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T he P ortland O bserver • F ebruary
P age
10, 1993
5
L ife in the P ortland M etropolitan A rea
^ u rtla n ù (©irgeriier
Saturday School
Publishes
Children’!
Poetry Book
“My goal is not just to
highlight the soldiers
fo r the black history
month, but to make
this a continued effort
fo r true American
History ”
The Black United Front Saturday
School w ill host a reception and auto»
graph party to celebrate the publica»
tion o f a book o f children’ s poetry
written by Saturday School students.
The event is scheduled fo r Sunday,
February 14,1993 from 2-4 pm at the
M ulticultural Senior Center located at
5325 NE M artin Luther K in g Jr, Blvd.
The book titled “ Sing W ith a
Holler” is a collection o f poems writ»
ten by Saturday School students rang-
ing from 6-13 years old. James
DePreist, conductor o f the Oregon
Sy mphony wrote in the foreword to
ihe book that, “ The poems in this
volume speak o f personal vision that
can strike a responsive chord in a ll
who allow themselves tobe open to the
message.” The poets w ill read from
their works and share their experi
ences as writers. For additional infor
mation please call Joyce Harris, Sat
urday School coordinator at284-9552.
Saturday School volunteers w ill be
available to answer questions about
Right: Mark Little pictured (left),
during his showing at the Shades of
Color, with, Ullyses Tucker,Channel 2
News Public Affairs (back); Norm
Monroe, Gladys McCoy Office
Administrator (center); and Darrell
Mlllner, Director of Black Studies at
Portland State University (right).
Below: The painting highlights the
lives of the BUFFALO SOLDIERS who
were stationed at Fort Vancouver,
Washington, (state) during the Civil
War
THE LEGENDARY
BUFFALO
Saturday School and to register new
students.
❖
Sing
♦ ♦ ♦
by Riga Brant
Age 13
!H
Sing with praise
Sing with pride
uffalo Soldiers is one o f the several pain tin g s by A frican-A m erican artist M ark
Little. T he painting h ighlights th e lives o f the B uffalo Soldiers w ho w ere stationed
at Fort V ancouver, W ashington, (state) d u rin g th e Civil W ar. They were know n
as the 9th an d 10th Cavalry. W e are unsure why the Indians nam ed them the
B uffalo Soldiers. T here are two possibilities, according to Professor Burt McKinley.
T he first addresses the fact that the soliders w ore buffalo hides to keep w arm during
the w inter to keep w arm . T he second lends itself to the In d ian ’s respect for the
buffalo from w hich they m ade th eir clothing, th eir tepees, it was th eir meat, and
endless other uses. They possibly, felt th at sam e kind o f respect and awe for the
soldiers. It w as a real fact th at the Indians w ere afraid o f the B uffalo Soldiers, as
they w ere considered a real ‘b ra v e ’ unit.
L ittle’s collection is on display at the Shades o f Color Gallery in NE P ortland
Little says, “M v goal is not ju st to h ig h lig h t the soldiers for the black history
m onth, but to m ake this a continued effort for true A m erican History We have an
A frican A m erican cultural arts group called H V A L IT ' w hose first project is to
raise funding to spotlight and develop an o th er docum entary that is an entertai ni ng
an d educational video for a national audience."
(The B uffalo Soldiers w ere presented on C hannel 2, narrated by Rick M eyers
th is past Sunday, Feb 7,1993.)
Little added the Portland Public Schools are interested in th e project for
diversity an d aw areness for the students.
“ In developing the paintings o f the B uffalo Soldiers, my own m in d and body
seem to transcend tim e and touch the spirit o f the 9th and 10th Cavalry’...That
pow erful story w as always there, but w as never part o f the A m erican history taught
in my public schooling. T he soldiers received very little recognition during the
1800’s an d were absent from the textbooks and the Hollywood screen. “
Little grew up in Springfield Illinois, an d though he enjoys the deep green
forest an d m ountain w ilderness areas o f O regon, he does not like th e cold. M ark
has developed and com pleted th e Beautification Project for the V eteran s A dm in
istration.
M ark L ittle's w ork is part o f the perm anent collection o f US B ankC orp, State
o f O regon, D epartm ent o f H um an Resources, P ortland State U niversity, City o f
Portland, Com m ission for the Arts, and visual Chronicle.
Donations for the Buffalo Soldiers project may be sent to:
B uffalo Soldiers Retrospective P rogram
P.O. Box 10596, Portland, O regon 97210
S tudent , S enior P en P als T o
E xchange V alentine S tories
T
w elve young girls and a dozen eld
erly w om en w h o ’vc been pen pals
since last fall m eet for the first tim e
and ex c h an g e V alen tin e stories
about friendship Saturday (Feb. 13)
at 1 p nt at the Salvation Army
RoscC entcr, 1785N .E.Sandy Blvd
T he pen pals arc elem entary
s tu d e n ts in P o r tla n d S c h o o l
D is tr ic t's T a le n te d an d G ifted
(T A G ) P ro g ram from D uniw ay,
M arkham . Skyline and W oodm ere
schools and "senior authors" Pro
gram fro Portland Park B ureau’s
Senior W riting Program .
U nited by th circo m m o n love o f
w riting, the pen pals have been cor
responding for eight weeks adult
w riters s e n e as m entors to their
younger counterparts
After identify ing their w riting
partners by m atching up stories, the
authors will share poem s, plays and
short w ritings
Fam ilies and the public arc in
vited to jo in the pen pal gathering.
□
B a i
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Sing with joy
And sing real high
Sing about peace
Sing with honor
Sing with respect
And with a holler.
Black Is...
by Riga Brant
Age 13
Black is a color
Not a crime.
Black is a song
W ith rhythm and rhyme.
Black is a culture
W ith contents and pride.
Black is a feeling
You don’t have to hide.
Black is the future
The world to be.
Black is a character
And Black is me.
,
I