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S e p te m b e r 6, 2 00 0
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Religion
New African American
Christian publisher emerges
CONTRIBUTED STORE
FOR T H E PORTLAND OBSERVER
It used to be that the only place you
could hear the gospel was in church.
But times are changing.
W alk Worthy Press, a company that
publishes contem porary Christian
fiction aimed at the African American
market, is releasing the first o f three
novels it plans to publish this year.
“ I’m on a mission,” says publisher
and founder, Denise Stinson. “That
mission is to exalt the name o f Jesus
through contemporary fiction.”
Stinson says the primary characters
in W alk W orthy Press books “have a
heart for God.” But just like real
Christians, they are not perfect. “Our
books are real believers who have
real challenges. “ To that end, readers
will find W alk W orthy Press books
exploring issues such as adultery,
pre-marital sex, and suicide-all the
challenges o f contemporary life.
W alk W o rth y ’s d e b u t n o v e l,
T E M P T A T IO N , by V ic to ria
C h risto p h e r M urray, is a good
example o f Stinson’s vision. It is the
story o f a Christian couple, blessed
with the best life has to offer, whose
lives are changed forever by a
betrayal. But, through their trust o f
and belief in the Word o f God, they
leam forgiveness and a new kind o f
love.
TEMPTATION will be followed by
SINGSATION! By Jacquelyn Thomas
in April 2001 andCHURCHFOLK by
Michele Andrea Bowen in June 2001.
Snits, says that the early response
she has gotten from both reader and
bookstores has been phenomenal.
“W alk W orthy Press is filling a need
that has been void in the market for far
Saharan A frica every day. The
A fric a n A ID S In itia tiv e , an
international non-profit organization
focused specifically on this crisis,
points out HIV/AIDS is reversing
gains in 1 ife expec tancy and economic
development in Africa. The epidemic
is h a v in g an u n im a g in a b ly
devastating affect on the lives of
m illions o f A fricans, including
millions o f African children.
More than five million children have
been bom H IV -positive in sub-
Saharan Africa. Almost four million
o f those children have already died.
Millions more children are being left
orphaned when one or both parents
die o f AIDS, and often are abandoned
by extended families and communities
who cannot or will not take care o f
them. 12.1 millionchild have already
lost either their mothers or both
parents to AIDS in sub-Saharan
A frica. Their numbers are expected to
continue to grow dramatically. Many
other children are leaving school to
care for sick parents and younger
siblings even before their parents
have passed away.
Many o f us have not heard these
catastrophic numbers before. Now
that we know them, we must do
everything we can to change them —
and to help the African children.
Ophelia Baker
O ctober9,1930-A ugust 30,2000
Memorial Service is Thursday,
September 7,2000 at Caldw ell’s
Colonial Chapel in Portland,
Oregon.
Ophelia Baker was bom October
9, 1930 to George and Louise
Hudson inCairo, Illinois. She was
the third o f six children. Ophelia
moved to Portland, Oregon in
1944. She worked for many years
at American Linen and was last
employed by Delta Inn at Hayden
Meadows. Solving crossword
p u zzles, p la y in g b id w hist,
pinochle and blackjack, were just
a few o f O phelia’s passions. One
o f h e r b ig g e st jo b s w as to
supervise her daughter Connie
working in the garden. Nothing
brought Ophelia more joy than
her g ra n d c h ild re n , g reat
grandchildren, and especially 16
month-old twins Keauna and
Breauna. Ophelia is survived by
daughters Connie L. Brown and
Janet M. Baker o f Portland,
Sister Tressie Hawkins o f
Detroit, MI, brother Leroy
H udson o f P ortland, four
grand children; Evonne L.
McDonald, Eric P. Keeton,
KyleN. Baker, DialloB. Keeton,
seven great grandchildren,
and a host o f nieces, nephews,
cousins and friends. Ophelia
was preceded in death by her
daughter Darlene Keeton in
1996.
“She is Just Away”
I cannot say, and I will not say
That she is dead-
W ith a cheery smile,
And a wave o f the hand.
She has wandered
Into an unknown land.
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be,
Since she lingers there.
So think o f her faring on, as dear
In the love o f There
As the love o f Here;
Think o f her still
As the same, I say:
She is not dead -
She is just away!
James Whitcomb Riley
It is w ith sincere and deep
appreciation that we thank all o f
you for your prayers, visits, calls,
and many acts of kindness during
our time o f grief and loss.
May God bless each o f you. From the family o f Ophelia Baker
Happy birthday
Gary Washington
from your
friends and family
Obituary
In Loving Memory
Publisher Denise L. Stinton, Walk Worthy Press
publisher agrees. W arner Books and
W alk W o rth y P re ss re c e n tly
a n n o u n c e d a co- p u b lish in g
a g re e m e n t,
w h ic h
in c lu d e s
distribution by W arner for Walk
Worthy Press books Temptation,
too long,” says one African American
bookstore owner. “African American
readers want a variety o f fiction and
stories that impact their personal
belief systems in a more positive way.”
A p p aren tly at least one m ajor
AIDS in Africa: a new Holocaust
AIDS has become the number-one
killer in Africa. The United Nations
estimates 24.5 million o f the 34.3
million people living with HIV/AIDS
in the world live in Africa. 11.5million
sub-Saharan Africans have died o f
AIDS since the start o f the epidemic;
5,500 people die o f AIDS in sub-
Family struggles with loss
a d u lts, an d c o m m u n itie s they
represent. On July 13 the International
A IDS Conference was held in Durban,
South Africa. This was the first time
this conference met in Africa, and the
location focused attention on the
epidemic spread o f HIV/AIDS in
Africa. One o f the most powerful
speakers at the Durban conference
was Nkosi Johnson, an 11-year-old
Johannesburg student who spoke
directly after South African President
Thabo Mbeki and shared is own
story.
Nkosi was bom HIV-positive and now
has full-blown AIDS. Nkosi’s mother
was forced to leave him in a care
center when he was bom because
she was afraid that if she tried to raise
an ill child, her community would
guess they were both HIV-positive
and turn them away. When Nkosi
was two the center where his mother
had left him was forced to close for
lack o f funding. Luckily, Nkosi was
safely cared for when center director,
Gail Johnson chose to become his
adoptive foster mother.
With his “Mommy G ail’s” help Nkosi
fought local prejudices and enrolled
in school in 1997, the same year his
natural inotherdiedof AIDS. Gail also
helped Nkosi fulfill another dream:
creating care centers where other HIV-
positive mothers and children can
stay together.
The first N k o si’s H aven center
opened last year, and their goal is to
open five more Nkosi’s Havens by
the end o f next year. Knosi explained
" I was very sick and I get vary sad
when I think about all the other
children and babies that are sick with
AIDS.” Nkosialsoexplained he hopes
the government will be able to do
more soon to slow the spread o f HIV
from mothers to children, because he
has already personally known too
many babies and children who have
died from AIDS— “and I don’t want
babies to die.”
Nkosi Johnson shares a brave and
wise first-hand perspective o f a crisis
which sadly affects millions more
children like him. Most have not been
lucky enough to receive the care and
support he has. It is shameful that
international attention has ignored
this crisis for so long. But it is never
too late to right a wrong. Just as Black
American voices were heard in the
struggle against apartheid, it is
critically important we be heard even
more loudly and clearly now.
As horrifying as the statistics seem
and as far as the epidemic has already
spread, there are prevention and
treatment programs being put in place
in many parts o f Africa which bring
h ope. T h e re are p e o p le and
organizations already committed to
so lu tio n s w hose w ork w e can
support. I will be using this space
many more times to continue talking
about this modem plague and what
we can all do now. Nkosi Johnson
says his greatest dream is to continue
speaking and educating even more
people about HIV/AIDS when-if-he
grows up. How manymoremillionsof
Nkosis will never grow up ifw edo not
all begin to share his work right now?
(P la c e s to learn m ore include
www.unaids.org. the Web site for the
Joint United Nations Program on HIV/
AIDS; ww~w.whitehouse.gov/QNAP.
the Web site for the Office ofNational
AIDS Policy; and the African AIDS
Initiative’s International Office in the
United States at 617-496-5998.)
Donation Alert
Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR) is in desperate need of
donations for our refugee clients. Items (in good condition) like blankets
and bedding, winter jackets, dishes, cooking utensils and furniture are
especially needed. We Will Pick-Up the items from your house or business.
Please call Olga at 284-3002.
Bobby Joe Moore
Sunrise July 25,1949
Sunset August 28,2000
B obby Joe was the ow ner and
operator o f Bobby’s Barber and
Beauty Shop, located at 26,h and NE
Alberta in Portland for the last 7 years.
He was baptized at Vancouver Ave.
1 “ Baptist Church under the direction
o f the late Reverend O.B. Williams.
Bobby was raised and educated here
in Portland and was a graduate o f
L in co ln H igh S chool. H e was
preceded in death by his father,
Richard Moore in 1980, and by his
sister, Shirley Marie Moore in 1989.
Bobby passed away on August 28,
2000 in Pasco, Washington.
Funeral services will be held on
September 5, 2000 at 11:00 am,
V ancouver Avenue First Baptist
Church in Portland, OR.
Disposition will be held at the Rose
City Cemetery.
Bobby Joe Moore leaves to cherish
his memory:
Beatrice Moore Mother Portland, OR
Tia Moore Daughter Los Angeles,
CA.
Myrlin Spencer Sister Portland, OR
Celebrate the “Soul of the City!”
with
The Urban League of Portland
Dinner, Wednesday evening
October
4, 2000
wants you to save this date.
You will receive an invitation after Labor Day,
but please mark your calendar now for this special occasion!
Billy Don Moore Brother Seattle,
WA.
Norman J. Moore Brother Seattle,
WA.
Annette Moore Sister Portland, OR
Eula Lee Yarborough Aunt Tacoma,
WA.
Annie Bagneris Aunt Los Angeles,
CA.
And a host o f cousins, nieces,
nephews, other family members and
friends.
For more information, call the Urban League at (503) 280-2600.
Tickets: $ 175 each / S 1,750 for a table of 10,
55,000 for Dinner Sponsorship.
Proceeds benefit The Urban League of Portland
and its programs.
The I rkan League o f Portland, 10 N . Ruasell Street, Portland, Oregon 97227
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