Kody Scott was born and raised in w ar-to rn South C entral Los A ngeles, a place that, after the Rodney K ing in cid en t and the riots last year, has becom e a symbol o f the decay an d d esp air that is perm eating ou r inner cities. At age eleven, gun in hand, Kody w as initiated into the L A. gang, the C rips, and from that day on all his energy, am bition and vitality w ent into g ang life. It is an existence u n b e lievable and unfathom able to anyone outside this world. M onster: T he A utobiography o f an L A. G an g m e m b er (A tla n tic M onthly Press: June 28, 1993) is the first-h an d account o f Kody S co tt’s life. A s he says in the preface: “I have pushed people violently out o f this existence and have fathered three children 1 have felt com pletely free an d have set in total solitary c o n finem ent in San Q uentin state prison. 1 have shot num erous people an d have been shot seven tim es myself. I have been in gunfights in South C entral and knife fights in Folsom State Prison. T oday, 1 languish at the bottom o f one o f the strictest m axim um security state prisons in this country.” M onster chronicles this life w ith ; > P age A3 T he P ortland O bserver • A ugust 18, 1993 F o rm e r LA G a n g M e m b e r K o d y S c o tt probationary cam p, and Y outh A u thority. Even in ja il, w here Kody has spent alm ost o ne-half o f his life, the gang lifestyle still prevails A nd it is from ja il-s o lita ry confinem ent—th at he has w ritten this riveting look at his v iv id -o fte n dangerously violent--de tail. C overed w ith tatoos an d bullet holes, Kody tells o f how he earned his nam e "M o n ster,” how he existed and su rv iv e d on th e stre e ts b etw e en c a rja c k in g s a n d b e a tin g s, su b se quently ending up in ju v en ile hall. life B u t th is b o o k g o e s b ey o n d simply portraying the g ang lifestyle. Self-educated, mostly in prison, Kody stu d ied th e w ritin g s o f E ld rid g e Cleaver an d M alcolm X. am ong o th ers and discovered a new world for him self--a redem ption that has taken him w av beyond the rough and tumble o f South C entral Los Angeles. He says, "W ritin g has been my spear a n d in te lli g e n c e h a s b e e n my shield W here I com e from, I ’ m very old W hile I still have w ind, I decided to chronicle my life in hopes o f reach ing a receptive ea r.’’Now, tw enty- nine years old, he has given us one o f the most rem arkable an d im portant docum ents about th is highly visible but little understood aspect o f the b la c k g h e tto experience today. W ritten w ith a keen eye an d a razor-sharp narrativ e, M onster prom ises to linger w ith all w ho read it for quite som e time. If we are ever going to solve the problem s o f the ram pant violence an d decay afflictin g A m e ric a ’s in n e r cities, we must first understand them. And to understand we m ust listen to the v oices com ing out o f this inner city experience Award Luncheon For At-Risk Youth Sum m ertim e for ch ild ren can be a three-m onth excuse for sleeping in, unsuperv ised play an d a lot o f “h an g ing out” w ith nothing to do So why are hundreds o f inner- city, a t-n sk youth spending h a lf o f each sum m er day attendi ng academ ic classes, researching positive career opportunities and learn in g the true m eaning o f com m unity pride an d em pow erm ent? W h a t: F ifth a n n u a l su m m er aw ards luncheon recognizing S elf E nhancem ent, Inc students for a c a dem ic achiev em ent an d particip atio n in SEI sum m er cam ps A w ards in clude cash bonuses an d the m uch- coveted S elf E nhancem ent jackets W h o : R ay L eary a n d T ony * . • •. S ': - A ’z, 1 1993, N oon-1:30 p m W h e re : Red Lion H otel/Lloyd C enter, First floor ballroom , 1000 NE V» I- i- ? - H opson, SEI co-founders, o th er co m m unity leaders, and h und red s o f SEI students an d their fam ilies W h e n : T hursday, A ugust 12, 'i« • v 'J * * » * '» r - X ’i: • M ultnom ah W h y : All P ortland-area resi d e n ts c a n ta k e p r id e in th is nationally-recognized local program dedicated to helping inner-city, at risk youth avoid drugs g an g s an d violence A source o f hope for m ore th an 700 inner-city P o rtland youth and th eir fam ilies, SEI is currently raising funds to build and operate the new C enter for S elf E nhancem ent in north/northeast Portland. Dad’s Oil Servici r. > • •* :*<»*•• ■ heating oils Best Cash Prices 104 N E R ussell Portland, O R 97212 282-5111 Speedy Service Friendly Call for Qucte! Firem en Join Ranks Of Drug Marshals Wigland O n e o f th e N o r th w e s t L argest W ig D isp la y s W ig s a n d H a irpieces For all N a tio n a litie s E va G abor N aomi S ims R enee of P aris Synthetic & Human I lair For Braiding & Weeving Mon - Fr. 10 a.in. - 6 p.m Saturday 10 - 5:30 pm Near Lloyd Center 282-1664 1105 N .E . B r o a d w a y T í” Starting Your Business Basics T he "S ta rtin g Y our B usiness Basics” sem inar w ill be presented T uesday, A ugust 31, from 6 to 8pm at the Sm all B usiness D evelopm ent C enter, 123 NW 2nd Ave, Suite 321, Wanted Kids 2Ö1-4276 Implementing Education Reform In Oregon such funding does not constitute or express an im plied endorsem ent o f any o f the co-sponsor(s) or partici p an ts’ opinions, products or services. Special arrangem ents for handicapped indiv iduals will be m ade if requested in advance. C ontact the SBDC, 222 N W Davis, Suite 321, in Portland at event. Senator Bradbury, fresh from a record-long session in Salem , will explain how the tax package referred to v oters w ill affect education an d the 273-2828. Gov ernor B arbara Roberts a n nounced $1.7 m illion in grants to com bat gang activ ity in the Portland m etropolitan area. T h e federally- funded grants go to eight different efforts that work to help youth avoid becom ing involved in gangs, or to rebuild their lives after their gang T his w eekend’s G rant Park 1 raf fle Safety Fair, a special day o f educational events and gam es, has been postponed until the fall. O riginally scheduled for S atur day, A ugust 7, the event instead will be held during the academ ic year in order to encourage in volvem ent by local school chil dren. It is sponsored by P ortland’s Bureau o f T raffic M anagem ent and the G rant Park N eighbor hood A ssociation. PORTLAND OBSERVER O ffice: (503) 200-0033 F a x # : (503)200-0015 problem . Call Today in Portland. T his free tw o-hour class is an introduction to the fundam entals of T he City Club o f P o rtla n d ’s O r going into business. It is a m ust for egon at R isk series continues w ith a every new entrepreneur. T his class is discussion o f education reform fea a prerequisite to the five hour Starting turing P ortland Public Schools Su Y our Business W orkshop and to the p erintendent Jack B icrw irth, O regon free B usiness Adv ising for first-tim e State Senate P resident B ill Bradbury, business ow ners an d O regon State B oard o f E ducation T o register or for additional in C h a ir Jcana W oolley. T h is panel d is form ation. please call the Small Busi cussion w ill take place at the C lu b ’s ness D evelopm ent C enter at 273- w eekly Friday program on A ugust 2828. The Small Business Dev elopment 20, at 12:15pnt, in the Rose B allroom C enter is partially funded by the U S. o f the H ilton Hotel, 921 SW Sixth Sm all Business A dm inistration. The A venue, Portland. M em bers o f the support given by the SBA through press and public are w elcom e at this Grant Park Traffic Safety Fair Postponed M e m b e rs o f th e P o r tla n d F ireD epartm ent pledged th eir sup port o f a drug-free com m unity by jo in in g the ranks o f the D rug-Free M arshals th is week. T he D rug-Free M arshals ca m p aign was originally launched in Los A ngeles in A pril w here m ore than 500 attendees w atched as the FBI sw ore in over 200 kids as D rug-Free M arshals. T o becom e a M arshal, kids ages 5 to 12 had to qualify' in a M ar shal contest, subm itting a picture, song, essay, etc., on how they w ould create a drug-free com m unity. T he cam paign w as brought to P ortland w ith a sim ilar kick-off event earlier this sum m er w here 32 contest w in ners w ere sw orn in as M arshals T he D rug-Free M arshal pledge has kids prom ise to live a drug-free life, show th eir friends that a drug- free life is m ore fund, help th eir fel low D rug Free M arshals, learn m ore about how drugs really h arm people, tell people the tru th about the harm ful effects o f drugs, help th eir fam ily and friends be drug-free an d set a good exam ple to all children by leading the w ay to a drug free USA. As p art of upholding this pledge, the new M a r shals are touring Portland, d ep u tiz ing com m unity leaders an d learn in g m ore ways to com bat society’s drug future o f education reform in O reg o n ; W oolley will discuss how other school d istricts statew ide are d ealin g w ith the funding crisis an d looking for w ays to im plem ent reform ; B icrw irth w ill c e n te r h is d is c u s s io n o n P o rtlan d ’s plans for reform in this clim ate o f low funding an d h igh ex pectations. T h e sp eak ers’ p resen ta tions w ill be follow ed by a question an d an sw er session for City Club m em bers. P rogram 1 2 :1 5 - 1;15. L uncheon reservations an d cancellations, call 222-2582 by 2pm T hursday, A ugust 19. Coffee tickets available at the door; free, open seating in back avail able on a first-com e first-serv ed basis. •' • * ; •4 ; - . • * ’S t- - - T he D rug-Free M arshals cam paign is sponsored an d supported by several P ortland churches, schools and businesses an d coordinated by the C hurch o f S cie n to lo g y sL e ad The Way to a D rug-Free U SA program . A ngie M ann, spokesperson for the Lead the Way to a D rug Free USA program , com m ented, "W h ile the C hurch was the m ain catalyst behind this program , it is the drive o f the kids that keeps the program al ive and grow ing. They take th eir jo b s quite seri ously and w ork to find different ways to act out th e D rug-F ree M arshals pledge.” Enjoy ing a 100% drug-free co n gregation them selves, the C hurch o f Scientology is know n for its support o f drug-free solutions an d w orking w ith a w ide variety o f organizations that are leading the w ay to handle society’’s drug and crim e problem s Local sponsors and supporters intend to hold a second D rug-Free M arshals contest later this year. For more inform ation about the contest, how your group can p artici pate in the D rug Free M arshal pro g ram o r how you can becom e a D rug-free M arshal, contact A ngie M ann at the C hurch o f Scientology’ at 228-0116. ■•-T-*?1--.: W I ■f o r t e ' B» Bogle Re-elected President Of Black Newspaper Publishers Group At its recent an n u al conference in Los A ngeles, the m em bers o f the N atio n al N ew spaper P ublishers A s sociation (N N PA ), th e trade asso ciation th a t represents 205 A frican- A m eric an new spapers across the co u n try , re-elected Robert W. Bogle to serv e a second consecutiv e two- year term as the o rg an iz atio n ’s n a tional president. Bogle, w ho has serv ed as m em ber o f th e N N PA board for the past 20 years, is president o f the P h ila d elp h ia T ribune, the oldest A fri- NNPA President, Robert W. Bogle can-A m erican ow ned new spaper in the country. Al so elected to serve w ith Bogle as officers o f the N N PA , w ere M clvynJ. W illiams. Esq . publisher- editor. T he M acon Courier. M acon G eorgia (1st v ice president); John Sm ith, publisher-C EO , A tlanta In quirer, Atlanta, G eorgia (2nd vice president); Floyd Adam s, publisher, Sav annah Herald. Sav an n ah , G eor g ia (S e c r e ta ry ) ; a n d D o ro th y Leavell. publisher, G ary C rusader, Gary Indiana (Treasurer). •»»k-«.-.’**';? ’• T' 3Vv\'~. CW • - h.» , >5 . $1.2 Million Awarded To Metro Anti-Gang Programs activity G o v e rn o r R o b erts m ad e th e grant announcem ent at Em m anuel T em ple in N orth P ortland, a site w here two program s receiving grants provide services: d n ig treatm ent for youth and a range o f services to young w om en involved in gangs. G overnor Roberts toured the p ro gram s before m aking the gant a n nouncem ent She also planned visits to the M a in s tr e a m Y o u th P r o g r a m 's In nervisions P rogram , and to the Southeast G ang Resource Interven tion Team project T he Innervisions P rogram prov ides drug treatm ent for A frican-A m erican youth Southeast nal activity. G o v e rn o r R o b e rts m a d e th e aw ards based on recom m endations from the G o v ern o r's D rug an d Vio lent C rim e Policy Board T he grants announced arc the first o f $4.5 m il lion in g ran ts to be distributed this year, funded by the U S D epartm ent o f Ju stice's E dw ard Byrne M em orial State and Local Law E nforcem ent A ssistance Program T hese are th e a n ti-g a n g effo rts fu n d e d b y th e g o v e rn o r's g ra n ts: Main stream, Innervisions: S I 55,053. D n ig T reatm ent for A fri can-A m erican youth w ho have com m itted g ang-related crim inal activity or that are at-risk for gang involve ment Culturally specific outpatient d n ig treatm ent services have been prov ided to 154 youth, o f w hom 112 have continued in treatm ent for six m onths Police A ctivities L eag u e, D rug E d u catio n P ro g ra m : S38.822 Pro gram D irector - Lt. G erry Nyberg, 796-3017. T his project provides a d n ig and gang resistance program for the Police A ctivities League This program has distributed 7.000 drug resistance brochures Portland House of Umoja: S I 18,000, Program D irector - Wil liam Jennings, 282-3296. T his grant will fund the O utreach P ro g ram o fth c H ouseofU m oja The p ro g ram 's main goal is to reduce the participation of youth in gangs and related crim e. O utreach participation has grown to 111 youth and a many youth that have been involved for at least 3 m onths have no further arrests. Multnomah County Juvenile Justice S.E. Gang Resource Inter vention Team: $211.077, Program D irector - Lolenzo Poe. 248-3460. T he Southeast G R I T unit, is a sp e cia liz ed in te n siv e su p erv isio n program that provides a variety o f ‘ f A A É ï* .***•**»* . A. Z ' ' - < 'X A - A -?»«1 P o rtla n d fire fig h te rs a fte r sig n in g the Drug-Free marshals pledge. D oors open 11:30am. G RIT is a specialized intensive su pervision program that div erts ju v e nile offenders from g ang an d crim i ■ •.»• ‘ ' se rv ic es to in te rv e n e an d d iv ert ju v en ile offenders from gang and crim inal activity . In the past year. Southeast G R I T has supervised 70 ju v en ile offenders and provid ed skill b u ild in g an d counseling youth to prevent their further involve ment with gangs and crim inal activ ity In the past year 194 youth have received em ploym ent train in g . 48 youth hav e been placed in jobs, and 56% hav e been employ ed at least 60 groups M u ltn o m a h County Ju v en ile Ju stic e , G a n g in fluenced Fem ale T ea m : S388,923. Program D irector - L olenzo Poe. 248-3460. This pro gram provides crisis intervention, m entorship, patenting, em ployment, and life skills se n ices toyoung women who arc g ang involved with the goal o f prevention their further involve ment w ith gangs an d crim inal activ ity T he program also includes spe cialized serv ices for Southeast Asian days. young women. M YCAP Mental Health Initia tive: $22,719, Program D irector - Multnomah County Juvenile Justice, Youth Employment and Empowerment: S I 75,000, Program D irector - L olenzo Poe, 248-3460 T his program prov ides employment train in g and unsubsidized jobs for : * M * A. * Project RODAC: E4CW Care Center, S60.983 Program Director, R odney Cook, 281-7564. Provides drug treatm ent on-site at four ag en cies that w ork w ith gang-involved youth T h e four ag en cies are the House o f Umoja, Y aun Y outh Care Center, Y outh Redirections, and M i nority Y outh C oncerns action P ro gram In the past y ear. 40 y ouths have receiv ed treatm ent and over 50% have rem ained clean an d sober Tim Holt, 280-1050 T his program provides m ental health counseling, conducted by a psy chologist, for gang- involved youth at the M inority Youth Concerns Action Program House M