Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2003)
whe jgortlawì» ffibgeruer celebrates Black History Month Februay26.2003 B lo ck H is to ry M onth -fil Northeast Displacement Stirs Passion n ■ Re . rv f 4 w Page A3 4 1960s photo o f Black Panther chairman Bobby Seale (left), wearing a Colt .45 pistol, and Huey Newton, the militant organization's defense minister, with a bandoleer and shotgun. ---------------- Ex-Panthers Work to Preserve Legacy v' (A P)— The sleek leather jacket, o f his projects. black beret and ,45-caliber pistol If young people “really took a fiobby Seale packed in the 1960s close look” at the Panthers’ record, •re gone now. Seale says, “they’ll be able to un - In their place, the former Black derstand how they have to stand 'Panther Party chairman sports a against all forms of discrimination.” dbniin shirt and, over his graying The Panthers, founded by Seale fitiir, a baseball capemblazoncd with and Huey Newton amid the turmoil *?Bobbyquescale.eom" — the Web o f the 1960s, were a dramatic coun address forhis barbecue cookbook. terpoint to nonviolent civil rights •. Now 66 and back in thecity where leaders such as Martin Luther King the Panthers got their start, Seale Jr. The rifle-toting group sparked still speaks passionately about the fear and controversy when it began Social revolution the group es monitoring police brutality in mostly poused. black neighborhoods by “patrol And he's trying hard to influ ling the pigs.” ence how the Panthers — who cap The Panthers are often remem tured the imagination o f young bered for their gun fights with po blacks and scared many white lice, resulting in casualties among A m ericans— are remembered by a continued on page A 6 new generation. But that's just one photus by D avid P lechl /T he P ortland O bserver A Town Hall meeting follows the screening o f “Northwest Passage, ’ a story about housing issues in north and northeast Portland. co n tin u ed fr o m F ront But during the 90s the gang scare cooled down and rising co sts elsew h e re in P o rtlan d pushed first-time homeowners and young professionals into in ner north and northeast neigh borhoods. "Gentrification is a reasonable and logical economic process,” M illner said. City Councilman Erik Sten reit erated the point that while the precess may cause costs to rise, the negative effect of multiple va cancies and abandoned houses will wreak havoc on any neigh borhood. “You need people to move in and live in those houses,” Sten said. But as homeowners moved in and slumlords were pushed out. the cost o f housing rose. Neighborhood groups like the Boise Neighborhood Association realized the importance o f estab lishing low income and affordable housing. The group was an advocate for renters and supported housing for the low-income market. But the policy presented another kind of problem. Some o f the new housing developments led to increased drug dealing and gang activity. The neighborhood association then changed direction, deciding to favor home ownership. Panelist Sheila Holden said it was clear in the 80s that northeast Portland was ‘a diamond in the rough.’ “It just needed to be polished as one o f the gems of the city,” she said. Holden said displacement could be offset by home ownership. “T hat’s where we need to get to," she said. But Holden added that a lack of understanding or appreciation for the people that have called this community home for decades is undermining the potential for de velopment without forced removal. “We need to find the language and tools to manage development effectively,” she said. Audience members took it one step further to say that even before ownership in the community can be considered jobs must be secure. Don Strong was laid off from his school district position as a custo dian. He also came to the event to speak up in defense o f secure em ployment as a means to home ow n ership. “Where are our living wage jobs going?" he asked. Michael Broussard says good jobs is key to keeping local residents from being displaced by high housing costs. Strong had to sell his home in St. Johns after being laid off. He now rents in an area notorious for gang and drug activity. L ocal re s id e n t M ic h ae l Broussard also showed up to say that without jobs home ownership is downright impossible. "We need shelter," Broussard said. "It’s up to the people o f this city.” Even filmmakerComelius Swart said when he started making the film he thought the simple answer was to build more affordable hous ing. “I soon realized that it’s a lot more complicated than that,” he said. ‘Northeast Passage’ will be re played on Portland Cable Access Channel 30 on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. and on Monday, March 3 at 5:30p.m. MMMMMMN Budget Ax May Chop Commissions on Women, Minorities continued fr o m F ront co-chairman of the Joint Ways and M eans Committee. H is co m m ittee w ill be the first h u rd le the c o m m issio n s w ill face in next m o n th ’s budget p ro c e ss. Sen. Avel G ordly, one o f the com mittee’s 20 members, is a long- tim e supporter o f the four co m said sh e’s prepared to dism antle m issions. An A frican-A m erican, the com m issions if it com es down she sa id the groups are largely to choosing betw een them and m isunderstood. m edicine o r housing for the very But even G ordly, D -P ortland, needy. Dr. Ben Carson is the world-renoumed director o f pediatric neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland. He has pioneered techniques fo r separating conjoined twins and fo r stopping intractable seizures. • Ay NASA's first African American female astronaut, Dr. M ae Jem ison helped conduct life science experiments aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour that were designed to help prepare hum ans fo r long-term space ventures. • In 1998, Dr, D avid Satcher became only the second person in history to hold simultaneously the positions o f U.S. Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary fo r Health. • Dr. Samuel L. K ountz, Jr., developed a crucial technique fo r detecting and treating the body’s rejection o f transplanted kidneys. • A pioneer in cardiac surgery, Dr. D aniel Hale W illia m s performed the first open-heart surgery in 1893 when he removed a knife from the heart oj a stabbing victim. He also helped fo u n d a training school fo r nurses.» Dr. Louis T. W rig h t gained national acclaim as both a premier surgeon a nd a champion o f equal rights. In 1919, he became the BLACK HISTORY MONTH We salute the countless contributions that African Americans have made toward healthier lives for us all. first African American doctor appointed to the s ta ff o f a m unicipal hospital in New York City. • Dr. Charles R. D re w ’v pioneering work in blood plasma research a n d in blood banking was responsible fo r saving innumerable lives during World War II. • Dr. A lexia Irene Canada became the first African American woman to be certified by the American Board o f Neurological Surgery. She has taught at several distinguished institutions. • One o f America's most eminent P rovidence Health System biologists o f the 2 0 ^ century, Dr. Ernest E. Just wrote a book titled “The Biology o f the Cell Surface" that contributed important insights into germ cells.... A c a r in g d i f f e r e n c e y o u c a n f e e l Providence Portland Medical Center • Providence St. Vincent Medical Center • Providence Milwaukie Hospital Providence Newberg Hospital • Providence Seaside Hospital • Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Providence Medford Medical Center • Providence Health Plans • www.providence.org/oregon I
