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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1992)
« r» > ♦ ♦*» V V ’V * > • * > < ’< Joint Multnomah County-City Of Portland Events To Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ML KING, PORTLAND________ Last year Jamila Taylor, fifth grade teacher at Martin Luther King School in Portland, developed an Afrocentric curriculum in the areas of social studies and language arts. Taylor used $2,000 in grant money she was awarded by tire Teacher Incentive Program (TIP). TIP is supported by Portland Public Schools and allows teachers up to $2,000 dol lars to develop innovative, replicable programs in their classrooms. Taylor developed the year-long cur riculum to teach the district's existing goals and objectives by using African-American culture and history instead of the traditional European. "For example," says Taylor, "when we talked about the Emancipation Proclamation we talked about what the document meant in the lives of African-Americans. We learned about longitude and latitude using Africa." The language arts program she developed used selected works from minority authors and illustrators. Again Taylor used the selected works to teach existing district goals. Taylor even taught math using the Afrocentric approach. Says Taylor, "I taught borrowing and carrying by the Egyptian and Mayan number systems. It was a great way to show graphically what carrying and bor rowing means." The City o f Portland and Multnomah County A ffirm ative Action O ffice w ill sponsor day-long events in recognition o f Dr. M artin Luther K in g ’ s birthday. A ll events are free and open to the public. The C ity-C ounty A ffirm a tiv e A c tion O ffice invites the com m unity to attend various activities on Tuesday, January 21,1992 in the Portland B u ild ing auditorium which is located at 1120 SW 5th. Ave. Starling at 10 A .M . there w ill be a showing o f three film s which highlight the life o f Dr. M artin Luther K ing, Jr. The film s w ill be shown until 3:30 P.M.. A t noon Gladys M cCoy, Multnomah County Chair; M ike L in d berg, Portland C ity Commissioner; Carolyn Leonard, Metropolitan Human Relations Chair; Robert Phillips, King Holiday commission; and Rev. P h illip Nelson, A llen Temple C.M .E. Church w ill provide words o f remembrance, and Charlotte Easley w ill share inspira tional sounds. Beginning a 4 P.M., the nationally recognized Dr. M artin Luther King School C hoir w ill sing selections per formed during their national tours. The Choir, directed by Kathryn G iffe rt, has performed for President Bush in Wash ington, D.C. and at the M artin Luther K ing M em orial w hile in Atlanta, Geor gia. "When I speak of Love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life." Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Legacy to Remember BY REVEREND R O D E R IC K C. L IG H T N E R In honor o f Dr. M artin Luther K ing, Jr., we as a race o f people have a lot to be thankful to his contributions, sacrifice and life -g ivin g commitment. Through the C iv il R igh t M ove ment in the early 1960s, roads were paved for our present generation to be able to reap the benefits and comforts that our Black forefathers and parents were not able to receive. W e are enjoying the comforts and reaping the benefits o f our labor through business, labor industry, gov ernment, entertainment, sports, educa tion, and our churches. As black people, “ we have come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord, trusting in His H oly W ord, know ing that he hasn’ t failed us yet.” Through D r. K in g ’ s life , sacri fice and com m itm ent and also through the commitment and sacrifices o f others who fo llo w in his footsteps, black people have gained tremendous strides o f achievements and success. Presently in our new year o f 1991, we arc observing the leadership skills o f black mayors o f our nation s leading cities, graduating competent black j- college students inthc professional ca- rccr fichis o f law , medicine, engineer ing, business, journalism and the clergy. We now assume positions as supervisors, high ranking m ilita ry o ffi cers, attorneys, doctors, p olitical lead ers, professors, business executives, etc. We enjoy the comforts and luxuries o f residing in b cautilul homes, staying in the best o f hotels and eating in the most exclusive restaurants w ithin our cities. Yes, we have been blessed as a race o f people, but we must never, never forget from whence we came! For many o f us, the rural deep south w ill always be a part o f our fam ily roots. Our children o f our present gen eration should always be taught and reminded o f their black heritage and history. Our heritage is rich and carrys w ithin it a value system o f integrity, pride and faith in God. The dream o f Dr. M artin L u ther King must live w ithin each o f our hearts and minds each day o f our lives. As we remember Dr. King on this spe cial day in his honor, let us locus clearly on the cgacy in which he le ft us, an example o f genuine conviction, equal justice for all people and a life o f peace in which all o f G od’ s people can live. W e B elieve I n I t .... j ripcA^\ T he D r e a m ^ / ^ " ’" ^ T P o r tla n d Cable Access TV Z 5 \ / 2766 N.E. Union Ave. Portland, Oregon 97212 ---------------------------- 5 I King, on speaking: " Un fortunately, when hope di minishes, the hate is often turned most bitterly toward those who originally built up die hope...the only time that I have been booed...1 went home diat night with an ugly feeling...I finally came to myself, and I could not for the life of me have less than patience and un derstanding for those young people...their hopes had soared. They were now booing because they felt that we were unable to deliver on our promises [of equality]." "The dream is one of equal ity of opportunity, of privi lege and property widely dis tributed; a dream of land where man will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men do not agree that the color of a man's skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a place where all our gifts and resources arc held not for ourselves alone but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of all human personality, and men will dare to live together as brothers..." Martin Luther King, Jr. 1960 1 “M tere Do Ufe Go From Here” Do You Need Temporary or Permanent Help? We Offer: Data processing—programmer/analyst sales/marketing office/clerical accounting executive management technical CAREER NETWORK, INC. 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