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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1996)
I hi P ori i ano O bserver • F ee P age A 7 BLACK HISTORY (Elf* J Ía rtía n b <S)traerüer Black Heritage Express Center Hosts African-American Celebration Games To Feature Southern Culture Olympic visitors this summer will experience the many facets of Southern culture, from its rooted traditions to its contemporary ex pressions with Southern Cross roads, a free outdoor festival in Atlanta s Centennial Olympic Park. The 17-day celebration, will share the South’s distinct stories, songs, dance, music, crafts and food with the 1996 Atlanta Olym pic Games’ estimated two million visitors. Southern Crossroads will open on July 18, the day before the opening ceremony and feature a variety of activities and entertain ment presented simultaneously from noon until midnight daily through August 3. A variation of Southern Cross roads, which is being produced in cooperation with the Southern Arts Federation, also will be included in the Smithsonian Institution’s 30th annual Festival of American Folklike on the National Mall in Washington, D C., running June 26 through 30, and July 3 through 7. The Atlanta-based Southern Crossroads will feature more than 750 musicians, singers, dancers and crafts people from around the South, providing a comprehen sive exploration of the distance The Georgia Mass Choir, made up of over 100 men, women and children ages 13 to 70, was formed geographical areas that make up in 1983. Now a mainstay o f traditional gospel music, the choir has six nationally released albums and the region has garnered many awards. It is one o f the many groups to perform this summer at the Olympics. The Marie Smith Center, a center ist Charlotte Lewis. Group partici providing daytime health and social pating in the quilt creations were The services to seniors and their House of Umoja /The House of Nia, careproviders, will be hosting an StayClean, The Multicultural Senior African-American Cultural Heritage C enter. The Black Educational Cen Celebration event and Kwanzaa Quill ter, The Imani Project, and the Exhibition in February in honor of Kwanzaa Community Group. Addi Black History Month. The Marie tional support for this project has Smith Center is located at 4616 N. been provided by Oinotayo Fletcher, Albina in Portland. Meika Takunda, Lora Sail, and The African-American Cultural Adrienne Godfrey Sam-Aggrey. Heritage Celebration will take place The Marie Smith Center is hon on Friday, Feb. 23 from 3 p.m. to 6 ored to display the quilts that empha p in. and will feature the Sojourner size the five Kwanzaa principles of Truth Theater Company with Ruby Umoja/Unity, Kuumba/Creativity, Ruben and Askari, the Solid Rock Nia/Purpose, U jim a//C ollective C hurch, Speech Step and Singing Work and R esponsibility, and Youth Group, and the Cultural Rec Kujichagulia/Self-Determination. reation Band. The quilts may be viewed by the Five of the seven Kwanzaa com public weekdays between 8 a m. and munity quills will be exhibited at the 5 p.m. through Feb. 29th. Marie Smith Center throughout Feb The two remaining quilts will be ruary. The quilts, first exhibited at featured throughout February at the the Interstate Firehouse Cultural following quilt sponsors: KeyBank, Center for Kwanzaa 1995, were the featuring the Ujamaa/Cooperative creation of men, women and children Economics Quilt, and First Interstate in seven community groups in North/ Bank, displaying the Imani/Faith Northeast Portland with support from Quill. celebrated designer, Adriene Cruz. Both the quilt exhibit and the cel This project was coordinated by art- ebration arc free of charge. Black History Month Events Portland State University Contin ues its celebration of Black History Month with the special events: Feb. 22 - Panel Discussion: Afri can-American Portlanders & the Million Man March, 6-9 p.m. room 298, Smith Center, free. Feb. 23-25 - Oregon Black Stu dent Unions Basketball Tournament - 7-10 p.m., PSU gym. F'eb. 24 - Oregon Black Student Unions Basketball Tournament - 11 a m.-3 p.m., University of Portland. Feb. 24 - Second Annual Black Greek Step Show - 8:30 p.m., Lin coln Hall basement, I620S.W. Park. $7 in advance, $10 at the door, 725- 5654. C E L E B R A T IN G B L A C K H IS T O R Y M O N T H DETERMINATION: THE ACT OF COMING TO A DECISION: FIRM OR FIXED PURPOSE ACCURATE MEASUREMENT. DIVERSITY: THE CONDITION OF BEING DIFFERENT, COMPOSED OF DISTINCT QUALITIES. DURHAM: STRONG COMMITMENT AND CHARACTOR. AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY OF SUBSTANCE AND HERITAGE, DEFINED WITH HARD WORK AND CLEAR VISION AND RESOLVE. CONSRTUCTION/SERVICES (503) 319-0821 FAX 283-2977 F IN A N C IN G A V A IL A B L E /2 O 3 K SPECIALIST 317 B NE KMUNGSWORTH • PORTLAND, OR. 97211