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A ugust 11, 1 9 9 3 • T he P orti ani ) O bserver
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Local Editor Leading Local
Newspaper Conference
D iane W agner, editor o f the V an
couver-based Senior Messenger news
paper, w ill lead a group discussion on
technology issues at the Northwest
S enior C itizen N ew spaper Editors
Conference in Portland Sept 13 and
14. T he session will focus on technol-
ogy issues (computers, printing, postal
m atters, photography) involved in the
production o f senior-oriented publi
cations.
The September Editors Confer
ence is co-sponsored by the A merican
A sso c ia tio n o f R e tire d P e rso n s
(A A R P ) a n d P o rtla n d S ta te
U niversity’s Institute on A ging the
tow-day gathering is set for PSU’s
Smith M em orial Center.
W agner has served as editor and
associate editor o f the Senior M essen
ger since 1990
The paper is produced monthly
by the City o f V ancouver and distrib
uted free to ov er 14,000 older adult
readers in the region In June, it cel
ebrated it’s 20th year o f publication.
The 16-to 24-pagc tabloid spe
cializes in news, inform ation, special
features and event calendars o f help
and interest to local seniors, recently
placed 25th on the Portland Business
Journal 's list o f top area magazines.
Tandy
Corporation
Jantzen Beach
Center’s Back-
To-School
Fashion Show
On Saturday, August 14 At 2:00
P.M
Jantzen Beach C enter hosts the
hottest looks for fall at Jantzen Beach
C e n te r’s B ack-to-S chool F ash io n
Show on Saturday, A ugust 14 at 2:00
p m. at the Jantzen Beach Clock Tower
Stage. M erchandise from Jan tzen
Beach C enter’s retailers will be m od
eled by local m odeling students fea
turing the hottest in back-to-school
wear for this fall.
S haw na S chuh, o w n er o f
SchuBiz Production states, "T h e h ot
test in fashion for back-to-school this
year is loose, easy to w ear clothing
and w e’ll be show ing it all o ff S atur
day at J a n tz e n B each C e n te r .”
S chuB iz P ro d u ctio n s p ro m ise s a
stim ulating runway fashion show that
will give great ideas for fashion es
sentials for back-to-school.
For more details and inform a
tion about Jantzen Beach C e n ter’s
Back-to-School Fashion Show con
tact C ustom er Service at (206) 699-
4644 in W ashington or (503) 289-
5555 in Oregon. Jantzen Beach C en
ter is located on Hayden Island, 1-5,
Exit 308, on the C olum bia River.
Horowitz Picked
For Committee
Signs Lease At Jantzen Beach Center For 23,600 Square
Foot Computer City SuperCenter
N ic k J a v a r a s , p r e s id e n t o f classroom training on to d ay 's most
T erranom ics Retail Services and head powerful software applications. Pro
o f leasing activities at Jantzen Beach fessional instructors provide inten
C enter, announced the signing o f a sive, one-day classes for individuals
23,600 square foot Com puter City or group classes for business training
super store by Tandy C orporation at sessions on state-of-the-art hardware.
C om puter City D irect (CCD )
Jantzen Beach Center.
In an n o u n cin g th e ir decision services the business needs o f com
to lo c a te th e ir c o m p u te r C ity puter City customers. O ffering both
S u p e r C e n te r in th e P o r tla n d / outbound specialist and in-store as
V ancouver trad e area at Jan tzen sistance, CCD is a team o f profession
B each Center, Com puter City presi als com mitted to providi ng uncqualcd
dent, A lan Bush said, “T he reposi service, flawless execution and qual
tio n in g an d re-m erch a n d isin g o f ity system solutions for com m ercial,
Jantzen Beach C enter make it an governm ent and education accounts.
excellent location to attract custom Installation, training and technical
ers from the entire Portland/V ancou- support are available through C om
v er trade area.” Com puter City fea puter City Direct
T erranom ics Retail Services, the
tures nam e brands in personal com
puter products at the lowest retail m anagem ent, m arketing and leasing
prices in the market. T he Jantzen team on the property is currently
B each store is scheduled to open w orking with other national retailers
and restaurants for the Center. A n
th is fall.
A ccording to Javaras, “O ur re nouncem ents will be m ade as leases
p o sitio n in g p ro g ram for Ja n tze n are signed
Jantzen Beach Center, ow ned by
B each C enter is establishing it as a
unique destination, unlike anything The Prudential Insurance Com pany
o f America, is a regional shopping
that currently exists in the trade area
W e have m axim ized Jantzcn’s desti center located on Hayden Island, ofT
nation draw through the creation of Interstate 5, E xit 308, on the C olum
several sy nergy zones: lifesty le, value bia River.
Com puter City is a registered
and entertainm ent ”
C om puter City offers hands-on service m ark o f Tandy Corporation.
University Of Portland Hosts Keebler's
Snack & Field Day
V ancouver City Council mem
ber Linda Horowitz has been ap
pointed to the N ational League of
Cities Human Dev elopm ent Steering
Committee
As a com mittee m em ber she will
analyze and develop policy for the
N ational League o f Cities on human
service issues such as employment
and job training, social security, im
m igration and refugees, health and
education, equal opportunity and
crim inal justice
Accordi ng to Horowitz, the steer
ing com mittee is the place where the
policy “ nuts and bolts are ham mered
o u t" and w here members can give a
perspective how federal government
polices affect cities. M embers also
have the opportunity to meet with
high-level governm ent officials to
express concerns and discuss issues.
Horowitz has also served on the
National League o f Cities Education
Task Force. She has been a city coun
cil member since 1990.
Larry Steele taught his tricks of the trade to Portland-area kids during Keebler's snack & field day, held
at the University of Portland. A full roster o f former sports stars, including Carney Lansford. Neil Lomax,
Billy Mills, Larry Steele and Juli Veee, conducted sports clinics for kids. The day of events also featured
cheerleading performances, martial arts exhibitions and additional entertainment to appeal to the entire
family.
Black Economic Development
National Black Chamber Of Commerce Will Focus On Black Economic Development
At Its Sixth Annual Conference In Dallas, Texas
Issues o f concern to the econom ic Public Program s, Philip M orris Com
ex elopm ent o f Black A m ericans will panies Inc., w ho is scheduled to speak
e the order o f the day when the at the conference, said: "T he N ational
National Black Cham ber ofCom m erce Black Cham ber o f Com m erce contin
N BCC) convenes in D allas, Texas ues to successful ly promote the growth
his sum m er for its Sixth A nnual Na- o f Black businesses and economic
developm ent, two abiding concerns o f
ional Conference.
T he conference, w hich will be Philip Morris. 1 am proud to say that
icld at the Radisson Hotel, 2330 West P hilip M orris has long been a leader in
«Jorthwest Highway, A ugust 25-29. assisting the efforts o f m inority entre
993, will take as its them e, “Back to preneurs. and I am happy to see that
he Future: A C om m itted Past. A Pre- more and more m ajor business corpo
iarcd Tomorrow ' The conference will rations are follow ing our exam ple.”
A m ong other speakers scheduled
>e hosted by the D allas Black C ham -
to
deliver
keynote addresses are W il
»er o f Com merce.
liam
G.
Mays,
C hairm an and CEO,
“T his y e a r's conference m arks
M
avs
C
hem
ical
Com pany Inc.; D al
he tenth anniversary o f our organiza-
las
County
State
Senator
Royce West,
ion.” said C laren ce J. P atterson,
vIBCC C hairm an o f the Board. “ It is and B enjam in Ruffin, Vice President
in appropriate tim e to recom m it our- o f Corporate Affairs, R.J. Reynolds
,elves to the principles o f service and Tobacco Company
T he N ational Black C ham ber
b a rin g that Black business pioneers
ivedby. We will also take tim ed u rin g o f C om m erce was organized in 1983
he conference to report on the status to prom ote the growth and dev elop
>f the NBCC and its goals for the ment o f Black-ow ned businesses na-
tionw idc and also to support state
u tu re.”
M ark V. M onteverdi, M anager, wide Black cham bers o f commerce.
I
Chairman o f the Board
It is h e a d q u a rte re d in O a k la n d ,
California.
For m ore inform ation regarding
the conference, please contact T ho
mas Houston or Dx orah Ex ans at (214)
421-5200.
For hotel reservations, please call
the Radisson Hotel a t (214) 351 -4477
or 1-800-333-3333.
Students Sharpen Reading Skills
T his Sum m er Building reading
skills and enjoy ment is the focus of
“Come Read W ith Me." a seven-week
sum m er program involving students
and teachers from Kelly Elementary ,
9030 S.E. Cooper
Some 25 students from all grade
lev els gather on Tuesdays i n the school
courty ard or cafeteria from 10am to
noon to share favorite books and dis
cuss them w ith fellow students and
teach ers T he program concludes
Aug. 17.
W V hope
I I U U V that
l l l d l many
IIK 1 1 IV V
u i v be-
zv
“We
of I u our
ginning readers will keep their read-
this new program ," said Kelly teacher
M argaret M arsh. “ Students read on
their won or are read to by teachers
and older students who assist us.”
PORTLAND
OBSERVER
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•
20 -00
:
rip
Gangster Rap And Negative Black Music
O n any given day, if you tune in
to the music Black young people
are listening to, you are likely to
hear a torrent o f renditions that are
filled with foul language, violent
lyrics, and negative im ages o f
B lack people and degenerating ref
erences to Black w om en in partic-
lar. A few weeks age. Rev. Calvin
Butts, Pastor o f the A byssinian
B aptist C hurch in H arlem , led a
rally w here hundreds o f X rated
Rap tapes were collected up and
crushed by a steamroller. O utraged
by the sexually explicit language,
the casual attitude tow ards vio
lence, and the constant use o f the
infam ous “ B" word to describe
A frican A merican women, Rev.
Butts declared that it is tune to
draw the line against negative Rap
m usic. Rev. Jesse Jackson also
aired a discussion about this issue
on his television show, Both Sides
with Jesse Jackson. He expressed
grave concern that self-degrading,
violent and self-destructive behavior
could be elevated to the level o f ac
ceptability through a highly sought
after form o f Black m usic-G angster
Rap. On the other side o f the argu
ment, defenders o f G angster R ap and
other forms o f Rap music insist that
Rap music simply portrays life as it is
on the streets o f the inner-city.
W hile I am not a proponent o f
censorships, I am com pelled to sup
port Rev. B utt's contention that it’s
tim e to draw the line in term s o f what
we arc willing to tolerate as accept
able in the African A m erican co m
munity. Black music has alw ays been
a kind of reflection o f the life and
tim es o f Black people in this hostile
society. O ur music has also been a
source o f inspiration and redem p
tion. Hence in the 6 0 ’s and 7 0 ’s,
Black music, from freedom songs to
hit records on the R&B charts, her
alded the determ ination o f a people in
be free and the com ing o f a new day
for Black people. T he Islcy Brothers,
the Staples Singers, the Im pressions,
the O ’Jays, M arvin G aye, C urtis
M ayfield, Jam es Brown etc., all had
recordings that w ere forward looking
and uplifting.
When Black Pow er exploited onto
the scene in the mid 6 0 ’s, the Black
Arts and Culture M ovem ent was at
th ccu ttin g cd g co fth c quest to achieve
a more positive sense o f self-esteem
and self-worth as Black people. Larry
Neal, the Last Poets, Sonia Sanchez,
Haki M adhubuti, Nikki G iovanni and
A m in Barcaka e t„ all m ade revolu
tionary music with their words. And
G il Scott H eron em cig c d as the
epitom e o f w hat it m eant to be a
revolutionary musician. Dr. M aulana
Karcnga, the creator o f the Kwanzaa,
laid out the reason for being for Black
m usic w hen he said, “Black art should
be functional, collective and com m it
ted.” The music o f the tim e was very
m uch caught up in functioning to
help us im prove our self-im age as
A frican people, and inspiring us to
com m it ourselves to the struggle for
freedom , justice and equality; the
struggle for Black liberation. T o use
the “B” word in Black m usic to refer
to Black w om en was unthinkable.
T he “ N” w ord to describe another
Black person was virtually driven
from our vocabulary. And we were
too busy talking about m aking revo
lution to contem plate songs featuring
brothers and sisters turning A K s and
N ine M illim eters on each other.
It is a tragic indicator o f the State
of Em ergency tearing at the m asses of
Black people and the current state of
the “m ovem ent” that som e o f tnc
m ost “popular" music absorbed by
our young people on a day today basis
is so terribly dem eaning and self-
destructive. Chancellor W illiam sonce
asked: how did we com e from the
pyram ids to the projects. T he current
state o f much of Rap music com pels
us to ask: how did we com e from
being revolutionaries to gangsters.
G angster Rap is in vogue. The nega
tive is becoming the norm . It is indeed
tim e to draw the line.
In all fairness,not all Rap artist are
engaged in propagating music that is
as denigrating and destructive as
G angster Rap. Public Enem y, KRS-I,
X-Clan, Kool Moe Dee and some o f
the new er groups like Arrested Dc
ve lopme nt, Gum bo, and Digable plan -
ets, have put out some very positive
and uplifting pieces. Arrested D evel
opm ent, for exam ple, in addition to
being an incredibly positive group on
stage an in their videos, is making a
conscious effort to connect up w ith
and be supportive of youth groups and
grassroots com m unity organizations
as they tour die country. So all is
definitely not loss. In draw ing the line
we need to dow nplay the negative and
accentuate the positive.
Parents, teachers, preachers, civic,
social, fraternal, religious, political and
just plain grassroots leaders and organiza
tions should join the moral and cultural
offensive that Rev. Butts has launched.
Self-hatred, self-degradation, ami fratri
cide are the mark of the ojipressed. We
ciinnolalford to allow that maik to remain
fash ionable in the African American com
munity. African American youth, espe
cially, must he cliallenged to take respon
sibility for the rescue and restoration of
African peopk'and the Black community;
to spark and sustain a movement dial will
eradicate rac ism in this nation, and dis
mantle an exploitive and unjust sy stem.
We m ust draw the line. We m ust not
becom e the agents o f our own d e
struction.
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