Page A 7
May 15,2002
Lamar “Dewayne"
Gibson adjusts the
shelves one last
time at Emmanuel
Temple's
Renaissance
Market. Gibson said
employment at the
market helped him
turn his life around.
photo
by
D avid
P lechi / T he P ortland
O bserver
Ceasefire Oregon
Collects Guns
continued
from Front
T he site had co llected 41
guns by noon. A ll the guns
w ill h a v e s e ria l n u m b e rs
ch ecked to see if they w ere
stolen o r som ehow involved
in a crim e. If the gun turns up
a red flag, it is set aside as
evid en ce and catalo g ed by
P ortland Police. O therw ise,
all guns are destroyed.
O ne young m an w ho saw
the co llectio n as he d rove by,
cam e back later to turn in a
rifle and a shotgun. H e and
his w ife ju s t had a baby and
he d id n ’t w ant the guns in the
house anym ore.
“ I’ve been w anting to do it
fo r a w h ile," he said.
A c c o rd in g to C e a se fire ,
one in four A m erican hom es
co ntain at least on handgun,
and handguns kill ld c h ild re n
every day.
School, Neighborhood Launch
Annual Multi-Cultural Fair
Renaissance Market to Close
continued
from Front
acq u ire co m m ercial lots on
N orth A lbina, K illin g sw o rth
and Jessup; and several hom es
on N orth K erby, K illingsw orth
C ourt, A lbina and M ississippi.
The process has raised ques
tions about the sensitivity of
cam pus policies and the school’s
practice o f acquiring properties
for cam pus expansion.
B ish o p Sam uel Irv in g , se
n io r p a sto r o f the C h ristian
L ife C h ristian C enter, an A fri
can A m erican c h u rch a d ja
cent to the co lleg e on N orth
A lbina, said the school treated
his co n g reg atio n unfairly. Irv
ing e v en tu ally sold th e p ro p
erty to PC C and is now in the
pro cess o f m oving.
He said the c h u rch “was
forced to accept less than we
w anted.”
Executive Dean o f the C as
ca d e C a m p u s, D r. M ild red
O llee, says the school has been
sensitive to the concerns o f the
com m unity.
She cites four forum s at the
college where neighbors were
invited to com e and voice their
concerns and take an active
part in the design o f the cam
pus. She claim s com m unity
Grocers to Unified Grocers.
“W e w ere hurting a little and
starting to turn things around,
then we ran into the college,”
W ells said
He explained that the store
w ould have needed a cash infu
sion from A lbina Bank to stay
We were hurting a little and
starting to turn things around,
then we ran into the college
— Bishop A. A. Wells, Emmanuel Temple Church.
view s have influenced policy.
“W e try to be good neigh
bors,” Ollee said. “W e see our
selves as part o f the com m u
nity.”
W ells admits that his market
has struggled economically. He
blames recent loses on switching
from a problematic Associated
on its feet and, “w ould have
stayed open,” but in light of
lagging discussions w ith the
college, that m oney proved un
tim ely and difficult to secure.
W hen the market opened its
doors in 1996, W ells says he
was unaw are o f any desire of
PCC to acquire the property.
Many o f the em ployees that
make up the Renaissance M ar
ket come from troubled back
grounds.
S to re
M anger
R ic h
M u rc h in s o n sp o k e o f th e
R enaissances’ long-term vision
as a training hub for the disad
vantaged.
“M ost em ployers," M urchin
son said, “don’t w ant to give
so m e o n e a se c o n d c h a n c e .
H ere, I’ve seen lives turned
com pletely around.”
One such life i s that o f L am ar
“D ew ayne” Gibson.
G ibson cam e to the store
a lm o st fo u r y e a rs ago. H e
c o u ld n ’t keep a jo b and w as
involved w ith gangs and drugs.
He d escribes the R enaissance
as “a relief from that lifesty le.”
M u rc h in s o n n o w c a lls
G ibson his “right hand m an.”
“ T h a t’s w h a t I ’m m o st
proud o f,” M uchinson said.
“Nobody else took the tim e to
talk.”
Black Author Leads
Discussion on N-Word
world folk, zydeco, Native-
A m erican flute, and gospel
hip hop. A G randfathers Rib-
O ff Challenge will offer deli
cious barbecue from a host of
Portland vendors com peting
for tastiest ribs as selected by
a blind jury.
O ther activities Saturday in
clude an indotir children’s the
ater by the H igher Stages Arts
A cadem y, skateboard dem os
by the D epartm ent o f Skate
board, a bug zoo exhibit by
the O regon Zoo, and a trike
race for anyone w ho can sit
on a tricycle race, sponsored
by the Early H ead Start Fam
ily Center.
In addition, there will be
local crafts and a com m unity
garage sale offering unique
and inexpensive treasures.
B usinesses along the newly
revitalized Mississippi Avenue
will show off the restaurants,
florists and retail shops re
cently remodeled in this north
Portland neighborhood.
For more inform ation, con
tact M issy Schachner at 503-
916-6171
The Blacte. C u ltu ra L A ffa ir s dotted
ii/uvltes you tojoLiAz us
b e c a u se w e u n d e rsta n d the
A black educator and author,
boundaries of the term. The unof
Randall Kennedy will be discuss
ficial rule maintains that it is ac
ing the provocative subject of his
ceptable for no other than Afri
latest book entitled “nigger: The
can-Americans to comfortably
Strange Career of a Troublesome
use the term. This can be described
W ord,” on Friday, May 17 at 5
as a mechanism for empowerment.
p.m. in Hoffman Hall at Portland
Taking a term that was used to
State University.
devalue what you represent, then
In his book, Kennedy, a pro
neutralizing its negative meaning
fessor at Harvard Law School,
to symbolize support and camara
dicusses the several complexities
derie created freedom, in a sense.
associated with the “N-word.”
So who is right in this debate?
He chronicles the term by cit
Randall
Kennedy suggests that
ing how its use and intent has
the “N-word” is
evolved w ithin
usable by any
Am erican soci X He chronicles the
one. He b e
ety, which has ul
term
by
citing
how
its
lieves is a word,
timately led to a
just
like all oth
use
and
intent
has
p a ssio n a te d e
ers,
in the En
bate o v er who
evolved within
glish
language.
has the right to
American
society...
A
ccording
to
use the term, if
him .ifw eareto
a n y o n e. T h is
examine and analyze the root of
question challenges one of the
race relations, we cannot ignore
most fundamental American rights
the most blatant reminder of the
- freedom of speech. Nonethe
volatile climate in which the word
less, African Americans across
has its origin. Kennedy explains
the country seem to be unified
this concept through an example
about the idea of exclusively own
using the Holocaust. As he states,
ing the rights to use the word.
how can one explore and ulti
From the courtrooms of the le
mately learn from this horrific event
gal justice system to the lyrics of
without coming face to face with
hip-hop songs, the “N-word” has
the most graphic and unsettling
an undeniable influence on the
images that characterized that
lives of many Americans, and
period. Here we are, in the 21”
rightly so. Nigger is the definitive
century, and the “N-word” still
term of the oppression African-
possesses the power to aggra
Americans have been subjected
vate some peoples’ comfort levek
to ever since the torturous boat
This is one word that has the
rides of the middle passage. The
potential to ignite fury great
energy exuded from the term
enough to cause racial divide
fiercely articulates the relation
needs to be discussed and ana
between white privilege and the
lyzed. Y oung people should
attempt to rape a people of its
com m unicate with the elders so
culture and identity. But we seem
th at u n d erstan ding can take
to have become de sensitized from
place. Black people and w hite
the fatalistic intent of which the
people need to engage in dia
word was bom.
logue so that tolerance and ac
Modem society, particularly
ceptance will em erge. The co n
young and middle age African-
versation dealing with the “N-
Americans, have embraced the “N-
w ord” is critical to race relations
word” within their intimate circle
and intra-race relations because
of companions. We justify using
its historical context lim its the
the term by making it a word that
opportunity for us to grow as a
binds, rather than a word that
community.
breaks. There is merit in this stance
I
The first annual Portland
Multi-Cultural Festival, Thurs
day, M ay 16 through Satur
day, M ay 18, will celebrate
Boise-Eliot Elementary School
and historic North M ississippi
Avenue with live music, multi
cultural food and children’s
activities.
The school is celebrating
its 75th anniversary and more
than 20 years as a strong m ulti
cultural magnet school.
Thursday activities at the
school located at 630 N. Fre
m o n t in c lu d e a m o rn in g
storybook parade. M ulti-cul
tural kid-friendly activities are
scheduled after school, from
5 p.m. to 8 p.m „
Friday night events will in
augurate the new ly opened
Mississippi Rising Ballroom at
M ississippi and Shaver with a
com m unity talent show and
outdoor movie starting at 7
p.m .
O n Saturday, M ississippi
Avenue features a main stage
with entertainm ent scheduled
for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m ., to in
clude India rock, gospel jazz,
Randall Kennedy
Professor, Harvard Law School
Author ofu nigger:
The Strange Career of a
Troublesome Word”
nigger
Friday, May 17th
J/.w. Author o f "Race, Crime and
the Law "
Robert F. Kennedy Book Award
Talk begins at 5:00 PM
_ .......
Portland State University, Hoffman Hall
(On campus, near Community Ree. Field)
Talking about the A W T !
♦ W ho is allowed to use the term, if anyone?
♦ How does the “Nword” influence the legal justice system?
♦ Does the word have the same meaning today as it did during racial
segregation?
ReflecMeni Beefcttere, Ipeebevt Beard, Office ef t Indent A ffe ln ,
For m ore Inform ation call
SO3.72S.566O
I
f