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H I S T O R Y
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M O N T H
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February IS, 1998
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S. Holley, Director o f
Community Services,
Urban League o f Portland
spoke to a Sociology
class. He lectured about
the Common Myths o f
Non-White Housing.
March 1958. The official
doctrine in the Realty
Board's Code o f Ethics
held that Blacks depress
property values.
Courtesy o f the Oregon
Historical Society.
When We Give Up On Our Youth,
We Give Up On Our Future
NAACP delegates thanking sponsors of the Civil Rights Bill in
1953. “Without the law you’re like a dog with no teeth. You just
can't bite."
Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society
Milestones in Black Oregon History
after the Vanport Flood
1948
Vanport flood on May 30. The disaster forced Portland to open up new
housing and employment opportunities for Blacks.
1951
Discrimination in vocational schools was banned.
1952
The official doctrine in the Realty Board’s code of Ethics that held that
Blacks depress property values had been abandoned.
1953
The Oregon legislature passed the Public Accommodations Law. Pri­
vate examples of racial discrimination in public accommodations would
linger throughout the state for decades, but now lacked the weight and
power of public policy to sustain them?
1955
The old anti-mixed marriage law that had been adopted in 1866 was
finally repealed.
1957
The Oregon legislature passed the state’s first Fair Housing Act.
This made discrimination in housing sales and rentals illegal. Ap­
proval of a new law did not mean instant access to new housing for
African Americans.
United States Mint To Sell Commemorative
Coins To Honor Black Patriots
by Wayne Smith, President
Black Patriots Foundation
On a cold day in early March
1770, a shot was fired by a British
soldier triggering the start o f the
American Revolution. It killed the
first person to die for the liberty we
take for granted today. As we celebrate
Black History Month in February, it is
appropriate to note that the first victim
o f liberty was a former African slave.
His name was Crispus Attucks. This
year marks the 275th anniversary of
his birth.
The price o f the coins w ill start at $30.
Specially reduced prices are available
until April 4, 1998. Information is
available by calling the U.S. Mint at
I-(8(X))-M1NT-USA (646-8872) or by
accessing the Mint's web site at
www.usmint.gov.
A limited edition Young Collectors
Coin Set features an uncirculated
silver dollar with entertaining and
Attucks was one o f more than
5.000 African Americans who fought
during the American Revolution and
one o f many who gave their lives so
that men. women and children in this
country — indeed, around the
world
are living free. Free to speak
out. free to assemble and free to
pursue life, liberty and happiness. It is
a 222-year. proud legacy of service by
African Americans. Yet, our nation
has been slow to recognize them with
the honor they deserve. With your
help, that w ill change.
As we approach the next
millennium, a memorial dedicated to
Black Patriots of the Revolution is
being planned. The site, on the
National Mall in Washington, D.C., is
where another African-American
patriot. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
gave his "I have a dream" speech in
1963. And it is adjacent to other great
national monuments: the Vietnam
Veterans and Lincoln Memorials.
Through an act o f Congress, the
United Stales Mint is striking only
500.0(H) silver dollars to honor Black
Patriots. A portion o f the proceeds
from the sale o f the coins is authorized
to be used to support the construction
o f the Black Patriots Memorial on the
National Mall.
Coins go on sale February 13,
1998. during Black History Month.
»
Noted Philip N. Diehl, director of
the U.S. Mint, in announcing what
may
be
one
of
only
two
commemorative coins to be produced
Let's Change The Course oj Black
History In Our Celebration This Year!
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McMenamins Kennedy School is a
proud participant of Black History Month,
with the recent west coast premiere of
“Through the Open Door” the opening movie
of The Cascade Festival of African Films.
by the Mint in 1998, “ The Black
Revolutionary War Patriots Silver
Dollar w ill recall and commemorate
history by focusing on Crispus
Attucks' sacrifice as a symbol o f the
commitment o f all Black American
patriots."
A representation o f Crispus
Attucks w ill appear on the obverse
side o f the coin. On the reverse, a
Black Patriot family is featured. The
reverse side was designed by Ed
Dwight, who also is the sculptor of the
monument. Dwight, a U.S. A ir Force
veteran, was one o f America's first
Black astronaut trainees. He is one of
the country's pre-eminent sculptors
with works in major museums,
including the Smithsonian Institution.
Dwight's sculpture o f Black
patriots in the national memorial w ill
run 90 feet with the bas-relief figures
vaguely outlined, as if imprisoned. As
the wall grows, they gradually become
more distinct, emerging as separate
individuals, as if freed from bondage.
The last figure, a proud soldier, w ill be
looking directly at the Lincoln
Memorial, and the historical path to
freedom.
educational information on Crispus
Attucks and the Revolutionary War.
Also being offered is a Black Patriots
Coin-and-Stamp set which features a
proof silver dollar and four U.S.
postage stamps which spotlight other
notable African Americans: Frederick
Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Benjamin
Banneker and Salem Poor.
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Purchase o f the coins, which are
legal tender, w ill provide collectors
with one o f the few American coins
honoring African Americans. It also
provides an affordable and rare
opportunity for every American to
contribute to the creation o f a national
monument.
Let us not forget the sacrifice o f
Crispus Attucks 228 years ago or fail
to build a memorial keeping his legacy
alive for centuries to come.
Wayne Smith is president o f the Mack
Patriots Foundation, an organization
authorized by the United States
Conyress to build a national memorial
in honor o f the thousands of African
Americans who served, fouyht and died
fo r independent e.
Sleep In Class
A great introduction to McMenamins Kennedy School is the
Schoolyard Package. Included in this special offer are a night’s
lodging for two, dinner and breakfast in the Courtyard Restaurant,
and admission to the movie theater and soaking pool.
The cost of the Schoolyard Package is $99 per night, per couple,
Sunday through Thursday (add 9% county room tax).
Based on availability. Call (503) 249-3983 for reservations.
&
Upcoming Events
*
W h isk ie s o f th e W orld D in n e r • March 6 • 7:00 • $60
B r e w e r D in n e r • March 11 • 7:00 • $30
Thursday Night Concerts
All music shows from 7:00 - 10:00 pm • Kennedy School Gymnasium • No Cover
M a tc h b o x B lu e s • February 12
J iv e T a lk in g R o b o ts • February 26
G ro o v e R e v e la tio n • February 19
J a n e D o e • March 11
McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd • Portland, Oregon • (503) 249-3983
www.mcmenamin8.com
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