Page 4 -T h e Portland Observer -August 21, 1991
• Portland Observer
RELIGION
Black Churches:
Can They Strengthen the Black Family?
by Alex Pointsett and Avery Russell
Reprinted from American Visions Magazine
an black churches join with par­
have low grades and often have disci­
ents and the nation's inner-city
pline problems. About 65 percent of
grade schools to improve the
the referrals come from schools that
Self-esteem and academic perfor­ have all but given up on their charges,
mance of black students in danger of
although many concerned parents,
becoming the next generation of drop­
having heard of the program through
outs and delinquents?
their churches or by word of mouth,
Can black churches, parents, and
enroll their children themselves and
schools, working together, foster both
participate in the parent education
the intellectual and emotional growth
component.
of these children, so they will not be
The gains that many of the 350 chil­
defeated by the extrem es of ixjvcrty
dren are making in Project SPIRlT’s
and deprivation as they enter school
pilot efforts are impressive:
and later a complex, technologically
♦ A first-grader, once slated to re ­
oriented society?
peat her grade because of behavior
Encouraging answers arc coming
problems, improves so much after five
from one program launched in 1986 by
months
in Project SPIRIT that her
th e C o n g ress of National Black
grades
switch
from “failing” to “pass­
C hurches (CNBC): Project SPIRIT.
ing.” Her teacher and parents are
The program is currently being pilot-
pleased that the once unruly student
tested in five black churches in each
is at last receiving the help she needs.
of three urban sites with large popula­
♦ Another first-grader repeatedly
tions of poor blacks: Oakland, Indianap­
copies the work of fellow students.
olis. and Atlanta.
Disappointed ovci the child’s lack of
Evidence from the first year of op­
self-confidence and limited academic
eratio n sugggests that Project
progress, her public school teacher re ­
S PIR lT 's after-school program may
quests a parent conference to seek
have hit upon a winning combination
solutions. The student enrolls in Pro­
of academic tutoring, morale-building,
ject SPIRIT. Three months later, her
and instruction in practical living skills
teacher notes, “There has been im­
that is making a substantial difference
provement in this child's work. The
in children’s school careers and rela­
tutoring really helped. ”
tionship with their parents. Parents
enrolled in a complementary "parent
♦ A second-grader with a record of
education" program also benefit,
academic and behavior problems, who
learning about child development and
is enrolled in Project SPIRIT, be­
how to provide their youngsters with
comes more self-controlled, reads
the emotional support and discipline
better, and makes the honor roll.
that can help them try again instead
♦ One single parent who enrolls her
of giving up and make them feel "like
sons ages eleven, nine and seven in
somebody” instead of worthless.
Project SPIRIT becomes so inspired
Project SPIRIT generally enrolls
by their improvement that she enters
underachievers—pupils who aie bored
a local community college en route to
with traditional school settings, who
an eventual business degree.
C
Project SPIRIT was organized in
the belief that "the black church is one
of the few institutions owned and op­
erated by blacks” that can effectively
help large numbers of black adults to
become better parents, according to
Vanella A. Crawford, a child and ado­
lescent psychotherapist who is direc­
tor of CNBC’s program. “The black
church also provides the cultural con­
text that is desperately needed to en­
rich, support, and guide the education
and growth of black youth.”
Since the days of slavery, black
churches have played a critically im­
portant role in sustaining the black
family. Indeed, notes Robert Hill,
former research director of the Na­
tional Urban League, “The black
church was a welfare agency for blacks
long before HEW [federal Department
of Health, Education, and Welfare]
was invented.”
I
n the early decades of t he 20th cen­
tury, black churches became more
interested in the affairs of the com­
munity and contributed to the work of
the NAACP and the National Urban
League. Black churches, which served
as important way stations in the mass
migrations of blacks from the South to
northern cities, found they had to re­
spond to more transient populations
and more families under stress.
The black church in the 1980s, while
continuing to respond to spiritual
needs, has been paying more attention
to economic and social development
within black communities. The deci­
sion by an increasing number of such
churches to battle the more disastrous
effects of social and economic isolation
and disarray on urban black families
Energy Project Garners Grant
The Collins Foundation has awarded
the Community Energy Project a $5,000
grant to fund free home weatherization
for low-income senior citizens and
disabled people. The weatherization
work, which will be concentrated in
North and Northeast Portland, will enable
people to stay warm in the winter while
saving up to 25% on energy bills.
This is the second year that The
Collins Foundation has supported the
private nonprofit organization. The
donation supplements other private
donations and base funding from the
City of Portland Bureau of Community
Development. With this combination
of resources, CEP will increase the
annual number of homes weatherized
from 150 to 200.
Teams of volunteers from busi­
ness, church, and school groups will
carry out the actual work in the homes.
The volunteers will wrap hot water
pipes, weatherstrip doors, caulk air gaps,
and install interior plastic storm win­
dows and other weatherization materi­
als. People wanting more informatior
about these weatherization services oi
volunteer opportunities should call the
Community Energy Project at 284-6827.
has not come without much soul-search­
ing and internal debate by the clergy.
According to former CNBC executive
director Joseph P. Eaglin, Jr., “In
many cases the churches have not
worked out theii theological position
with respect to such sensitive issues
as teenage pregnancy and the role of
women in the church. ”
Church-sponsored preventive pro­
grams for children and adolescents are
of fairly recent development and are
not yet widespread, if only because
many inner-city churches have lost a
high proportion of their middle- and
working-class membership to the
inner rings of suburbia and must seek
outside financial support to carry out
their social service missions.
To build on and strengthen the black
church’s ministry, the Congress of Na­
tional Black Churches was founded in
Washingt />, D. C. in 1978, to serve
as an umbrella organization of five
major black American religious de­
nominations: The African Methodist
Episcopal Church, the Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church, the
Church of GoJ in Christ, The National
Baptist Convention of America, and
The Progressive National Baptist
Convention, all representing a com­
bined membership of approximately 10
million in about 50,000 black churches.
“The vision of the Congress, ” says
its chairman, Bishop John Hurst
Adams, “is simply organizing the in­
stitutional power of the black church
to address the pragmatic needs of
the black community. It is to use
power to relieve pain; to use
power to enhance
possibilities.. . . ”
Scripture o f the OVeei^
Luke 22:64
VANN & VANN
FU N ERA L
Family Owned and Operated
Since 1954
Serving the City of Portland
for over 37 years
In your hour of need
Vann &Vann are there to serve
Cleodus Vann
503/281 -2836
5211 N. W illia m s P o rtla n d , Or. 97217
Mallory Avenue Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
God's Presence promises
Pouuer through Jesus Christ in
G ood Times and Bod Times
M a tth e w 11:28
"Come to me all you who are
w eary and heavy laden and I
will give you rest.1*
9:45am
11:00am
7:30pm
Sunday School
Morning Worship
Tuesday Bible
Study and Prayer
The Lilly Endowment supported the
Congress during its early years; but
126 N.E. Alberto
it has since attracted major corporate
Portland. OR 97211 (503) 28Ö-5173
Denise A. Bell Pastor
and foundation funding.
Inter-racial Congregation
On June 5. 1984, Carnegie Corpo­
ration of New York convened a m eet­
ing of black clergy and representatives
Love and Appreciation
of lay church organizations to discuss
ways of promoting greater church par­
BY MATTIE ANN CALLIER-SPEARS
ticipation in programs for children and
A special service of love and ap­ last shop at 2322 NE Union, now Mar­
families. Out of that meeting came
preciation is being planned for Mrs. tin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
several proposals that took root, one
In her years as a beautician, she
Lillian Williams. The program will be
of which became Project SPIRIT. The
has
trained
many who have since opened
held at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 5828
project was shaped under the guidance
and
established
their own shops; they,
NE 8th Avenue, at 4 :0 0 p.m. on August
of the late Geraldine Wilson, cur­
too,
are
now
training
others under them.
25,1991. The gala presentation is being
riculum specialist and former Head
Mark
your
calendars!
Come con­
Start director and evaluator, and black
sponsored by the past and present beau­
experts in the humanities, education
gratulate
and
give
well-wishes
to a
ticians of Lillian’s Beauty Salon.
and the social sciences.
woman
who
is
certianly
deserving
of
Lillian moved to Portland in 1945
such
recognition.
continued next week
and established her first beauty shop at
A reception will be held in the
Guilds Lake and Park Side. Later, she
multi-purpose
room immediately fol­
moved her shop to Williams Avenue.
lowing
the
service.
Finally, in laters years, she opened her
For Best Results
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Great for outdoor cooking on the grill. 4 to
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COPYRIGHT 1978. SAFEWAY INC
4
MM
V, UÈ ' s illi
Young Audiences
Announces Recipients
of 1991 Spotlight
Awards
Young Audiences of Oregon is
pleased to announce the recipients of
the 1991 Young Audiences Spotlight
Awards: Portland Public Schools and
Michael Berkson of Portland Opera.
The Spotlight Award recognizes those
individuals and organizations in the
community who, through partnership
with Young Audiences, support the
organization’s mission to establish the
arts as an essential part of every child’s
education. The official presentation of
the 1991 Spotlight Awards will take
place at Young Audiences’ fall benefit,
the Banquet at the Banqucs, Saturday,
Sept. 21. Maestro James DcPreist, a
member of the Young Audiences Ad-
visroy Board, will preside as Master of
Ceremonies for the presentation of the
awards.
Portland Opera Education and
Outreach Director Michael Berkson has
worked closely with Young Audiences
for years as the ensemble leader of the
Portland Opera Players. Mr. Berkson
has an exquisite sense of how to intro­
duce students to opera and is driven by
a stong personal and professional
commitment to collaboration and co­
operation. His educational performance
programs have prompted unheard of
enthusiasm for opera from both ele­
mentary and middle school age stu­
dents.
SAFEWAY
E X P E C T TH E BEST!
t__
D IR E C T O R S
A newly hatched a lliga to r is just
eight inches long. It w ill grow about
a foot a year u n til it reaches the
average adult length of six to eight
feet.
i