
KBMS 1480AM D-Jay. Let Her
S-o-o-t-h-e Your Soul From
12 a.m. to 5 a.m.
he Multnomah County De­
partment of Human Services
announced the expansion of Pro­
ject Payback, a community prog­
ram that provides jobs for delin­
quent youth and requires them to
pay victim restitution. The expan­
sion is possible due to the in­
volvement of Wastech, a local
waste recycling services business.
Wastech anticipates employing at
least 50 youth during the next year.