January 5, 1989 • P ortland O bserver • Page 3
COMMUNITY FORUM-------
P erspectives
What To Read
Part 1 of 2
Professor McKinley Burt
No. 235017, Budge. Dwellers On the
I wish to thank my many readers
Nile. $6.95; No. 22548-8, White,
for their support and comments this
Ancient Egypt. $4.95; No. 23500-9,
past year. You may rest assured that
Carter, Discovery of Tutankhamen
1989 will bring a lot more information
useful to students, teachers, parents
$6.95.
Be sure to write for a catalog from
and the public at large. This article is
Barnes and Noble Bookstore. 126
about sources for obtaining related
Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10011.
books and documentation of the
African-Am erican experience.
This is a very econom ical source for
valuable books. Some you may wish
First (smiles,) my book, Black
to order im m ediately are No.
Inventors of Am erica, may be ob­
01482538, Ancient Centers of Eavp-
tained at the Talking Drum Book­
store. 1634 N.E. Alberta (afternoons,
tianC ivilization, $4.98; No. 1336445,
The Leyden Papyrus (Ancient Afri­
Tues. through Sat.). Another prime
can Medicine), $4.50; No. 01430552,
source is the Looking Glass Book­
Queen of S heba. $5.98; No.
store at 318 S.W. Taylor (excellent
service and will promptly order for
lure; $4.95; No. 1557545, Ram eses
you any book not in stock) some titles
IL $6.95; No. 1523877, Africa: Her
given below.
History. $1.00. Be sure to include
LOOKING G LASS: Thor Heyer-
$3.95 for shipping and insurance.
dal. Kon Tiki (documents that African
Now, if you really want to treat
voyages in reed and papyrus boats
yo u rs e lf-o r inspire a student in the
or rafts enabled them to migrate all
fa m ily-o rd e r one or all of this three-
over the world in ancient times); Peter
volume set from the same company
Tompkins. Secrets of the Great Pyra­
mid. Harper pubs. (The best book on
above: Ancient Egyptian Literature.
the Great Pyramid, its history and
$9.95 each.Vol. I, No. 1238625, Vol.
m athem atics); Frank Snowden,
II, No. 1238633, Vol. Ill 1238641.
What a surprise for those of you who
Blacks In Antiquity. Belnap/Harvard
Press (Black history prof, at Howard
thought that all that beautiful prose
U. documents the Black presence in
and poetry written by European au­
Greece and Rome); Bernal, Black
thors throughout the centuries was
original- in either style or content.
Athena. Rutgers U. Press (Estab­
Here you will find the ancient African
lishes African Roots of ancient clas­
basis for our classic poems, novels,
sical civilization); Van Sertima, They
plots for plays, and even for the par­
Came Before C olum bus. Random
ables and declarations of many Bibi-
House (Early Black cultures in the
cal Prophets- a ll written thousands
Americas).
of years earlier.
LOOKING G LA S S : Lewis, £gaL
If you know a Black teenager
Iron and Slaves. Greenwood Pubs.
seeking a career in science or engi­
(Documents the use of skilled slaves
neering, get these excellent m inor­
in the Colonial Iron Industry); Bar­
ity-oriented career guides for free:
bara Sewell, Egypt Under the Phar­
What is like to be an Engineer, and
aohs, Putnam-Sons; Zaslavsky, A t
Take it from U s-Y o u can be an En­
rica Counts. Lawrence Hill & Co.
gineer.
Write, ‘Educational C om m u­
(Excellent survey of number systems,
nications, General Electric Co., Fair-
math and games developed by Afri­
field, CT 06431.
cans). The following are ordered out
Next week; Some more goodies,
of th e ir‘Dover’ catalog: No. 22632-8,
and
how to read th e m !
Erman, Life in Ancient Egypt. $8.95;
TTTTT7TTTTTÎT?TT T TT T T T T 7T T T T T T T ?T T T T T ?T T T 7T ?T Y IT r?T ÎT i3
Creed O f The Black Press
The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from
social and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless o f
race, color, or creed, fu ll human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing
no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that
all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
T he O ther S ide
New Year Prayer
by H arold Williams
G o d we pray that love and peace will be with us this year. And
that understanding will be the foundation on which we build the future
toward greater generations.
G o d our strength and power give us the will to look one another
in the face and speak with truth and forgiveness. For we know you can
give the wisdom that we need to overcome all danger.
W e pray that this generation will find itself in time in order to
become the guiding light for the next generation.
W e pray that our youth will use education as the drug to attain
higher learning.
W e pray that the elderly will be protected and will not have to
choose between heat and eat.
Please God give fathers and mothers the strength to keep
families together doing these trouble times. This we pray.
yfappy
year! Teace & Love
Hospital & City Plead "Mea Culpa"
by Stephen E. M cPherson
Special Correspondent
It would appear that those per­
sons who make the decisions that
affect almost one half million people
in the most livable City of Roses are
finally taking notice of an affront that
was perpetrated upon the largely Black
inhabitants in the defunct Emanuel
Hospital Center urban renewal proj­
ect almost two decades. In an appar­
ent act o, reconciliation, Sam G al­
braith of what is sometimes viewed
as the gluttonous Portland Develop-
ment Commission joined James R.
Whiting of the Emanuel Hospital and
Health Center, together with an offi­
cial from the Portland Housing au­
thority to determine what could be
done to rectify an admitted injustice
wrought more than two decades in
the past.
For more than one hour the pro­
tagonists who have often been viewed
among the Black com m unity as the
enemy candidly addressed the prob­
lems and the expectations each side
had for the now defunct project. James
R. Whiting, representing the hospital
Confronting Racism:
Art About Apartheid
Blackfish Gallery is pleased to begin
its Tenth Anniversary year with
‘Confronting Racism’, a compelling
exhibit of works by Blackfish artists
and by invited guest artists of re­
gional and national stature. The show
runs January 4 through 28, 1989,
with an opening reception Thursday,
January 5, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. In
conjunction with the exhibit of visual
art, Blackfish will present two special
events of outstanding interest to a
wide audience:
PANEL DISCUSSION ON
RACISM AT HOME A N D IN
SOUTH AFRICA
T h u rsd a y, Ja n u a ry 12, 7:30 p.m .
at th e G allery
The panel moderator is Zaher
Wahab, Professor of Education at
Lewis and Clark College. Professor
W ahab has also secured the partici­
pation of African-born political activ­
ist Basko Kante, plus M ackie Faye
Hill, Director of Minority Affairs at
Portland State University, and Ka-
mau Anderson, a spokesperson for
Portlanders Organized for South
African Freedom. A rousing evening
is guaranteed; admission is free, but
seating is limited)
AN EVENING OF LIVE
PERFORM ANCES
T hursday, Jan u a ry 19, 7:30 p.m.
at the G allery
Acclaimed actor Rick Jones will
read from Athol Fugard's riveting play,
Sizwe Bansi is Dead. And in addition,
noted choreographer Carolyn Altman
and her company have created a
performance piece specifically for the
exhibition space, and it will premier
tonight. Tickets are available at Black­
fish for $3.00 in advance, $3.50 at
the door. Seating is limited.
Blackfish Gallery is wheelchair
accessible and parking is plentiful.
The address is 420 N.W. Ninth Ave­
nue, Portland, Oregon, 97209.
Roland Harris:
Sleeping Giant Of The Opera
by Stephen E. McPherson,
Special Coorespondent
The Portland Opera Players will
revive their embellishment of The
Barber of Seville when their English
version, Fioaro! Figaro!, opens Fri­
day, January 6th A T 8:00 P.M. in the
Eastside Performance Center at 531
S.E. 14th here in Portland. Other
performances will follow during the
intervening weeks on Saturday nights
and with Sunday matinees. This
delightful version of Rossini’s very
popular opera was written in collabo­
ration with Michael Berkson and Philip
Kelsey, both of the Portland Opera
staff.
Of particular interest to the com ­
munity is the fact that Roland Harris
will be returning to the opera stage in
the role of the infamous Dr. Bartolo.
Mr. Harris is not only a native of the
City of Roses, but also has sung with
the “ Players" and on the main opera
stage for a decade. Those who know
Mr. Harris will be happy not only to
enjoy his musical prowess but also
will be delightfully surprised to ob­
serve his acting skills as an opera
buffo. The characterization of Dr.
Bartolo is completely alien to the
gentle dignity Mr. Harris displays
offstage. In that sense he probably is
one of the sleeping giants who has
not yet realized his full potential in the
Portland Opera Company. For years
he has languished anonymously in
the opera chorus perhaps conjuring
up the notion of seeing himself in a
more challenging role com m ensu­
rate with his talents. Perhaps Dr.
Bartolo is one such vehicle which
could lead to a more significant expo­
sure.
Mr. Harris is an enigma to the
performing arts in that he lacks the
★
Speedy
Service
25 Gals.
$25.00
flamboyance that frequently identi­
fies such persons. Even though he
stands well over six feet and even in
a whisper projects a thunderlike bass-
baritone voice whose tim bre rever­
berates off the w alls, he also projects
the personality of a big teddy bear.
Roland Harris is not new to opera,
either. He first started performing in
opera work shops some 20 years
ago while pursuing the Bachelor of
Music at the University of Oregon.
He later earned the Master of Music
at Eugene, also. His repertoire
includes roles in La Bohêm e. Gianni
Schicchi, Martha, The Barber..oi
Seville. LaT raviataand LaFranciulla
del W est. As if these credentials were
not impressive enough, Mr. Harris
has composed a number of pieces
that were sung in concert and also
orchestrated one of the popular hits
that was performed at the Rose
Festival Coronation in the late ‘70 s.
The entire Harris family exudes
musical talent. His grown son, Barry
who now lives independently plays
the trumpet. Seventeen year old Carla,
a senior in high school, plays the flute
in the marching band. His wife, De-
lores, sings in the choir.
Even though Figaro! Fioaro! will
be sung in English, Mr. Harris has
sung other roles in French, Italian
and German. He prepares for each
new role by sitting at his piano in the
basement of the family home to play,
sing, learn and tape record his role
until it has been polished into a pro­
fessional quality. The young people
in the Portland School District are
quite fortunate to have such a teacher
as Roland Harris, perhaps with his
encouragement, other great talents
will be discovered within the abun­
dant human resources of Portland.
•st Cash Prices ★
admitted that the hospital never had
either expertise or experience with
the development of housing. He also
admitted that in its initial concept of
the plan, the Center anticipated that
a new veterans hospital would be
located on the urban renewal site.
The suggestion was made that if
the hospital center did indeed lack
expertise in the area of housing de­
velopment and also had failed to per­
form over a period of 20 years, wouldnl
it appear more logical to relinquish
part of the land parcel and turn it over
to a developer with demonstrated
success in that area? He agreed that
such an approach was had a definite
attraction in the realm of what could
be accomplished. The meeting which
could be described as cautiously
productive was held last night at the
King Neighborhood Facility under the
auspices of the Northeast Neighbor­
hood Coalition. The meeting was
chaired by Ron Herndon, Chairman
of the board with Charles Ford, direc­
tor of the facility and also a member
of the board keeping the discussion
in focus and extracting specific
commitments from the each of the
visiting agencies.
The subject of the discussion was
the how Emanuel Hospital and Health
Center had displaced a large number
of elderly persons, mostly Black, more
than 15 years ago with the promise
that more modern housing facilities
would be constructed to replace them.
This promise was left virtually unre­
alized. The vacant lots and boarded
homes in the area are a constant
reminder to the community of what
some consider to be a fraud that was
perpetrated against them.
The problem resurfaced last
summer when Kahlima Shamsud-
din, a 14-year old Black girl, was shot
in the head by a known gang m em ­
ber. Many persons considered the
callous treatment she received at the
Emanuel Trauma Center underscored
the typical attitude that facility dis­
played toward poor and especially
Black people.
The PORTLAND OBSERVER ran
several stories on the subject and
also did a special television program
on that subject which led to a
discussion of the now defunct
Emanuel Hospital Center urban
renewal project.
In a later television program dur­
ing the mayoral election, this writer
questioned both candidates about
• Continued To Page 6
PDC PORTLAND
DEVELOPMENT
COM M ISSION
Commission Meeting
Date: January 11,1989
Place: The Portland Bldg., 11th Floor
1120 SW Fifth Avenue
Portland, OR
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Commission meetings are open to
the public. A complete agenda is
available at PDC. Call 796-5300.
PDC is the City of Portland's urban
renewal and economic development
agency.
Israeli Embassy Tribute To
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Embassy of Israel in W ash­
ington, in cooperation with the Jew­
ish National Fund of America, will
host their Fourth Annual Tribute to
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Janu­
ary 9 ,1 9 8 9 at 5:00 p.m. This year’s
program and reception will commemo­
rate the 60th birthday of Dr. King.
The ceremony will include a pres­
entation by the Jewish National Fund
of the 1989 Civil Rights Award to two
individuals whose distinguished serv­
ice to the Black community deserves
special recognition: Althea Simmons,
Director of the Washington, D.C. office
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP), and William Taylor, civil
rights attorney and counsel for the
Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights.
Congressman Floyd Flake (D-NY,
6th district), a member of the Bank­
ing Finance and Urban Affairs Com­
mittee and the House Select Com ­
mittee on Hunger, and a recipient of
many awards including the 1986
Ebony magazine Black American
Achievement Award in Religion, will
address the gathering with Israel's
Ambassador Moshe Arad presiding
over the ceremony.
A spiritual and gospel perform ­
ance will be given by the Metroaires
of the Metropolitan African Method­
ist Episcopal (AME) Church of the
îverend William P. DeVeaux, un­
ir the Direction of Daniel Hodge.
Dr. King was, throughout his brief
3, a strong friend of the State of
Israel. The Martin Luther King, Jr.
Forest, the Jewish State’s living
memorial to Dr. King now numbers
over 10,000 trees. It is our sincere
hope that our ceremony, now in its
fourth year, will not only com m em o­
rate Dr. Kings life and his legacy to
future generations but also serve as
a celebration of the good will and
unity of people and world over.
For more information including
coverage arrangements, please
contact Yossi Gal, Press Counselor,
Embassy of Israel at (202) 364-5538/
9.
Cleo’s Cafe
3041 N. Williams
284-7150
Ethnic Cuisine
Southern Style
HOUSE SPECIALTIES
C h itte rlin g s • M eatloaf
M ix Greens • Beef Stew
C atfish • And Many
O ther Southern Dishes
Including:
C leo’s
Zesty Ribs In Sauce
— HOME-COOKED DESERTS —
Come See ‘Luberta’
For Down Home Cookin ’!
MEMBERS & GUESTS
Dr. M artin L. King, Jr.
A finely-detailed
porcelain portrait bust,
by Olvero
Height: 10 Inches
Width: 8 Inches
Ebony Color
Weight: Including Solid
Walnut base is 2 Lbs.,
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50 Gals.
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Oliver Tracy, Box 14265, Portland, Oregon 97214
For more information please call (503) 235-0481