Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, November 09, 1989, Image 1

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P o rtla n d . O re g o n
VOLUME XIX NUMBER 44
Muslim Community Honors
Portland Role Models
And Pioneers
The Muslim Com m unity C enter o f
Portland held its First Annual A chieve­
ment Benefit Buffet" a t the Matt D ish­
man Center, Saturday evening, N ovem ­
ber 4. Several hundred people w ere in
attendance at the affair whose theme
was "Human Development and Economic
Growth."
The opening prayer was delivered
by Imam M ikal Shabazz, and the w el­
com ing address was by Mr. O m ar Sh­
abazz who made the award presenta
tions to selected honorees from th<
Northeast community: Economics - San
Brooks & Associates-A rthur Cox; Pub
lie Service - O llie Smith; Social Serv ict
- Bernie Foster/publisher of the Skan-
ner, Joyce Harris o f the Black Education
Center, Clara Peoples/Com m unity
Care Organizations.
O ther categories were Human D e­
velopment - Prof. McKinley Burt, Arilha
Furqaan; Role M odels - W aleed Sad-
rud-Din-Ishaq Shamsud-Din, Travis West,
Aminah Shabazz. Each honoree made
b rief com m ents on the theme o f the
affair and graciously acknowledged their
award. Especially poignant and inspir­
ing were the w ords o f Mr. A rthur Cox,
age 85, who traced a long history o f his
contributions to the econom ic vitality of
the com m unity despite adversity and
racism -m u ch credit was given to his
w ife o f many years.
Entertainm ent was an "Islamic
Fashion Presentation" by children of the
Muslim com m unity, ages 3 to 14. Each
appearance was accom panied by a cita­
tion o f the child's grade level and career
aspirations. The range o f am bitions was
from medicine and engineering to teach­
ing and the practice o f law; they gave the
definite impression that these goals would
be achieved. Another highlight of the
evening was the buffet dinner featuring
entrees o f either beef, chicken or lamb.
D essert was the nationally famous
"M uslim Bean Pie."
McKinley Burt
PSU Sets Symposium On
Racism, Harassment
ll has been one year since the racially motivated beating death o f a 27-
year old Ethiopian man, Mulugeta Seraw. But while there was great public
outcry condemning the act, and the seif-described "skinheads " responsible
have been jailed, the number o f hate-inspired crimes is increasing, white
supremacist groups openly recruit fo r members, and the visible evidence o f
ethnic hatred and mistrust mar out public spaces. Why is this happening in
Portland? Why do groups such as the Aryan Nation appeal to our young
people? What can we do about it?
For two days in N ovem ber at Port­
land State University, public officials,
the police, com m unity activists, educa­
tors, and researchers will join in 'The
Sym posium on M alicious H a ra ssm e n t
an d R acism ' to look at the roots o f the
problem s and their impact on the com ­
munity and to formulate a plan for a c ­
tion.
The sym posium is scheduled for
two afternoons, Tuesday and W ednes­
day, Nov. 14 and 15, in PSU's Smith
M emorial Center (SM C). Both days will
begin with general sessions at Noon in
338 SM C followed by a series o f small
w orkshops in several locations.
The focus of the first day’s
activities will be 'T h e Di­
m ensions o f the P ro b lem .
K eynoting the sessions with
a Noon address on Nov. 14
(338 SM C) will be Black
activist Prexy Nesbitt, cur­
rently consultant for the g ov­
ernm ent o f the People's Re­
public o f M ozam bique and
frequent lecturer on apartheid.
His lecture at the PSU sym ­
posium is titled, "Bigotry and
Racism in a Global C ontext."
N esbitt also will partici­
pate in several classes at PSU
on Tuesday and W ednesday
and will attend a public re­
ception at 3:30 p.m. on T ues­
day in Smith Center.
Follow ing Proxy N esbitt's keynou
on Tuesday, there will be a 1:30 p.m
discussion o f the current activities o
skinheads and other racist groups by Bil
W assm uth, executive director o f th<
Northwest Coalition Against Maliciou
Harassment.
The second day o f the symposium
will focus on A p p ro p ria te C o m m u ­
nity a n d U niversity R esponses to the
problem s. A keynote panel, beginning at
Noon in 338 SM C, will feature Portland
City Com m issioner Dick Bogle, State
Representative M argaret Carter, Black
U nited Front Co-chair Ron Herndon,
and M ultnomah County District A ttor­
ney M ichael Schrunk.
Three concurrent workshops, be­
ginning at 1:45 p.m ., are titled, "What to
Do In Harassment Situations (298 SMC),"
"Law Enforcem ent Issues (328 SMC),"
and "U niversityResponses (329 SM C)."
"THE EYES AND EARS OF THE COMMUNITY"
Black Activist Prexy Nesbitt
NOVEMBER 9,1989
PPS Kick-Off 1989 Project HELP
Fundraising Campaign
A blanket brigade between some 50
elem entary students from Portland Pub­
lic Schools kicked off the 1989 Project
HELP fundraising campaign for the needy,
Frid., Nov. 3, at Portland's Pioneer
Courthouse Square.
Sponsored for the eighth consecu­
tive year by Portland General Electric
Co. (PGE), Project HELP provides heat­
ing assistance to low income customers
not eligible for the Low -Incom e Energy
Assistance Program (LIEAP) adm ini­
stered by the state.
To supplem ent the blanket brigade,
PGE is asking its customers in Multnomah
County to join em ployees and share­
holders in contributing to the 1989 Proj­
ect HELP drive.
"Project HELP has helped thou­
sands o f needy families stay warm and
will continue to grow with community
support," said Jerry Arnold, PGE Re­
gional Com m unity Relations Manager.
"During the past seven years, PGE
em ployees, shareholders, and customers
have contributed nearly S2 million to the
campaign. Every dollar makes a differ­
ence."
PGE shareholders will donate
$40,000 to The Salvation Army as a
startup fund for Project HELP this year.
"Project HELP has helped
thousands o f needy families
stay warm and will continue
to grow with community sup­
port. "
Jerry Arnold, PGE Regional
Community Relations Manager
To initiate this year's Project HF.I P
drive, students from Beech School in
North Portland and Buckman School in
South Portland raced to load some 175
blankets into a Salvation Army em er­
gency canteen.
As part o f a classroom project, the
students created artwork explaining "How
to Keep Warm." In addition, each of the
students received an "I Helped Project
HELP" umbrella.
Project HELP funds are availabl
to qualifying custom ers regardless of
fuel source. Oregon fund distribution
will begin after Jan. 1, 1990. P a y m e n t
will be made directly to the cutomt s
fuel supplier.
The Salvation Army will be the ole
adm inistrator o f Project HELP funds.
Contributions can be sent directly to The
Salvation Army at P.O. Box 8798, P<in­
land, Oregon 97308.
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The company is also providing cus­
tomers an opportunity to support the
program through their winter electric
billing statements. Customers will re­
ceive Project HELP donation envelopes
in their November statements. Those
who wish to contribute to the campaign
should write a separate check for their
donation instead o f adding it to their
regular bill payment.
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Portland Welcomes Nation's
Largest Organization Of
African-American Educators
2,000 African-A m erican Educators will gather in the City o f Roses to
participate in the 17th annual National Alliance o f Black School Educators
Conference, Nov. 15-19, at the Portland Hilton, in Portland.
NABSE currently has 5,000 members in 40 states as well as Canada,
Great Britain, W est G erm an, and the Caribbean. M em bership includes
superintendents, adm inistrators, curriculum specialists, and teachers who
serve in institutions throughout the nation.
Recently, Dr. Patricia Ackerman, President of NABSE, was invited to
the White House to attend President Bush's Pre-Education Summit Roundtable.
Dr. Ackerman stressed the importance o f providing financial assistance to
inner city children, increasing college tuition aid to African-Am ericans
seeking careers in education, and expansion o f the U.S. D epartment of
Education's efforts to address the problems o f disadvantaged students.
NABSE deals with issues in urban and all other educational systems; and
exists as one o f the nation's m ost prom inent associations for African-
American Educators.
Present for the recent unveiling of a cartoon mural dedicated to the war against
drugs were (from left) Steven A. Moskowitz, assistant to Mayor Bud Clark;
Executive Dean Don McInnis of the PCC Cascade Campus, where the mural is
located; Captain Tom Potter of the Portland Police bureau; muralist Ameer a
Saahir, president of M J. Toys and Games, Inc., and Ameer Muhammad,
operations director for the young company.
Incubator Business Owners Produce
Anti-Drug Mural at PCC Cascade
Dr. Asa E. Hilliard III
A wrap-up session, "Creating a PSU
Action A genda," will begin at 3 p.m.
This session will include Interim PSU
President Roger Edgington, Student body
President W illiam Hoar, Dean o f Stu­
dents M orris Holland, and Acting A f­
firm ative Action D irector Armando
LaG uardia.
ERVER
Michael Jordan
The conference them e o f African-American History and Life will be
highlighted through public addresses, sem inars, and workshops. Keynote
speakers will include Dr. Asa E. Hilliard III, renowned historian, Egyptolo­
gist, and national consultant; and Jawanza Kunjufu, respected author and
lecturer on the Black male.
Some o f the conference topics include: The Rescgrcgation o f Public
Schools, Opportunities in Space Exploration, Using Rap in the Classroom to
Increase Learning, History as a W eapon for the Future, the African-
American Baseline Essays, M ediated Learning (live dem onstrations), The
Social and Affective D evelopm ent o f the Black Male and M argaret Beale
Spencer's research on color preference (Black Doll/W hite Doll studies).
Dr. J. Jerome Harris, Superintendent o f Atlanta Public Schools will be
inaugurated at the conference. Ted Kimbrough, NABSE President-Elect is
the recently selected Superintendent o f Chicago Public Schools.
Two new North/Northcast Portland
The mural is one facet o f a cam ­
entrepreneurs have contributed a larger- paign developed by Saahir and M uham ­
than-life cartoon mural to the com m u­ mad and adopted by the African Women's
nity's war against drugs.
Network. AWN will use a num ber of
Ameera Saahir and A m eer M uham ­ cartoon characters developed by M.J.
mad o f M.J. Toys and Games, Inc. in­ Toys and Games in the group's educa­
stalled the mural at Pen Hall on the tional activities.
Portland Community College Cascade
Another feature o f the effort is the
Campus inarecentcerem ony. The mural
formation o f "the Higher Ground Club,"
was painted by Saahir.
a peer mentoring program designed to
Now the mural and its youth-ori­ help children and young adults feel good
ented message greet Jefferson High School about themselves. The club will stress
students and others w alking along the
the building of a strong self-image and
seven h u ndred b lo c k o f N orth
will provide postive role models.
Killingsworth Street.
Among those present for the m u­
The mural is one facet o f a cam ­ ral's unveiling were Captain Tom Potter
paign developed by Saahir and Ameer o f the Portland Police Bureau and Ste­
Muhammad of M.J. Toys and Games, ven A. M oskowitz, assistant to Mayor
Inc. installed the mural at Pen Hall on
Bud Clark.
the Portland Com m unity College C as­
Saahir, president, and Muhammad,
cade Cam pus in a recent cerem ony. The operations director, operate thetoy and
mural was painted by Saahir.
gam e business in the Cascade Business
Now the mural and its youth-ori­ Corporation incubator on Cascade
ented message greet Jefferson High School Campus.
students and others walking along the
sev en h u ndred b lo c k o f N orth
Killingsworth Street.
Rose City Welcomes NA BSC
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