F ebruary 5, 1993 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age 12
BLACK HI
Federal Agencies Celebrate Night Court
Black History Month
And Day
The Reverend Wy Tee W alker, sponsorship of his church. He was
Care Offer
Ihe nation’s top authority on African- board chair and later a director at
American church music and a pioneer Freedom National Bank for 10 years.
Healthy
in the field o f ethnomusicology, is the He also was Urban Affairs Specialist
to
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te
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elso
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key note speaker for the Black His­
Alternatives
tory Month Celebration sponsored by Rockefeller of New York.
a ll
the USDA Forest Service and the US
Army Corps o f Engineers.
Sharon Mitchell, KGW-TV news
reporter, will host the Feb. 2 event in
the Robert Duncan Plaza, 333 SW
First. The program begins at 9:30 am
in the third floor conference rooms
and is free and open to the public.
R e v e re n d W a lk e r, c a lle d a
“ H a rle m R en aissan ce M a n ” by
Jessie Jackson, is a minister, author
and essayist, composer, and painter.
The Brockton, Mass., native has w rit­
ten
e ig h t
books
in c lu d in g
“Som ebody’s C alling My N am e”
considered a landmark in the field of
ethnomusicology. His research in the
field spans a decade. He also is a
composer of sacred music and senior
pastor of the Canaan Baptist Church
o f Christ.
An astute businessman as well as
a minister, he developed more than
$33 m illion worth of low-income
housing in central Harlem under the
He earned a B.S. and M.S. in
Divinity School. Reverend W alker
has been awarded several honorary
doctorate degrees and also has done
graduate work at the University o f
life in Nigeria and the University of
Ghana at Legón.
W alker currently is a Com m is­
sioner for the Program to Combat
Racism sponsored by the W orld
Council of Churches. He is active in
the international peace movement
and the struggle against apartheid in
South Africa and Namibia as chair of
the Religious Action Network of the
America committee on Africa.
Also on the program is the M ar­
tin Luther King School children’s
choir and solpist Tracy Harris. An
exhibit, “ W om en A g a in st T he
O dds, will be on display and awards
will be presented to winners in
the”C olor and A frican-A m erican
Scholar” competion for grade-school
children.
PSU Celebrates Black
History Month
Departments throughout Portland
State University have banded together
to present a diverse selection of events
in celebration of February as Black
History Month. All events are open to
the public. They are free unless other­
wise noted. For complete information
call Gwen Jagemauth at 725-5652.
F eb ru ary
1st Black historian Carl Mack
lectures on the black experience, 12-
1 p.m., Room 296 Smith Center, 1825
SW Broadway, sponsored by Black
Studies, 725-3472
Black history film They Shall
M o u ld e r B efore T hey Sh all Be
T ak en , 12-1:30 p.m., Smith Center’s
Parkway Commons, first floor, 1825
SW Broadway
2nd Sandra Awang, University
of Toronto, discusses “ A frocentric
Ressistance In T he D iaspora:Slave
W om en
H ig g le r s
In
The
C aeribbean, Room 298 Smith C en­
ter, sponsored by Black Studies, 725-
3052
3 rd Jazz perform ance by the
Andre St. James Quartet, 12-1 p.m.,
Smith Center’s Parkway Commons,
first floor, 1825 SW Broadway, spon­
sored by Pop Music Board, 725-5661
5th Reggae performance by the
A fric a n K in g s,
12-1 p .m .,
SmithCenter’s Parkway Commons,
first floor, 1825 SW Broadway, con­
tact Pip Music Board, 725-5661
8th Black history film, H arlem
Renaissance, 12-1:30 p.m.. Smith
Center’s Parkway Commons, first
floor, 1825 SW Broadway
9th Tribute to Black Women,
presentation by black male students,
12-1 p.m. Room 327 Smith Center,
sponsored by PSU ’s Black Cultural
Affairs Board, 725-5660
12th Dance Step Show presented
by the black sorority on campus, A l­
pha Kappa Alpha, and by PSU’s black
fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi, 12-1 p.m.,
Nordic Room (Room 26, basement
of Smith Center, 1825 SW Broad­
way)
(The rem aining events will con­
tinue in next w eek’s issue.)
Continued from page 5
child care programs The infant and
toddler program fills a critical need
for the area and can accommodate up
to 16 students ages six weeks to thirty
months. The second child care pro­
gram provides before and after school
serv ices to children ages 6 to 10, and
it can accommodate up to 50 chil­
dren. Participants enjoy the center’s
educational toys and games, a gym­
nasium, outside play grounds, arts
and crafts, and caring supervisors.
If you would like to "so some­
thing about it,” consider volunteer­
ing for one of Night Court’s activi­
ties. For more information, call Lieu­
tenant Ray Yant at the Moore Street
Center at 503/282-2571.
This Black History
Month Sway To The
Beat Of calypso And
Reggae With
Horizons’ “Caribbean
Music: History In
Motion”
This February', join National Pub­
lic R adio’s (NPR) award-winning
cultural documentary series H orizons
for a black History Month exploration
into the rich and colorful heritage of
calypso and reggae music.
The series will use archival and
live,on-location recordings, andcom-
mentary from scholars and musicians
to race both calypso and reggae. An­
thropologist, ethnomusicologists,and
historians will discuss the role of music
in the day-to-day experiences of the
people of the Caribbean and the role
key musicians have had in shaping
Caribbean thought.
The first two half-hour programs
focus on calypso, believed to be the
oldest Caribbean popular music form.
Reggae is the focus of the series third
and fourth programs. “ Born in the late
1960s in Jamaica, reggae has emerged
as the music form that m ost reflects
the social and political change taking
place in the Caribbean,” says music
expert Von Martin. “It speaks to the
people, it speaks for the people, and it
speaks with the people.”
Keeping The Dream Alive
Continued from page 5
respected gathering place? T hat’s
what happened at Geneva’s across
the front of the lounge. This was in
honor of a performance we had done
at Jefferson High School with the
H erero D ancers. Also, we had trav­
elled to Oregon State Penitentiary
and given free dramatic performances,
our first real road trip
It wasn’t long before the road
trips began to come more and more
frequent. However, it was the forma­
tion of the S o jo u m erT ru th poets
that really started the ball rolling.
“The core of the poets consisted of
myself (Ruby Reuben), Louise Moan­
ing, Pam Smith and Ayamma Askari,”
Ruby recounted. "O rg an izatio n s
started requesting our service and the
next thing we knew, we were travel­
ling the state. Much of the literature
we performed, people had nev er heard.
That made us more determined to
expose the works of African Ameri­
can women, wherever and whenever
we could.”
W riting and organizing its own
scripts, the theater company produced
a number of stage productions, in­
cluding, “ Voices From The B lack­
ness Deep,” “ Y esterday, Today and
T o m o rro w ,” ” Sketches:A Fam ily
P o rtra it,” and “ It’s F or The Both
O f Us.” In 1983, the company re­
warded Ruby Reuben with “The Most
Improved Actress” award.
Ruby’saccomplishments contin­
ued. Representing S ojo u rn er T ru th
T h eater, she was a member of the cast
that won the Interstate Firehouse Cul­
tural Center’s First Playwrights festi­
val. Students at Jefferson High School
inducted her into their “Student Hall
of Fame.” in 1987, she appeared in
Marshall High School’s Yearbook,
From 1985-88, she participated as a
performing member of Oregon’s Art­
ist-in-education program. As her ar­
tistic skills grew, so did her commu­
nity involvement. For the past four
years, she has created and supervised
Summer Youth programs for the North­
east YWCA. During her first two years
with the ‘Y ’, she helped create and
supervise After-School programs with
grants from United Way, Black United
Fund and Meyer Trust Foundation.
Determined to make the voices of
African Americans heard, and with
the help and support of federal black
workers, Ruby has graced the stages of
Bonneville Power, PP&L, The For­
estry Service, U S. Postal Service,
Blacks in government and the U S.
Fish & Wildlife Service.
Internationally, she was a fea­
tured performer for the American
Heritage Foundation, who had spon­
sored an American tour for twenty
students from Japan.
Statewide, she has made the col­
lege and university circuit: Oregon
State University, University of O r­
egon, Lane Community College, and
others too numerous to name
Recently, she took her act to the
Black History Month
Art Show, February 1993
‘Spades On the Blocks The Private Industry Council
invites you to attend a show by
A rtis t R ay E aglin
Mis-handlcd’
The Private Industry Council
3 0 3 4 NE M a rtin Lu ther King. Jr. Dlvd
I
Narrators Include Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman
And Whoopi Goldberg
C o n tin u e d fr o m fr o n t p a g e
parishioners and the community.
When its furnace recently failed, St.
Marks needed a loan in a hurry or else
become anything but the warm place
a church should be. St. Marks ap­
proached American State Bank with
a quick loan request. American State
made the loan. The furnace is back in
business And St. Marks service to its
parishioners remains uninterrupted.
None of these activities are big
name, headline-grabbing initiatives.
Nor does American State Bank and
its management employ a public rela­
tions effort to brag about high profile,
often politically motivated loans. No.
American State labors here in North­
east with the rest of us, without fan­
fare or public relations gimmicks, but
with honest commitment to make
progress and help out our community
whenever it honestly can American
State always asks “How can we make
this loan? How can we help to build
our community ?”
Community
Forum
Dr. Reginald Clark will present,
“Factors Affecting The Achievement
O f African/American Students: The
Role O f The School, Community and
the Fam ily on Thursday, January 28 th,
at the Immaculate Heart Church-Par­
ish Hall, 2926 N. Williams, from 7:00
to 8:30 p.m.
Dr. Clark is sponsored by Port­
land Public S chools, G rant and
Jefferson Clusters, Chapter I Pro­
grams, Student Services Department,
and Parent Involvement Program.
In addition to this evening Com ­
munity Forum , Dr. Clark will be work­
ing with staff and parents from the
Grant and Jefferson Clusters from
January 25th to the 29th. He will be
assisting them with the assessment
and planning of program designed to
improve student achievement, par-
ent/comm un it y partnerships, and cross
cultural understanding. We welcome
parent and community involvement
in our efforts and encourage you to
attend this important community fo­
rum. If you have questions or need
additional information please call the
Grant or Jefferson D irec tor of I nstruc-
tion offices.
Grant Cluster Director of Instruc­
tion, Linda Simington, 280-5770.
Jefferson Cluster Director of In­
struction, Edith W ilson, 280-5773.
KP.VHAhti,t.,C.0Xi5ftKfWp>fll
Eugene Hult Performing Arts Center,
in Eugene, Oregon, as part of that
city’s annual M artin Luther King, Jr.
birthday celebration.
Come February, Ruby and sev­
eral members representing Sojourner
Truth Theater Company will take their
program on the road to Battle Creek,
Michigan, the last home of Sojourner
Truth, the freedom fighter. While
th e re , th e c o m p an y w ill v isit
Sojourner’s home, perform at several
schools, meet with the Arts Council,
community persons and board mem­
bers of the Kellogg Foundation. Also,
the company will become the first
African Americans to perform at
Battle Creek’s new Discovery The­
ater.
“Going to Battle Creek is just a
part of the whole cycle,” Ruby said. “I
get chills just thinking about standing
in the same house Sojourner lived in
. It will be a great honor. But more
than anything, 1 am happy that this
honor is being bestowed upon the
theater itself. Our trip will be for all of
those members, past and present, who
has helped keep Sojourner Trugh
T h e a te r alive in Oregon If it wasn’t
for them, we w ouldn’t be here.”
But Ruby ’s story w on't end in
Michigan. As the theater’s director,
she is determined to help bring re­
spectability to African American cul­
ture. “That,” she says, “Is a lifetime
commitment. So. like Miss Sojourner,
I’m in it for the long haul
Showtime Celebrates Black
History Month With Festival of
Children’s Programming
The Bank That
Helps The
Community
BARBARA JORDAN
S REPRESENTATIVE (D)FROM
U T
exas , the first black
woman ever elected to
CONGRESS FROMTUtSOUTHOTCi
A NATIVE OF HOUSTON SHE *AS
GRADUATED MAGNA CUMIAUDE
FROM TEXAS SOUTHERN U SHE
RECEIVED IER LAW DEGREE
FROM BO.TON U ,1W I W
PRATICED LAW IN HOUSTON.
ENTERED POLITICS IN H62 AND
RAN FOR THE TEXAS HOUSE
BUT LOST TW IC E .IN | H 6 RAN
FOR STATE SENATE AND
WON. A BRILLIANT CON­
STITUTIONAL LAWMAKER
RER JORDAN WAS APPOINTED
SHOWTIME celebrates Black history Month with a festival of
animated children's stories honoring black culture. The newest
episode on the AMERICAN HEROES & LEGENDS series, “John
Henry" (top), kicks off the festival on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30
AM (ET/PT). Denzel Washington narrates the story of the steel­
driving hero, with music by B.B. King. Also airing on Thursday,
February 4 at 7:30 AM (ET/PT) will be a replay of AMERICAN
HEROES & LEGENDS: ‘Follow The Drinking Gourd" (bottom), a
story narrated by Morgan Freeman about a slave family s escape via
In February, Showtime presents
a festival of animated children’s sto­
ries honoring Black History Month.
They will include: “A nansi” Febru­
ary 1&19
Narrated by Denzel Washington;
music by UB40
In this traditional Jamaican tale,
Anansi the spider spins a web of trick­
ery to outwit the prideful snake and
win all the stories of the world for
himself.
“Follow The D rinkin G o u rd ”
February 4
Narrated by Morgan Freeman;
music by Taj Mahal
This story recounts the com pel­
ling adventures of a slave fam ily’s
escape via the Underground Rail­
road.
“Koi And The Kola Nuts” Feb­
ruary 11 & 17
Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg;
soundtrack by Herbie Hancock
When the son o f an African chief
only inherits a kola tree, he decides to
find respect in this humorous re-tell­
ing o f a classic African folk tale.
Believe It Or Not!
Continued from page 8
lcms or concerns may befall you, in
life, you can find an example and its
answer in the Holy Scripture. Like the
P rcgo’ com m ercial says, “It;s in
there!” Yes! W hatever you need and
for whatever reason you may need it,
you can find it in the prophetic teach­
ings of the scripture.
****************************
As I arose to see another glorious
day, which my God had given to me,
I realized that something was differ­
ent in the house. I opened my eyes and
I listened... Then--il came to me.
During the night, the space heater had
gone off; so, I checked the control
knob, on thc heater, and there was no
response. I then checked the wall plug
and confirmed that it was still plugged
into the socket. I checked other sources
to see if everything was off; b u t-
everything else worked fine. Then 1
discovered that thc refrigerator was
also off. “Oh man!” I sighed, "Now
what?”
I stood quietly, for a moment,
seeking direction from the Lord. Re­
member--! had just qpened my eyes
and sleep was still upon me. I went in
to the basement and checked the main
source: the circuit breaker-box. I
looked at all the switches; and then I
saw it. The switch that controlled the
space heater and the refrigerator had
been tripped. I flipped the switch and
while I was still in the basement, I
heard the heater come on.
As I was walking up the stairs, I
said tom yself,“ Isn’t this a wonderful
example on how mankind tends to
get him/herself side-tracked?” Instead
of going to the main power source,
we waste time looking in other direc­
tions; other places; and asking the
wrong people.
God is thc “ Suprem e Pow er
Source” . Everything that was made
was made by God Almighty. “And
God saw every thing that he had
made, and, behold, it was very good.”
[Genesis 1:31] Believers need to get
the sleepiness out o f their eyes and
realize who the real power source
truly is in their lives. God is so per­
ceptive. He knew that man would
have problems understanding and
grasping on to the fact that He is who
He said He is and just accept it. God
instructed men to record His works,
His very thoughts, so that we could
have a blueprint (or guide lines or a
handbook or an instruction manual.)
to direct us through life—The Holy
Bible. S o -y o u see,e we have no ex­
cuses. Read! Read! And read some
more! “Study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed, rightly handling the
word of truth.” [Timothy 2:15] There
are going to be those who will never
know or understand G od’s W o rk -
because, they never opened their
hearts to accept G od’s Son, Jesus
Christ. And in those last days, god
will say, “I never knew you. Depart
from me O ye workers of iniquity.”
Let us use the lime w isely-that god
had given us. Go to a Bible teaching
church where G od’s Word is being
opened up to you. Seek to serve rather
than be served. Think no of yourself
more highly than others. Pray before
you speak. Live a life iri harmony with
God and your fellowman. Follow these
simple instructions and you will surely
find favor with God.
Believe it or not!