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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 22, 1989)
2f .,-3 T r a n ' „ a b Veri ■;S ry , » Portland, Oregon PORTL ERVER JUNE 22, 19H9 VOLUME XIX NUMBER 24 GOLDSCHMIDT PROCLAIMS JUNE 21 AS ’’CHANEY, GOODMAN, AND SCHWERNER MEMORIAL DAY” TO COMMEMORATE YOUNG VOTING RIGHTS ACTIVISTS Governor N eil Goldschm idt pro claimed June 21 as “ Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner M em orial D ay” to commemorate the young c iv il rights workers who were m ur dered in 1964 for registering A frican Americans to vote in M ississippi. G oldschm idt’s proclamation en courages “ all citizens to jo in in this observance as liv in g legacies so that the contributions o f these and other c iv il rights leaders continue to bene fit and to enrich our society.” “ C haney, G oodm an, and Schwerner M em orial D ay” in Ore gon coincides w ith the “ Youth Free dom Caravan,” a cross-country trek o f young people who have co m m it ted themselves to a year o f w ork fo r universal voting rights. The “ Youth Freedom Caravan” has been organ ized by the Human SERVE Cam paign to allow youth from Portland, Salem, Seattle and elsewhere around the country to jo in in commemora tive activities scheduled on June 21- 24 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, Wash ington, DC, and New Y ork C ity. The Oregon/Washington delegation leaves from Portland International A irp o rt on Sunday, June 18, at 2:00 pm. Goldschmidt’s proclamation notes that “ Freedom Summer began twenty- five years ago when thousands o f dedicated students, organizers, teach ers, and activists traveled to the South to fig h t fo r c iv il rights....Volunteers worked. M . register disenfranchised black voters so that more Americans would be able to participate in free elections, one o f the democratic p rin ciples upon which this nation was founded....” “ T w enty-five years have passed since June 21, 1964,” the governor proclaimed, “ yet it is even more imperative that we continue to en courage the fu ll participation o f all citizens to register and to vote in elections, a privilege which A m e ri cans too otten take fo r granted....” Goldschmidt w a so n co f hundreds o f young Americans who registered voters in the South during the C iv il Rights Movement. Portland attorney Jake Tanzcr worked for the U.S. Justice Department and developed evidence against the Ku K lu x Kian in the m ur der o f Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. Seattle attorney Rita Bender was w orking in Mississippi w ith her late husband M icahcl Schwerner when he disappeared on June 21, 1964. Many other Oregon and Washington residents helped to break down the barriers o f segrega tion through voting rights work then. Today, a new generation o f c iv il right and voting rights activists are being trained to help finish the struggle fo r equal rights and opportunities for Americans o f every national and ethnic background. Nine high school and college students from Portland, Sa lem, and Seatdc are part o f that new generation. When they return from the “ Youth Freedom Caravan” on June 26, they w ill begin a one year com m itm ent to help their peers and com m unity members become 100% voting participants in our govern mental system. Students from the Portland area include: Pamela Clegg, M ichelle Robertson and Gina Yarbrough from Jefferson H igh School; Walced Sad- ruddin from Benson; E m ily Baker from M ilw au kie; and Madison High graduates MosesGuncschand Bryan Weaver. Gunesch w ill attend U n i versity o f Oregon in the fa ll; Weaver w ill attend M t. Hood Com m unity College. From Salem: Tycian Bonneau, who w ill attend North Salem H igh School next year. From Seattle: Ann Slater, who attended Seattle Central Com m unity College and now works fu ll-tim e for WashPIRG, the Public Interest Re search Group. regional director fo r Human SERVE, organized the Oregon and W ashing ton delegation, and w ill be accompa nying these students. The Northwest group w ill fly to L ittle Rock, Arkansas on Sunday, Stay-Clean Celebrates Second Year June 18, where diey w ill meet up w ith a bus o f youth from Los Ange les area and lour m ajor c iv il rights sites in the Soulh.The young people w ill be meeting w ith c iv il rights ac tivists from then and now to learn more about the struggle fo r universa, voter registration. On Monday and Tuesday, June 19-20, the Orcgon/Washington/Cali- fom ia group w ill tour through M is sissippi and Alabama. One June 21, they w ill meet up w ith an estimated 16,000 people in Philadelphia, M is sissippi, fo r the Chancy-Goodman- Schwerner C o a litio n ’ s commemora tive “ South-North Freedom Cara van.” After a picnic in Philadelphia, M is sissippi, the caravan w ill proceed to Washington, DC and New Y ork C ity, where a day o f voter registration work in New Y o rk w ill be follow ed by fin al ceremonies on Saturday eve ning. W h ile the 300 “ Youth Freedom Caravan” students are in W ashing ton, DC, they w ill attend workshops on v o te r re g is tra tio n issues, problcms,and solutions.Thcy w ill also have the opportunity to v is it w ith congressional representatives on voting rights legislation currently before Congress. When they return to the N orth west, these students w ill be w orking w ith Human SERVE director M ar got Beutler on i¿rqyc<¿ts to get their peers and parents registered to vote. M argot E. Beutler, Northwest W~"' By M attie Ann Callier-Spears For two years, now, the Stay-Clean, Inc. Resource Development Center has been providing a service in the com m unity that addresses the issue o f helping citizens remain ‘ free’ and ‘ clean’ o f drugs and alcohol. This service is provided by a nonprofit or ganization and its name is Stay-Clean, Inc. Resource Development Center. On Saturday, the 24th o f June, 1989, the Stay-Clean, Inc. group w ill hold its 2nd Year Anniversary Celebra tion in the Penninsula Park from 12 noon u ntil dusk. There w ill be 3-4 bands entertaining, free food and vis iting dignitaries from c ity and state offices. The purpose o f the corporation is to train, educate and re-educate c iti zens who have been and who arc s till handicapped from drugs and alcohol abuse which prevents them from experiencing the opportunity to earn a honest livelihood. Due to prison history, underpriviledged livin g conditions, victim s o f racism, and long tim e unemployment, many o f these individuals often turn out to be a drain and a lia b ility to the com m u nity rather than an asset. The purpose and over all philoso phy o f the organization w ill be to teach constructive productivity as op posed to disruptive and disruptive activities and hclp-lcssness. Special training and educational skills arc incorporated into the pro gram w ith the help o f outside com m unity agencies, such as: com m u nity responsibility and respect, money management, secretary skills, com puter science, clerical skills, data processing, automotive mechanics, good w ork habits, self-esteem devel opment and more. M r. Thomas Mason, executive dircetor/founder, says that there are presently 40 male in-patients. “ This In itia l projects w ill be in the public schools and on college campuses. WashPIRG in Seattle w ill be w o rk ing on a number o f projects in that city. T he ir goal w ill be to make the words o f G oldschm idt’s proclama tion obsolete. The governor noted that fu ll participation o f a ll citizens to register and vote in elections is “ a privilege w hich Am ericans loo often take fo r granted.” MARTINL UTIIER KING MANOR King Manor To Open July 1st M artin Luther K ing Manor, located at 6620 N.E. 6th Avenue (the com er o f 6th avenue and Dckum Street), w ill be holding Open House on June 28th, 1989 between the hours o f 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Hope To See You There! Wyden Hearing to Look At Portland Housing Issues A U.S. House o f Representatives ity o f Portland D irector Don C lark, Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Ron Portland Area U.S. Housing and Urban Wyden (D-3rd) w ill hold a hearing in Development director D ick Brinck, Portland on Friday, June 23, to look and Oregon Housing Agency Deputy into cllorts to revitalize Portland neigh Adm inistrator Sheila Baker. In addi borhoods and create more home tion, representatives o f the Northeast ownership opportunities fo r lower Com m unity Development Corp, income families. R EA C H Com m unity Development, The hearing o f the House Small Inc., the Portland Development Com Business Subcommittee on Regula mission, and private sector remod- tion, Business Opportunities and En elcrs and lenders w ill present their ergy w ill feature testimony by Port ideas on how to stimulate neighbor land M ayor J.E. “ Bud” Clark and by hood revitalization and homeowner- individuals individuals in need o f ship. permanent, affordable housing, who “ The challenge o f breathing new w ill explain the many obstacles they life back into our neighborhoods w ill face in trying to house their families. require inventive input from the p ri Also testifying at the hearing w ill vate sector as w ell as from all levels be Multnomah County Commissioner o f government, “ Wyden said. “ 1 Gretchen Kafoury, Housing A uthor expect this hearing to showcase the < 'i '. Y 25C '••■‘K many opportunities we have to forge creative partnerships that can put a new bloom on the Rose C ity ’s neighborhoods, ’ ’Wyden said. Rep. Wyden is the sponsoroi leg islation known as the C om m unity Housing Investment Partnership (CH IP) Act, which provides a scries o f lcdcral initiatives designed to re vitalize run-down neighborhoods and provide low -incom e citizens w ith more housing opportunities. The hearing, w hich is open to the public, begins at 1:30 p.m. and w ill be held at the K ing Neighborhood F acility, 4815 N E 7th. '<■*’ •*-.*y,*<* -*■.» * • rY. •• ’ M’ ;• ■ . • , .* is not a half-w ay house but a ‘ transi tional life ’ ” adds Mr. Mason. “ The men who occupy the seven houses have come from a ll walks o f life; some just out o f prison, some were referred to us by the Justice Center and some came on their own. Just because they were tired o f the life they were leading and what it was doing to them physically” . A fte r a person has been in the program for the first th irty days, he becomes self-sufficient. He is then required to his own room and board and utilities. Each in-patient receives spiritual counselling because, as Mr. Mason says, “ Its the inner man or the soul o f the man that needs to be given attention” . Bishop W ells, pastor o f Emman uel Temple C O G IC , is one o f the board members who give insight and advice to the counselors and, i f need be, to the in-patients. T heyarccalled “ in-patients’ because they have an illness and they came seeking to be healed. W hile driving down Northeast Alberta Street one day last week, I came upon a most precocious loo k ing car washing operation I was stopped and was asked i f I wanted m y car washed. 1 told the young man I had some errands to run but that 1 w ould return. I did. I pulled up in front o f what seemed to be a resi dence, on the com er o f Northeast 13th and Alberta. There were ap proxim ately ten young men busily scurrying about washing vehicles o f persons who had been flagged down. It was not long before I discovered the reason behind the car wash and the identity o f these washing the vehicles. I was greeted by one fellow w ith the biggest sm ile, a ll over his lace. I asked him fo r his name and the rea son why he, in particular, was taking part in this a ctivity. He said, “ M y name is C hris West. I am 31 years old. I am o rig in a lly from Houston, Texas but now call Portland, home. I ju s t came out o f prison; but, I am so very happy.” A t that point, I needed to know what was behind dial joy. “ Do you know what? I was saved last Sunday. I gave m y life to Jesus Christ because everything I was doing was just destroying i t ” he continued, “ I had been in prison in 1985 fo r six months and I served m y tim e and was released. I had been out for 12 months and was busted 12 times. The last tim e I was facing 60 years inprison- m entbut five years instead. I went to court in 1987 and m y time was then set at 17 months. I was released on the 5th day o f June 1989.” I contin ued our conversation. I asked him about his w ife and i f he had children. “ I have fiv e children” was his re sponse, “ and they are liv in g w ith my mother and m y m other-in-law . As for my w ife, she is in prison and serv ing a twenty year sentence.’ ’ I asked him , what is he going to do w ith the opportunity that has been given to him? He said, “ I am trying so hard and I plan to make it this tim e.... w ith the help o f die good L o rd .” Each m orning, every in-patient is given an attitude check. Is it positive or negative and ‘ w h y’ ? Each o f the seven houses has a house leader and an assistant house leader w ho are, themselves, successful in-patients — w ho ’ vc gone through the program and are now able to help others find what they now know. That it is better to be a good, productive citizen, functioning in the com m unity w ith out the influence o f the drugs and the alcohol. W ith o ut the arrest. W ith o ut the crack houses and prisons. I spoke to the others: Richie Jones, 19; Glen O ’ Neal, 23; K evin Howard, 37, who came in as a w alk-in . W ife and children at Maranalha. In the program for 6 six days; David Hudson, 28, in program for 2 days. Was rec ommended by his fiancee’ ; L lo yd Allen, 52, parole board recommended him to program; Dewaync W illiam s, 29, from Shercvport, Louisiana, has been in fo r 10 days; and Charlotte Sanders,in has been in the program for one and a h a lf months; but, not as an in-patient. Presently there is not a fa c ility for women; but the women arc able to come fo r counselling and can attend the classes. 1 pray the com m unity jo in in w ith the Stay-Clean, Inc. on the 24th to give tnem positive rc-cnlorccm cnt, hand shakes and pats on the back. To the persons in the program, “ You Can Make I t ! ” D. • *• - ' - It’s Official! Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Will Be Celebrated The Third Monday Of Each Year After Senate Passes HB 2705 . *>■•**»•