Committed to Cultural Diversity
n u t nt u n i t y
a I r n b a r
(C
www.portlandobserver.com
March 28, 2001
Women of Courage and Vision
3rd Annual Race for the Roses
Volunteers are needed for the 3rd Annnual
Race for the Roses, April 22 at OMSI. This
half-marathon, 5K race/walk and
mile
kids’ dash, “Bridging the Gap for Kids in
Crisis,” benefits Albertina Kerr Centers and
The Boys & Girls Aid Society o f Oregon.
Food, fun and t-shirts provided! Call Carol
Hardwick at 503/222-9661.
Spring Fashion Fundraiser
Sheba, House o f Elegance will host “An
Evening o f Elegance” spring fashion show
as a fundraiser to benefit the Interstate
Firehouse Cultural Center on Saturday,
March 31. The event begins at 7 p.m. and
follows with Billy Reed’s catered reception,
which will be held at the IFCC, 5340 N.
Interstate Ave. Call 503/823-4322.
J o in ts in M o tio n
M a r a th o n Team
Join the Joints in Motion marathon team
for an evening o f good food for a good
cause. This group o f women is participating
in the Vancouver, B.C. marathon on May 6*,
and needs your support! There will be a
silent bid auction as well. The event will be
at the Augustana Lutheran Church, located
at 2710 NE. 14'h, on Saturday, April 7, from
5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Call 503/282-6925.
M otivation W ednesday
Tired ofbeing overwhelmed by seminars
and not practicing what was taught to you?
Oda Research International has found a
new approach. Each week. Dr. John Oda will
focus on one ideal that can take your per
sonal and professional life to the next level.
The program is for 12 weeks, beginning on
W ednesday, April 11 at the Wells Fargo
Center. After completing the course, you
will have more confidence, self esteem and
better communication skills Call 503/471 -
2954.
Fam ily Fun N ight
Families that play together, stay together.
A variety o f activities, arts and crafts, riding
toys, balls and games. Children must be
accompanied by an adult on Fridays, April
12 - May 25, from 6 :3 0 - 8 p.m.at the Penin
sula Park Community Center, located at 700
N. Portland Blvd. Call 503/823-3620.
P r o c e ssio n o f th e
S p e c ie s P a ra d e
Celebrate Mother Earth! Gain respect for
the environment while developing your
creative abilities. Leam basic drills and strut
your stuff in the Procession o f the Species
parade on Saturday, April 28. W orkshop
takes place on Thursday, April 26, 6:30 -
8:30 p.m. The event is free to all ages. Call
Peninsula Park Community Center at 503/
823-3620.
Weekend Green 7’o ur Guides
Portland Parks & Recreation needs dedi
cated people to lead weekend plant walks in
city parks between April 1 and November 1.
These guides will be trained to talk about
the various plants - from trees to small
flow ers - in L aurelhurst, Mt. Tabor,
Sellwood, Duniway, G rant, Peninsula,
South W aterfront, and Forest Parks and at
Hoyt Arboretum. All tours will be held on
Saturdays at 10 a.m. - noon. Training is
offered. Call 503/823-3601.
Thrn Your Teen A round
Leam the seven habits o f highly effec
tive teens in a seven-week course held by
John Oda, Ph.D. Your teenager will leam
such things as turning fear into motivation
and action; take control o f their emotions;
develop a plan o f action that supports their
outcome, and much more. The sessions will
be held at Wells Farge Center in Portland,
starting onTuesday, April 10, from 6p.m. to
9p.m. Call 503/471-2954.
Health & H um an Rights
Discussion Series
Once a month at Portland State University,
expert panelists will address issues relating
to health and human rights. On Thursday.
April 19, the topic o f discussion will be “In
ternational Health Issues: Perspectives o f 2
Portland Organizations." Hear opinions on
health and human rights from two Portland-
based international aid organizations. The
talk will be given at PSU’s Urban Center, 2nd
Floor Gallery, SW. Mill between 5**1 and 6*
Call Hessie Schmidgall at 503/236-3269.
PlayHouse to ‘shut the hell up’, she can
sometimes be heard to say ‘You guys are
idiots’, and even on occasion ‘You better
not be talking to me, you damn fool.’
When possible, she also works in traffic
and weather for the morning commute.
B iography: Sonie’s entire radio career
has been spentat Jammin95.5. She began
on the Street Tearn, moved to on-air work,
and graduated (or was punished) to work
ing on the PlayHouse. Sonie is the only
member o f the show who doesn’t think
P.K. is Lance from N-Sync. ‘That guys a
frickin’ idiot too.’ adds Sonie.
Q uote from Sonie : “I have been at
Jam m in 95.5 since April o f ’99. I was
originally hired as a Hummer maintenance
technician, and sticker applicator. I was
fortunate to move up from there. My fa
vorite part o f being a Jammin jockey/
jockette is the crazy stuff that we get away
with on a daily basis
Editor's note: The following
local women, whose lives and
work exemplify both courage
and vision, share the special
quality o f fe a rle ss tenacity,
which has made them role mod
els fo r all o f us. We highlight
their achievem ents during
March, National Women’s His
tory Month.
Bx_FtJJUA.SuUKK
T he P ortland O bserver
As President Bill Clinton said when he
proclaimed March as W omen’s History
Month in 1996: “It is impossible to fully
appreciate A m erica’s proud history with
out recognizing the extraordinary contribu
tions that women have made to our country
since its founding. W 'omen’s H istory
Month provides an opportunity to cel
Biography: Rochell, 24, is a local author
ebrate the countless women who have en Jeanne LaFrance, works with kids as part o f the Act fo r Action organization, a theater group
and spoken word artist and poet, repre
riched our Nation and to ensure that their
dedicated to social change.
sented by Highbridge Press, TupperLake,
achievements — in homes and businesses,
NY,
http:, www.rochelldhart.com
connected to the real issues that keep people
schools and hospitals, courtrooms and state-
network
also
offers
conflict
resolution,
crisis
She
asked
her parents for her first type
down, while it also
intervention,
and
outreach
to
families
enduring
writer
when
she
was 3 years old (and she still
gives me the inspi
domestic violence.
has it). Rochell has been seriously writing
ration to keep fight
Q uote from Bridgette “My Faith (Bahai)
since the age o f 12. She began performance
ing for change. I
.teaches
me that women and men are like two
poetry in 1998. In 1999, she was the first black
have trained with so
wings o f a bird. If one wing is weak the bird
woman from Oregon to represent the city and
m any b rav e and
cannot fly. Humanity is like that bird. Women
state at the 1 Oth Annual National Poetry Slam
amazing women and
must become equal with men in order for hu
in Chicago.
children! Self-de
manity to succeed. 1 believe, as it takes a village
M ission: Through her poetry, Rochell
fense is such a revo
to raise a child, it will take the village ofPortland
gives a voice to a generation o f women
lutionary process;
to end domestic violence.”
overlooked by contemporary America.
w hen in d iv id u a l
Q uote from Rochell: “By speaking about
Jeannie LaFrance
women and chil
the
lives o f women, I am able to give the
dren have the tools
Organization: Founding directorof Act for
younger
generation ofblack women, a voice,
to feel stronger and
Action, P.O. Box 14162, Portland OR, 97293,
in
a
_
time when we are con
safer, we are so
503-287-9628.
ex ten sio n
2,
tinually overlooked or
much more capable
actforactioniahotmail.com
misrepresented. Al
o f making positive
Mission: Act for Action is a social change
though I speak on a
changes in our lives
theater group dedicated to anti-violence and
variety o f sub
and communities. I
anti-bias work. It embraces theater as a tool for
jects, my focus/
always feel so lucky
education, community building and social jus
em phasis is on
that I get to be part
tice.
d o m e s tic
o f such am azing
Quote from Jeannie: “ 1 love the work that
violence
work”.
I do. What stays with me the most is what
r o -
people tell me after a theaterproject. Women
B r id g e ts
gara
Staci Cotier, founder and director o
have left abusive relationships. A group
Fahnbulleh
I n
Center, 2926 N.E. Alberta, gives women and children the tools to
o f young women started an eating
Oganization:
Ex
fe e l stronger and safer.
disorder support group. Students be
(P hoto by B ette L ee )
ecutive Director o f
gan open dialogues about racism
African-American
Providers
Network,
2808
and
oppression, and how to ad
houses — will always be remembered.”
N.E.
Martin
Luther
King
Jr.,
Suite
21,
Portland
dress
those problems, when we
With this theme in mind, the Portland Ob
OR97212,503-493-8623
developed
an anti-violence per
server has the jo y o f recognizing five local
B
iography:
Fahnbulleh
is
a
nationally
rec
formance
at
a local high school.
women and theiraccomplishments. We thank
ognized
expert
and
educator
on
the
issues
o
f
I
also
work
with
women in prison
these women and all women whose courage,
domestic and family violence. She is on the
and we work on role-plays where
strength and vision set standards for them
Board o f the National Coalition Against Do
they get to rehearse making posi
selves, along with providing a beacon o f
mestic Violence, serves as a domestic vio
tive choices in their lives. It’s
inspiration for future generations.
lence public educator and is a former emer
amazing to witness the amount
Staci Cotier
gency service director for Womenspace in
o f creativity that comes from
Eugene. This experience has helped her pro
Organization: Founder and Director o f
people who have so often been
vide links to service providers by developing
Open Hand Self-Defense Center, 2926 N.E.
told they aren’ t smart, they aren ’ t
Through her poetry . Rochell Hart gives a voice to a
and m aintaining dom estic/fam ily violence
Alberta, 503-493-1000.
creative- it’slikehelpingtoopen
generation
o f women overlooked by contemporary America
n e tw o r k s in d iv e rs e c o m m u n itie s .
Mission: Open Hand is a school that
a whole new world."
B ridgette, along with her sta ff and volun
teaches physical, verbal, intemal/emotional
2000, I was the keynote speaker for the
Sonie’ the One and Only!
teers have deep roots in the northeast
and community self-defense with an empha
W
om en o f Color Caucus with the N ational
Sonie's
Playground:
Radio
jockey
jockette
Portland com m unity.
sis on conflict resolution and leadership de
C
oalition
Against Domestic Violence.
M
ission:
The
African
A
m
erican
Provid
memberofJammin95.5FM’s5:30a.m
-
10a.m.
velopment. Their mission is to provide these
The
Spring
V alley (NY) D om estic V io
ers
N
etw
ork
provides
a
strong,
unified
radio
show.
skills and resources to the under served and
lence
Institute
is bringing me to town for an
voice,
dedicated
to
the
reduction
o
f
domes
Mission:
As
the
only
female
member
o
f
a
those who feel undeserved women. Staci has
event
geared
at
young women and men with
tic/family
violence
through
an
intensive
pro
testosterone
drenched
morning
program
,
been teaching self-defense for 14 years, and
the
purpose
o
f
keeping
them out o f abusive
gram
o
f
education,
netw
orking,
consultation,
Sonie
has
her
work
cut
out
for
her.
When
created Open Hands in Sept. 1999.
relationships.”
training,
technical
assistance
and
referrals.
The
she’s
not
telling
the
other
members
o
f
the
Quote from Staci: “Self-defense keeps me
l2aBUHESB3
3
Game Supports
Scholarship Fund
Billy Moore (from left) and Charles Washington
Publisher o f the Portland Observer join Jammin ’
95.5’s DJ Mario Devoe and Julian Massbenburg at
the microphone during the 2nd Annual Joyce
Washington Memorial Scholarship game. The
March ¡7 event was held to assist minority high
school students transitioning from high school to
college with an interest in Business, English,
Journalism or Athletics.
(S ee more photos and coverage , page B8)
I
t