Mrs F ronces Schoen-N enspapor Rooa
e
U n i v e r s i t y o f Oregon L ib r a r y
t-ugene, Oregon 97403
Portland, Oregon
ERVER
PO R TLfl
25C
July 20,1988
Volume XVIII, Number 35
Presenting:
"U niquety Y ou rs..."
- - Young African American prepares
fo r grand opening of new designer &
discount store in black com m unity
T h e D re a m O f
S u c c e s s R e a lize d
— excerpts from Rev. Jesse Jackson’s
speech at the Democratic National
Convention in Atlanta, Georgia
July 19, 1988
YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE WEEK
A Dream Come True ...
On Sunday, July 10, 1988, eight year old Nikesha Hunter
was crowned overall winner in the Oregon State Miss
Cinderella Contest. Miss Hunter prevailed in the Mini-Miss
category for girls ages 8-12.
Miss Hunter will represent Oregon as she competitions
For our children. Young America hold your head high
now. We can win. We must no* lose you to.the IDRUGS and the
VIOLENCE, PREMATURE PREGNANCIES, SUICIDE, C f NICISM,
lanche Elaine Toney comes ended up buying a few thousand
PESSIMISM and DESPAIR. We can win. Wherever you are
from a family of achievers. dollars worth of merchandise. I
was amazed at how fast I was tonight, I challenge you to hope and to dream. Don’t submerge
Her mother, Judy Wilson, bought
able
to sell what I had purchased. your dreams. Exercise above all else, even on drugs, dream of
and operated a full service salon
After
checking out the designer the day you’re drug-free. Even in the gutter dream of the day
in Raleigh Hills for fifteen years.
discount
scene, I discovered that
Her father, Cecil Toney, was a bar
that you’ll be up on your feet again. You must never stop
there
wasn’t
a designer discount
ber, an artist and a well-known
dreaming. Face reality yes, but, don’t stop with the way things
musician who played locally with store in Oregon that catered to
are, dream of things as they ought to be. Dream ... face pain ...
Jazz great Mel Brown. Her sisters, African-Americans at a fair price."
Convinced that she could open but love, hope, faith and dreams will help you rise above the
Theresa and Kathy Toney, are
Blanche ElaineT oney
B
both hair designers. Her brother
Steven is planning to attend col
lege this fall.
On Friday, July 22nd, 1988,
Blanche, in the tradition of her
family, will grace the State of
Oregon, the City of Portland and
the African-American community
with the grand opening of her
own business “ Uniquely Yours”
Boutique & Nail Salon, the first
Black-owned designer and dis
count store in the Portland
metropolitan area.
A teen mom, Blanche says it
was peer pressure that forced her
to into a premature marriage that
failed. “ I became pregnant before
I was married and everyone told
me that my life was over. Wanting
to rise above that type of gloom
and doom, I rushed into marriage.
When it didn’t work, I went into a
rut which lasted approximately
five years. However, with the sup
port of my family, I began to
reconstruct my life.”
Personally, she thought she
might become a stand-up come
dian. "Everyone used to laugh at
my jokes," she recalled. "Then I
received offers to attend two well-
known performing arts schools
but turned them down. I think the
business bug was eating away at
me. Anyway, not afraid to take
risks, I went on my first business
venture which was the formation
of a Employment Service in Los
Angeles. After that, I ventured in
to the Arts and Crafts business.
When I came back to Oregon, I
worked as a repair technician for
a electronic company in Hills
boro. I was able to advance some,
but was very limited. I knew I
wasn’t going anywhere.”
Around the time Blanche was
organizing herself to exit from the
electronic’s company, she heard
about the wholesale garmet dis
trict in L A “ I checked it out and
her own designer discount store,
she mapped out floor plans, con
tacted wholesalers, designed a
financial plan and began looking
for space to house the store. Her
search led her to Mr. Leon Harris,
general manager for the Portland
Observer. Impressed by Blanche’s
determ ination to establish a
business, he pledged his support
and vowed to contrioute, as much
as possible, to her success. So,
when the Portland Observer pur
chased it’s new facilities, Mr. Har
ris offered Blanche the opportuni
ty to occupy space next door to
the Observer’s main facility. And
the rest is history.
Blanche is excited about her
grand opening. “ Something in
side of me kept saying, girl you
can do i t ... you can do i t ... don’t
get frustrated. And now it's going
to become a reality. However, my
getting started in business is in
line with what’s going on with
African-Am ericans throughout
this country. The support I have
received from Mr. Harris is also
typical of how Black business
men and women are helping
younger Blacks get started on the
road to economic development.”
She continued. "My business
will offer everything from silks to
T-shirt and everything in-between:
linens, jewelry, a discount nail
salon and the lowest price in the
State of Oregon. I am going to be
here and I want the community,
City and State to check me out.
Tell me what you want and I'll
deliver it. For example, I now have
silk suits for women that are nor
mally priced at $300, ready to go
at below $200 I am also here to
make a contribu tion to my
community.”
C oncluding, Blanche said,
"Each morning I wake up and say,
girl ain't nothing to it but to do
i t ...”
begin July 28,1988 in Miami, Florida.
Supporters of Nikesha ask for your support. Participation in
the international competition costs $800. This amount in
clude housing, airfare, food, and entrance fee. A deposit of
$100 has already been submitted to hold a space. Unfor
tunately Nikesha needs more funding to compete for the
international title. If you or your organization would like to
support Nikesha, please contact: Ronee Walker, c/o MARI,
P.O. Box 12471, Portland, OR 97212 or call 288-1662. The
Portland Observer is proud to salute you as our “ Young
Achiever of the Week.’’
pain.
(2) Keep on dreaming young America.
(3) Dream on the high road of sound values.
(4) Don’t surrender to drugs. The best drug policy is no
first use. Don’t surrender to needles and cynicism.
(5) Never surrender young America and don’t give up.
Coalition March
... A Profile ...
(6) ... I have a story.
I wasn’t always on television. Writers were not always out
side my door. When I was born late one afternoon, October
8th, in Greenville, South Carolina, no writers asked my mother
her name. No one chose to write down our address. Mama was
not suppose to make It. And I was not suppose to make It. You
see I was born to a teenage mother who was born to a teenage
mother. I understand. I know abandonment and people being
mean to you and saying that you are nothing and nobody and
can never be anything. I understand.
Jesse Jackson Is my third name. I am adopted. When I
had no name, my grandmother gave me her name. My name
was Jesse Burns until I was twelve. So that I wouldn t have a
blank space she gave me a name to hold me over. I understand
when nobody knows your name. I understand when you ave
no name. I understand. I wasn’t born in the hospital. Mama
didn’t have Insurance. I was born in the bed at home. I really
do understand: born In a three room house, bathroom in the
backyard, slop jar by the bed, no hot and cold running water I
understand: wallpaper used for decorations? No ... for a wind-
breaker. I understand.
I am a working person person. I had a shovel programmed
for my hands. My mother, a working woman. So many days she
went to work early with runs In her stockings. She knew better
but she wore runs in her stockings so that my brother and I
could have matching socks and not to be laughed at, at school.
I understand...
Happy
Birthday!
Young men step out front during march by the Coalition of Black Men last
Saturday.
by Stephen E. McPherson and
Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
ike the proud Masai. Watusi
and Mendingo warriors of
their ancestral past, hundreds
African-Americans assembled at
the King Neighborhood Facility
on Saturday morning to launch an
attack on the criminal element of
Portland. Their army consisted of
fathers, sons and grandfathers.
L
OBSERVER’S INDEX
FF ATI IRFS
Nelson Mandela
....................................
EDITORIAL/OPINIO N...................... •........ .........Page 2
RFI IC.ION
FM TFR T A IN M FN T
"Our Spirits Are With You!'
Mr. Sam Jackson, Jr. showed up
w ith his son-in-law and his
12-year-old grandson, Mitchell.
Mr. Jackson said, "Now is the
time because it is long overdue.
of This what we need. A Black con
certed effort was badly needed.
Through this show of force, hope
fully, the turmoil will cease."
Spearheaded by the Coalition
of Black Men by high noon their
numbers had grown to over 300.
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