Committed to Cultural Diversity
www.portlandobserver.com
March 12. 2003
A Voice for Reparations
Youth Summit Connection
Portland Parks and Recreation will
host its 13* Annual Youth Sum­
mit Connection on Thursday,
March 13 from 8:30a.m. to noon at
Self Enhancement Inc., 3920 N.
Kirby. The Youth Summit is a
collaboration o f organizations,
community members and busi­
nesses striving to provide leisure
alternatives to Portland metropoli­
tan area youth. This year’s work­
shop theme ‘W hat About the
Children?' will focus on what has
been accomplished through past
successes. Food and refresh­
ments will be served. For more
information, call 503-823-5108.
by D avid P eel h i .
T h e P o rtland O bserver
For a local bookstore owner and
self-described organizer O.B. Hill,
the issue of reparations isn't only
about justice; it's also about fam­
ily-
Hill has traced his own family
history to an expansive southern
plantation of the late IQ"1 century.
Hill has figured that several hun­
dred years ago his ancestors were
plucked from the African continent
and bound against their will for a
life of hard labor and little freedom.
"Forcibly taking someone else is
a violation of their human rights,"
Hill said. "If people can understand
that, that’s a good beginning."
Hill is counting on the power of
truth and information to find re­
spite from the devastating effects
of 300 years of brutal slavery and
biased economic systems that have
set African Americans up to be
held down and pushed around.
But the first step in this struggle
is understanding exactly what repa­
rations means and why the issue
bum s more intensely now than it
ever has in the past.
"You really can’t make decisions
or corrections until you know what
you are dealing with,” Hill said.
H istorians, sociologists, psy­
chologists and economists will be
equally important partners he said,
in a study o f the past and present
that could filter into public policy
changes and possible financial com­
pensation for descendents o f slaves
As head o f the Northwest Re­
gional Reparations Campaign, Hill
continued
on page B5
Reparations advocate Sabriah Rahimah sings a song called
“Peace ’ during a conference organized to inform the public
about repayment to descendents o f slaves for the work o f their
ancestors.
> Reduce the Risk of Breast
Cancer
The Providence Cancer Center’s
Integrative Medicine Program will
host a free public forum on how to
use nutrition and exercise to re­
duce the risk of breast cancer on
Thursday, March 13 from 7 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. in the M other Gamelin
Room at the Providence Milwaukie
Hospital, 10150S.E. 32nd Ave.The
forum will discuss how eating
certain foods and maintaining a
healthy body weight through ex­
ercising can help deter cancer.
For more information, call 503-
216-4687.
SUN Family Health Day
Immunizations, health screenings,
strength assessments and dental
checks are just a few o f the free
services to be offered at the SUN
School Family Health Day to be
held on Saturday, March 15 from
10a.m. to2p.m. at H.B. Lee Middle
School, 1121 NE 172nd. There will
also be blood pressure and vision
checks, free family first aid kits
and information in English and
Spanish on a variety o f health-
related topics. For more inform a­
tion call 503-255-5686.
Women's Day Celebration
Radical Women hosts a celebra­
tion of International W om en's
, Day with insurgent songs, poetry
and political commentary. In soli­
darity with the day’s national anti­
war activities, w om en's rights
rebels will challenge Bush’s war
at home and abroad. Saturday,
March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Bread and
R o ses
C e n te r,
8 19
N.
Killingsworth. A Middle Eastern
buffet, with vegan and vegetarian
options, will be served at 6 p.m. for
a $7 donation.
Juneteenth Celebration
Meeting
The House o f Exodus Juneteenth
Association invites those inter­
ested in forming the Juneteenth
Vending Com mittee to attend a
meeting Wednesday, March 19 at
7 p.m. at the McCoy Academy
located at 3802 Martin Luther King
Jr. Blvd. For more information, call
503-281-9597.
Band Fund Raiser
The Evergreen High School Band
and Colorguard has been selected
to represent the State of Washing­
ton in the American Salute to the
Veterans of WWII in Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii in June o f2003. In order to
defray the cost of attendance, the
Evergreen Band Boosters will hold
a fundraiser benefit show featuri ng
the Patrick Lamb Band with Debra
Crowe and comedian Angel Ocasio.
The show will take place in the
Evergreen High School Audito­
rium , 14300 NE 18th St, in
Vancouver, Wa. on Friday, March
21 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for
adults and $12 for students and
seniors available through Fastixx
bycalling I -800-992-TIXX. Formore
information, call 360-256-9015.
*
photos by D avid
P i . echi / T he P ortland O bserver
The Jefferson Dancers practice for an upcoming tour in France. The Jefferson High School-based group will depart Portland on Monday. March 15 for two
performances in the European country.
D ance to France
by D avid P i . echi ,
T h e P o rtland O bserver
The posters are up. The Jefferson
Dancers are coming - to France that is.
These talented young artists have
a date with destiny and a welcoming
foreign audience eager to experience
the panache of one o f the most tal­
ented dance groups around.
“T hey’ve worked hard for it,” said
Dede Priest, the com pany’s m anager.
Based at Jefferson High School in Artistic Director Steve Gonzales is
north Portland, the dancers are com ­ largely responsible for the dancers'
prised o f students from several Port­ current level o f professionalism.
land area schools. The troupe was
invited to France after the father of a
former dancer saw the company dance
recently at the Portland Art Museum.
Impressed, he sought to bring them
to his daughter's hometown in the
Jefferson Dancers have been rehears­
ing double time since they g ot word
about their travels abroad.
Hard work lands Jefferson Dancers
an international performance
Name
That
Bridge
south of France.
The dancers will depart Portland
on Monday, March 15. They’ve been
working with artistic director Steve
Gonzales at a feverish pace ever since
they heard the news.
“This is awesome," said Gonzales,
who was instrumental in bringing the
dance group up to its current level of
professionalism. "Their eyes are go­
ing to be opened to a whole new
world.”
The dancers haven’t toured inter­
nationally since 1988 when the group
traveled to Russia for a handful of
performances.
In fact, for many of the kids, the trip
to France will be their first jaunt out­
side U.S. borders.
continued
on page B3
Legislators to Host Town Hall
15 from 10a.m. to noon at the Baltazar F. Ortiz
( 'ommunity ( ’enter at6736NE Ki Uingsworth.
These legislators have decided to follow
up on their last joint Town Hall held in
January when over 200 people participated
to address issues the state faces.
“We need to focus on where and how to
Senator Avel Gordly along with repre­ raise new revenue, not just where and how
sentatives Jackie Dingfelder and Steve to make horrible cuts," Gordly said. "Tax
March will hold a Town Hall to discuss reform is the key to resolving the crisis that
constituent concerns on Saturday, March the State is facing.”
The public is
encouraged to attend
and voice opinions
about issues of concern
TriMet is seeking ideas for name o f the 4. OOO-foot MAX light rail bridge that
spans between the Kenton neighborhood and the Portland International Raceway.
Make your suggestions by calling Amber Ontiveros at 503-962- 7662 or emailing
r, March 31.
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