Page 4...The Portland () bserver... August 28,1991
Geneva’s Shear Perfection
Q W N YOUR HOMp,
BY BILLY DON MOORE
W hen you think o f the word suc­
cess. and look it up in the dictionary,
don’t be surprised if the definition says
“ one who achieves the most out of life
in accom plishing one’s goal.” D on’t
be shocked when it says, “ see Paul
Knauls Sr. for additional inform ation.”
Paul Knauls breeds success like Clay-
bourn stables breeds thoroughbred race
horses.
Paul and his wife G eneva are the
most recognizable couple to come out
o f the North inner N ortheast neighbor­
hood, dating back to the days o f G e­
neva’s Lounge. I know of no other
businessm an who cam e close to P aul’s
level o f success in running a nightclub.
Well Show You How
Whether you're just dreaming of
owning a home or you're ready to
buy. First Interstate Bank would like
to show you how.
Because at First Interstate, we re
committed to revitalizing our neighbor­
hoods through home ownership. And,
through our Community Lending
Center, we place a special emphasis
on first-time home buyers.
The Community Lending Center
offers potential homeow ners a step-
by-step approach to buying a home.
We ll help you put together a plan to
realize your dream of home ow ner­
ship. We'll focus on finding the loan
that best meets your needs and then
assist you throughout the home
o
b
l
k
t
loan process. .And we ll provide
information and support after your
home loan closes.
We also sponsor community
seminars on home ownership.
.And if you already own a home
we can help, too. We ll show you
how to use the equity you’ve built up
in your investment to make home
improvements or repairs.
So when it comes to any aspect of
buying, owning or maintaining a
home, call First Interstate. We re
here to show you how.
Whitney M. Young, Jr. Education and
Cultural Center Reopens In New Location
Community Lending Center
5730 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
Phone: 225-3751
First Interstate Bank
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Is There A Cure For Jungle Fever?
W ithout a doubt, “ jungle fever’’
has to be the most overused buzz words
or description used this sum m er of an
interracial relationship. Regardless of
the econom ic, social, or professional
strata one m ight exist on, the topic of
mixed marriages or relationships is bound
to make its way into discussion. It’s not
uncommon to hear constructive/destruc-
tive conversations about the issue in
ckurch, at work, in gyms, or while get­
ting a haircut at
W aves on Sandy
B lv d ,. G u e ss
w ho is dating a
black man or a
white woman?
This seem s to be
acom m on ques­
tion or concern
by those opposed
to such unions.
The ques­
tions HIS OPIN­
ION is asking are who cares, since it’s
an individual choice and why question
an o th er’s wife/mate selection if they
are pleased happy ? The Whispers, a popu­
lar soul/pop recording group once made
a song entitled “ Love Is W here You
Find It.” But is that possible in such a
race concious society like America?
You can thank the talented filmmaker
Spike Lee and entertainer Stevie W on­
der for the new dialogue addressing
interracial relationships and the social/
political realities associated with such
unions or choices. Stevie wrote/pro-
duced the soundtrack for “ Jungle Fe­
v er” and Spike produced the movie.
Interracial relationships are noth­
ing new to the big screen as most saw in
“ M an d in g c," “ Guess W ho’s Coming
to D inner.’,” and “ Mama, T h ere's A
Man In Youi J e d ,” io uai..c a »cw.
Spike did a wonderful job produc ing the
m ovie, “ Jungle Fever,” but HIS O PIN ­
ION wonders if his perspective (or atti­
tude) would have been different if he
had grown up in Portland as opposed to
Brooklyn? Spike’s position was indica­
tive o f those culturally isolated indi­
viduals in America, lacking multi eth­
nic experiences or information about
other groups.
in many areas of the country, a
black child can progress through a school
system w ithout having a w hite teacher
or student in his/her class. The same
situation is true in reverse with white
students never having black instructors
or classmates. Both races exist in worlds
of their own. N ot to mention the barriers
created by racism , econom ics, class,
and discrimination. It’s easy to see Spike’s
mindset going into the project.
The level o f class displayed at G e­
neva’s went unparalleled. Those were
the good old days at G eneva’s where
friends met. There you would find the
am bassador, Paul Knauls, and his in­
fectious smile greeting you with a table
for two, and the first lady o f Portland,
Geneva, dressed to kill, exchanging
light banter with all the patrons. A
family-owned and operated business,
Paul K naul’s Jr. worked there, his sis­
ter Robin Carter and all the other kids.
W hen G eneva’s finally closed, it was
like a part o f you died. Paul just got
tired o f the night club business.
Now they’re back with an old busi­
ness at a new location. Geneva, Paul’s
lovely wife o f 20 plus years, has been
Now, let’s talk about Portland for a
moment, to establish the difference in
attitudes com pared to the south and back
east. Many blacks in those areas never
consider mates outside o f their race
because, there arc so many to choose
from within the black com m unity. Fra­
ternities like Kappa Alpha Psi and so­
rorities such as Alpha Kappa Alpha are
extremely active socially, as are many
other black professional/social organi­
zations.
There is, unlike Portland, a very
visible and established black com m u­
nity. W hites, for the most part, are the
minority in large urban cities like C hi­
cago, W ashington, D .C .,and Baltimore.
It's highly unlikely that a black child
will grow up in Portland without having
attended class with white children. The
k...
.,1 i i i s i g i i t u . i i u o , i l l a t i o n about
eachothcrcan only reinforce sterolypes,
racist opinions, or negative attitudes to­
wards the other.
Residents of Portland arc used to
interracial marTiagcs/relalionships, if not
tolerant, because it is the w hitest city in
America. (84.6% of the population is
while.) So should blacks limit their dating
options? It’s a shock to m ost new O re­
mg from geographical locations where
relationships of this nature are rare.
So, should a black man or woman
date someone within their race because
it’s the “ politically correct” thing to
do or should they date (or marry) som e­
one because he or she is attracted to the
person and they have values, goals,
dreams, or convictions that match each
others?
In W ebster’s definition of love,
there is no
mention of
race, creed,
or color. It
only talks
about affec­
tion anti feel­
ings for an­
other human
being. W hat
? 1 'm ■ m be
a iion-lisuc
for most in­
terracial families or couples united to­
gether is a bigger issue with those not in
favor o f such relationships. Again, why
worry about who som eone else decides
to love?
The important elem ents in any
relationship should be honesty, respect
and true love, not race. It is wrong to
enter into a relationship with dishonest
intentions or with the purpose of con­
sciously exploiting, using, or abusing
another human being. Treating people
properly is far more important than the
issue o f race. W ith the low population
of minorities in the state of Oregon,
both blacks and whites had better a c ­
cept the fact that interracial love is here
to slay despite the history, politics, and
attitudes on the issue.
The national average for interra­
cial I lk a liages last y u i........
, cut
O regon’s average crushed that figure
with a whopping 39%. “ Jungle fever”
is here to stay. So, is there a cure for
“ jungle fever” as described by the
movie? You can look as close as your
attitude about the issue for the answer.
W hether it’s within your race or not,
lind love and happiness where you can...
NEXT WEEK: CAN MEN RE­
gon residents, especially those rclocal-
ALLY CHANGE?
“ ...A/z intense affectionate concern fo r
another person. 2. An intense sexual desire fo r
another person. 3. A beloved endearment. 4. A
strong fondness or enthusiasm for something...”
-Love, defined by Webster’s
The Urban League of Portland’s
W hitney M. Young, Jr. Education and
Cultural Center will reopen Septem ­
ber 16 at a new location at 10 N.
Russell Street. The Center offers free
homework/tutorial assistance and edu­
cational resources to students in grades
6 through sophomore in college and to
other residents of North and Northeast
Portland. The Center was previously
located at 4919 N.E. Ninth Street.
Students and their parents or guardi­
ans are encouraged to enroll during
early registration at the Center from 3
- 8 p.m. betw een Septem ber 9 - 12.
Students in grades 6 - 1 2 must be ac­
com panied by a parent or guardian on
their first visit. Parents also arc en­
couraged to register for a new parent
enrichm ent program which will ex­
plore ways parents can become in­
volved in their children’s education.
“ W c have extended enrollm ent
this year to younger students in order
to help kids learn good study habits
early,” said Herman Lessard, Jr., U r­
ban League vice president for programs.
“ At the same time we are inviting col­
lege freshmen and sophomores, par­
ents and people in the com m unity to
com e in and use our educational re­
sources.”
The Center is open from 3 - 8 p.m.
Monday through Thursday. The League
plans to expand hours this fall.
The remodelled Whitney M. Young,
Jr. Education and Cultural Center will
feature study space for 70 students, a
reference library and tutorial assistance.
Center programs include a student
new sletter, guest speakers, films and
special activities. W ith the move to the
Urban League o f Portland building,
visitors will have easier access to other
League program s, such as youth and
em ploym ent services.
The rem odelling project was sup­
ported by agrant from theC ollinsFoun-
dation o f Portland, which also funded
the purchase o f audio visual equipment
1992 Young Miss of America
Also Budding Journalist
BY NIKESHA HUNTER
W hen I was crowned 1992 Young
M iss o f A m erica Pre-Teen National
Q ueen, all the fun began. I started out
by sending press releases to all the
new spapers and television stations in
Portland. O ne of the newspapers that
called me back was the Portland O b­
server. The Portland O bserver is the
oldest m inority press in Oregon, and its
readers are from the ages of 5-95. So it
sounded like a great opportunity for
try to help everyone I can to do their
best and believe in them selves in all
they do. So a big thanks to the Portland
O bserver!!
P S . I f anyone is interested in this,
please call or write: Young Miss o f
America, P.O. Box 2732, Citrus Heights,
CA 95611-2732 (916) 971-0977.
me.
W hen they called me for an inter­
view I got really excited. My interview
went so well they offered me the chance
to do some personal appearances and
get some experiences in journalism . I
was very pleased. Now I have had the
opportunity to go to grand openings,
learn about die interworkings of a news­
paper, being a secretary and m eeting
many new and interesting people such
as Gary Aan Garnett. Gary Ann is the
Portland O bserver’s Business Manager
and sh e’s very nice. I also met Joyce
W ashington. She is the Portland O b­
server’s O perations Manager and she’s
great. And last but certainly not least, I
m et Tony W ashington. Tony is the E n­
tertainm ent Editor at the Portland
Observer. He has graciously helped me
in making tny personal appearances
and teaching me the newspaper busi­
ness. He has offered me a job at the
Portland O bserver after my year of
reign. I think that will be really fun and
exciting! I c a n 't wait!
I promise I will represent Portland
to the best of my ability and live by The
Young Miss of America concept, “ That
all young people should learn early that
they will be judged throughout life on
their ability to think, their willingness
to help others, and their ability to use
their talent to the fullest.” And I will
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and a van which will provide transpor­
tation for students.
Another new feature is a m ulticul­
tural library of 1000 reference books on
the varied cultures that make up A m er­
ica. The library was donated by the
Henry Lea Hillman, Jr. Foundation of
Pittsburgh, PA.
The Center is seeking volunteers
with educational experience to serve as
tutorial assistants. Interested individu­
als should contact the Urban League of
Portland.
An open house at the new C enter is
planned for Friday, Septem ber 27 from
4 to 7 p.m.
During the 1990/91 school year,
the Center served more than 250 stu­
dents. The facility is nam ed for W hit­
ney M. Young, Jr., who was executive
director o f the National Urban League
from 1961-71.
For more inform ation, contact the
Urban League of Portland at 280-2600.
Jamie’s Place
invites the public to a
birthday celebration
for
Clara Peoples
&
Mildred Tillman
Friday, August 30
8:00pm - 2 :00am
1313 NE Fremont
Food (including cake) will be
provided fo r your enjoyment.
MRS C’ s WIGS
Wholesale & Retail
Hundreds of Wigs
For your everchanging lifestyles
LFLf
Betty Cabine
proprietor
TUES - SAT
11:30-6:00
VISA
• Naomi Sims • Bornfree
• Michael Weeks
And other name brands
Everything from current styles to specialty wigs
unique hair ornaments
Hair beads & beauty supplies
Mrs. C’s Ebony Essence Cosmetics
Zuri Cosmetics
BEAUTICIAN
4 STUDENT
DISCOUNTS
281 -6525
7th & Fremont ( 707 N.E. Fremont )
100% HUMAN HAIR
FOR BRAIDING A
WEAVING
D ad ’ s O il S ervice
heating oils
Best Cash Prices
104 NE Russel St
Portland, Or 97212
(503) 282 5111
Í
I
grooming some of Portland’s finest busi­
nessmen for years. She was one o f the
first women barbers the city ever had;
you could say she paved the way for
women barbers. After 29 years at the
same location, they decided it was time
to m ove on. They purchased the old
W inchell’s donut shop on Martin Lu­
ther King, Jr., Blvd and rem odeled it
completely. The shop is com plete with
every hair and nail service needed; a
full service salon with its own art gal­
lery featuring Afro-American lifestyles
through the years. The color scheme is
cayenne and sand which is a clay pink
that is continued onto a smooth brick
floor.
The shampoo room is done in mint
green with flowers adorning every inch
o f vacant space. Paul did all or m ost of
the rem odeling him self and if he wanted
to go into that business he would do
well.
Paul and Geneva agreed that they
both wanted to do something positive
for the community; and even though
this business venture cost a great deal,
they kept all the prices the same to make
your groom ing affordable.
They have a total staff of about six
stylists. John Phillips, Linda Scott, Marion
Frison, S hari Preston and even Mr. Cash
who got Geneva started. W hat you have
is a full service salon. G eneva’s Shear
Perfection is located at 5601 N. E. Martin
Luther King Jr., Blvd. You can see the
shears in the window as you drive by.
W hen you decide to pam per yourself,
G eneva’s Shear Perfection is the place
to do it, from a shoe shine to haircut, to
the latest in curls, let G eneva’s bring out
the perfection in you.
Speedy
Service
Friendly
Call for Quote!