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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
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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.
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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.
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It’s Official! Martin Luther King, Jr.
Holiday Will Be Celebrated The Third
Monday Of Each Year After Senate Passes
HB 2705
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