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
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or T he P oR ri.A N p Q ii.sE K v t it
^ o r tla n h
(Observer
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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
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