F e b ru a ry 2, 2000 Page A4 (Ehe ^lorthtnb (ßhaeruer ss Opinion B la c k Articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of H M i story Io ntli J lje P o r tla n d (© b s e ru e r Booksellers lacking during MLK birthday Eye With A View b \ K m s i i s E . W o i . i i ► or T he P oR ri.A N p Q ii.sE K v t it ^ o r tla n h (Observer USPS 959-680 Established 1 9 7 0 STA FF E d it o r P C in h ie f , u b l is h e r 1 am entirely perplexed about the lack o f com m ercial interest-p articu larly the interest o fre tailerb o o k se llers- in the M artin Luther K ing JR. holiday. First, som e context. M y now 12 year-old sister N atalie w as bom on January 15. Since about the age o f 5, when she w as old enough to both appreciate books and recognize the people and recognize the people in them, 1 h a v e in c lu d e d b o o k s , s p e e c h e s a n d p ic tu re s com m em orating the extraordinary lifeofD r. Martin Luther K ing JR. in her birthday packages. She feels that sharing a birthday w ith an individual so im portant in our nation's history is very special, and happens to be the “class expect” on this particular subject. So last w eek, 1 began hunting around for interesting books to send. Im agine my surprise upon visiting no less than six Portland bookstores, all o f substantial size and repute (including one surpassing all others in both o f those categories) and single display or any visible hint that the M artin L uther King JR. holiday m ight be worth commemorating. M y seventh stop had created a single “end-cap” in the ch ild ren ’s section displaying general “ Black History M onth” material. W hen 1 inquired about such displays, not one salesperson in any o f these establishm ents seemed to think that not displaying materials relevant to the holiday w as an oversight - all them looked surprised that 1 suggested such a thing. A s a frequent bookstore browser, 1 can tell you that these establishm ents rarely miss a holiday to generate related com m ercial activity. Halloween, Thanksgiving, C hristmas- H annukah-K w anzaa-even V alen tin e's Day - prom pt extraordinary efforts to turn browsers into buyers. Evidently, M artin L uther King JR. Day does not prom ise such com m ercial success. I d o n ’t get it. Even if you ignore the tact that the core custom ers o f these establishm ents- the only ones shopping in January - are exactly the custom ers to w hom this period o f history m ight mean something, a num ber o t purely \m arket-based factors also point to the absence o t such displays as a missed opportunity. First, w hat’s the com petition for shelf- space in January? T he holiday season is over, kids are back in school, there are no current bean ie-baby-li ke frenzies (Harry Potter books, by the w ay, w ere plentiful) - from what I could tell, prime ’shelf-space1 w as occupied by overstock. Second, chances are that m ost kids will be studying M artin Luther King J R. som etim e around the holiday named on his behalf. A fair num ber ofkids will “hang-out” (w hether with or w ithout parents) in retail establishm ents over the holiday w eekend. Isn’t it at least possible that a few might purchase a book. Charles H. Washington E d i to Think Positively » Larry J. Jackson, Sr. by J iM O L s d o in g w ith th is g enius w e h av e in h erited ? A s th e late p rea ch er/ politician A dam Clayton Powell jr. succinctly observed, hum an thought m akes the w orld in its ow n image. Boardcast executive and activist Bob Law Said “ Idea rule the world. W hose ideas are you tap dancing to? W hat do your ideas reveal about you? O ur th in k in g is th e C a ta ly s t an d foundation for o u r lives. E nergy follow s thought. O ur lives reveal the qual ity o f our thoughts. 1 know this is difficult to com prehend because we been duped into being outerdirected. But it is true; our thoughts, values, desire and w hat w e think is possible m otivate our behavior. W hat do you think is possible for your life? W hat d rea m s do you h a rb o r in d ee p recesses o f your soul? W hat is it you really w ant to do, be or accom plish inlife? Take a look at your life. W hat does your life reveal about your thought? I f you are poor it is not becau se y o u r p aren ts w ere poor because o f racism and yes factors. Y ou are. W e can refuse to give up. W e have the pow er to decide our fate and our character. T hat is aw esom e. R icardo S tanton eor T he P ortland O bserv er B u s in e s s M anager Gary Ann Taylor C E opy d it o r Joy Ramos C r e a t iv e D ir e c t o r Shawn Strahan 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Portland, OR 97211 503-288-0033 Fax 503-288-0015 “ H uman thought, like G od m akes the w orld in its ow n im age.” A dam C layton Powell said. M any o f us depreciate the pow er o f ow n m inds, o u r ability to think, cogitate, dream and visualize. We d o n ’t think in term s o f success, accom pl ishm ent or dream o f a world in w hich we as African people are pow erful unless it is using som eone else’s model. W e have the pow er to think anything w e w ant and w e have the ability to conjure up in pour m in d ’s eye thing that have never exited or happened before. W e are far from being poor, pathetic and destitute. W e are far m ore pow erful then we realize. W e are not w ho or w hat our enem ies say w e are. W e carry in our genes the genius o f our ancestors, p e o p le w h o b u ild m a g n ific e n t civilizations, invented m athem atics, sciences, ag ricu ltu re, m etallurgy, m u sic, hum an rela tio n sh ip s and governance. W e w ere/are all that. W hat are we Y ou and alone determ ine w hether y o u a re a q u itte r o r o n e w h o perseveres to reach your goals and objectives. You and only you set the tone and tendor for quality o f your life. Y es there are circum stances beyond our control but there are many that w e have to direct control over, like our perception o f yourself and our potential. W e have the pow er to define and perception o f yourself, your life and the w orld positive or negative? Is the proverbial glass h alf em pty or h alf full? Do you consider yoursel f a gen i us or have you al lowed o th ers to define yo u , lim it your horizon, your course and destination? W hat is your im age for y o u rself and the w orld? This is no jo k e nor is it bogus psychological quackery. It is real. You are more pow erful than you realize. W hat will it take for? Y ou em pow er y o u rself and actualize your full potential? In w hat w ay will you m anifest your genius? W hat obstacles will you overcom e? I c a n ’t tell you how great you are/you can be. I ju st know you/w e are. W hy/ how ? Because in my mind I have fashioned a world w here w e are. bi eor T h i S am P ierce P orti and O bserier I have stood by for m onths now as m y friend and friend to this com m unity, Becky Black, treated unfairly by Portland Public School. 1 have w aited for voices m ore pow erful than m y self to com e to her aid, but in their absence, I can no longer keep silent. For years, she has selflessly served this co m m unity’s poor and unw anted, and she has done so successfully with very lim ited resources in com parison to her results. M oreover, she did not com e to this com m unity as a w hite trying to be its or our ch ild ren ’s savior. But she cam e w ith a heart that loves, w ith a spirit that is bright w ith vision— and the results speak for them selves. O ne would think that if som eone is successful at helping those w ho have traditionally been declared un-help-able or give hope to those the expert say could never have hope, that this w ould m ake one a target o f abundance and accolades. But not in an environm ent w here individuals are m ore concerned about pow er and m oney and the control o f thereof. In such an environm ent are things such as envy, strife, petty jealo u sies, and outright treachery. These are the behavior and em otions that m ake m y friend a target. She has done well and w e should seek to rew ard her, not stand in her w ay. 1 understand that it w as said that Becky did not have support from the com m unity or m ore specifically, the black com m unity. From all that I am aw are o f and heard, she does indeed have support from the black com m unity. In fact, the m eeting I attended consisted o f m any black people from the com m unity. W hat w e m ust not do is attem pt to decide from our ow n m yopic view w hat is “th e” black com m unity. Every person w ho lives and w orks in Portland is part o f its com m unity. A nd in particular, the children w hose lives and future depends upon the M cC oy A cadem y are surely apart o f that com m unity. Surely, th e hearing that I attended w as filled with these very im portant com m unity m em bers. As for “the black leadership” o f Portland, I feel too that this category is also varied and cannot be considered a specific and exclusive group o f individuals. C oncerning leadership, w hile I believe that leaders can be chosen or developed, yet the greatest asset that a true leader has is personal integrity and personal power. T hese are people w ho are not cliquish or political in their view o f leadership. They give honor to w here it is due even if they do not agree w ith the particular politics o f the person. W ith that, anyone who attem pts to deny B ecky’s im pact on and co m m itm enttoourchildren is in my opinion a person w ho does not rise to this level o f “true leadership”— leadership that is governed by integrity and pure m otive. This is the kind o f leadership that transcends ego and personal interest— and although I know o f m any such persons in the com m unity o f Portland w ho easily qualify, nevertheless, it represents a very short list! So if we w ant to be true leaders, let us all be w illing to do som e se lf exam ination and seek to ascribe to a standard that rises above m ere w ords and positional power. L ong before Becky cam e to this com m unity, she w as fighting for the poor and the disenfranchised. Long before she cam e to this com m unity, she had adopted children o f m ixed races— Black, W hites, N ative, and any person w ho needed her! A nd she did so not as a rich w hite w om an, m arried to a rich w hite m an, but as a single m om , a poor w hite w oman from A ppalachia. She did it because she knew the pain and alienation o f poverty, o f being bom on the w rong side o f the tract— o r m ountain in her case! As for my own position, Becky is a dear friend and I love her and her com m itm ent to poor and disadvantaged children. A nd as im portantly, she is know n for her success w ith those kids, so why in G o d ’s nam e w ould anyone w ant to oppose her w hen she is doing and has done as w ell a jo b as she has? As a fellow Georgian, my free advice to you, Mr. Superintendent— if you envision a long and prosperous stay in Portland, care first and forem ost about the success o f students and extend your respect and appreciation to those w ho can help you achieve that success. B ecause in the end, that is w ho will be judged for. And if student’s success is your goal, then you do them and y o u rself no harm , m y friend, to support Becky Black and the M cCoy Academ y. e-mail pdxobserv@aol.com P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer PO Box 3 1 3 7 Portland, OR 9 7 2 0 8 Periodical Postage paid in Portland, OR SAFEWAY FOOD & DRUG Subscriptions are $60.00 per year D E A D L IN E S FOR ALL SUBMITTED MATERIALS: ARTICLES: Monday by 5 p . m . ADS: Friday by noon Look For Your Safeway Weekly Shopping Guide In Your Oregonian FOODday in the Portland Metro Area ...and save more by shopping Boneless Round Steak at Safeway. SAVE up to $2.99 lb. on 2 Tie Portland O tserverw elcom es freelance ¥ ompaniedbyaselfaddressedenvelope A ll ed design display ads becom e the sole P FREE OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE S a fe w a y C lu b P ric e iissions M anuscripts and photographs Id be c learly labeled and w il l be returned buyonegetohe y 2 Super Size Doritos Tortilla Chips 25-oz. Assorted varieties. 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