(Elje Jlortlanò (ßbseruer Page A8 lune 04. 2003 lUMMONINC THE SPHUTf OF AFRKd Feedback Wanted on City Priorities Woodlawn students Marcus Henry (left) and Regina Hall perform with Kukatonon Children's African Dance Troupe at the Blaz ers playoff game against the Maver icks on April 27. The troupe will give a spring fundraising performance on Friday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at the SEI Auditorium, 3920 N. Kirby Ave. The A frican A m erican, H ispanic and Philippine A m e ric an C h a m b e r o f C o m m e rc e o f O re g o n would like to invite the pub- lic to a discussion on m ak ing im p ro v em en tsto City o f Portland public involve ment efforts. The m eeting will take place on T hursday, June 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m . at the King N eighborhood Facility, Community Court R o o m ,4 8 1 5 N .E . 7,hAve. The C ityw ide Public In v o lv e m e n t S ta n d a r d s Taskforce is sponsoring the session. For m ore inform ation please contact Brian Hoop at the City o f Portland, O f fice o f Neighborhood In volvem ent, 503-823-3075 or by email to Brian Hoop at bhoop@ci.portland.or.us. photos by J eff H inds The Kukatonon Children’s African Dance Troupe have been dancing to bring the spirit o f Africa to Portland for more than 20 years and will again dazzle audiences with their talents at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 13 with a Spring Fundraising Performance at the SEI Audito rium. W ith o u t any co rp o ra te sp o n so rsh ip W oodlaw n second grade teacher Rolia Manyongai, a Liberian immigrant, has dedi cated herself to involving the volunteer ef forts o f local African drummers and choreog raphers to orchestrate shows for the children and spread the culture o f Africa to a wider audience. After an April 27 halftime performance by Kukatonon at the Blazers' playoff game against the M avericks, M anyongai’s 80-year-old mother said she felt the spirits o f ancestors must have been called by the African drum ming and dancing to inspire the players. In order to raise funds to ensure the troupe can continue to dance next year, the public is invited to attend the performance at SEI. Tick ets ate $ 12.50 for adults and $6.50 for children. To get tickets in advance or to make a contri bution, call Woodlawn School at 503-916-6282. M NNHMNMMMM cJle&Ult P ua A j u ÌA. Fearless W o m a n Stands U p fo r H e r R ace "Helping you pursue your health and fitness goals" We cordially extend an... Although her paper was burned down, nothing would stop Ida B Wells-Barnet from promot ing the causes o f African Americans. inttoxlhud&uf. • B.A., H ealth & Fitness M anagem ent (5) Personal Training sessions: $25 ea. or... Friends and Family Training Sessions $30 Featuring Indoor Cycle & Circuit Training (Maximum three persons per group session) | For more information or an appointment, call: M .P .H . (P h y s ic a l A c tiv ity a n d R isk R e d u c tio n (currently enrotlpd) C ertified Personal Trainer, A.C.E. Group Aerobic Instructor, A.F.A.A. 23 Years Experience Weight Lifting & Body Building 503-5/3-97/5 or Email: HealthPursuits@excite.com by R on W ebber T he P ortland O bserver CWH Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health A program of the African American Health Coalition Inc Sponsored by fhe CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Wellness Within REACH: Mind, Body, and Soul Activity Calendar A il classes are free o f charge! 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Nanagetaenl fambtwmng 9:00 1 0 :0 0 » Hasan • 9 0 0 lO O fl» H«an ‘ Must be 21 or older to participate Please check with AAHC before showing up Io the first class 503-413-1850 Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class ffrneet inside Lloyd Center In front of Sears «K AAHC I Barnett lectured throughout America and Europe, speaking to audiences in England. Scotland and Wales. Crowds were stunned when they heard tales o f African Americans being beaten, burned, shot and lynched. Philadelphia, a group o f white ar sonists set her newspaper building on fire and left a message that i f she returned to the south she would be burned alive. Knowing she could carry out her campaign from anywhere in the country, Ida’s next stop was New York City. Here she became a col umnist and part ow ner o f the ‘New York A ge.’ Barnett authored several books, including ‘Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases’ and ‘A Red- PORTLAND AREA HIV SERVICES COUNCIL SEEKS NEW MEMBERS! Nickerson Nickerson Wt Management Though the guns o f the Civil War were now silent, activist Ida B. W ells-Barnet was anything but quiet. He post-war efforts at equal ity for both women and blacks lead her to become a journalist, social worker, feminist and fiery orator. Most noted for her late nine teenth century and early twentieth century anti-lynching campaign, Wells- Barnett first became an edu cator as a young woman. After being kicked out o f a first-class train car and told she had to sit in a “Jim Crow” car, Ida switched ca reers and became a full-time civil rights advocate. In 1889 Barnett became editor and part owner o f a black newspa per, the ‘Free Speech and Head light.’ Her continual “angry pro test editorials” brought her a name as a fearless journalist. Soon after Ida’s 13"'birthday. three of her black friends were killed by a Tennessee mob. Their only crime was to have opened up a successful grocery store in Memphis. The men faced a cold-blooded murder on March 9, 1892. This was a turning point in Barnet’s life. Ida became a one-woman army, fighting lynchings from both the pulpit and the press. However, her hot temper and strong words became too much for her opponents in Memphis. Be sides stirring up a lot o f anger from the white community due to her outspokenness on prejudice and racism, Ida publ ished an article stat ing it was possible for a white man to be attracted to a black woman. Many o f her white opponents were outraged. Soon after this, while she was attending an A frican-M ethodist Episcopal Church Convention in This volunteer group identifies HIV care needs, prioritizes $3.3 million in federal funding, and conducts long- range planning. Multnomah County Chairperson appoints members; 1/3 must be persons living with HIV. Please call for information. Deadline for applications is June 11,2003. For information and applications, please contact: African American Health Coalition, Inc. 2800 N Vancouver Ave . Suite 100 • Portland OR 97227 • Phone 503-413-1850 E-mail kdempsey@aahc-portland org • Web www aahe-portland org Portland Area HIV Services Planning Council: (503)988-3030,ext. 225. 4 Record: Tabulated Statistics, and Alleged Causes o f lynchings in the United States,’ which had fourprint- ings between 1892 and 1895. However, she will be most re membered for her anti-lynching campaign and the fact that she helped start the National Associa tion for the Advancement o f Col ored People(NAACP)in 1910. That same year she founded the Negro Fellowship League, which helped young black men in need with lodg ing and job services B arnett lectured throughout America and Europe, speaking to audiences in England, Scotland and Wales. Crowds were stunned when they heard tales o f African Ameri cans being beaten, burned, shot and lynched. By the mid-1890s after she had returned from Europe, Barnett toured the mid-western states, leaving no stone unturned. Thanks to her, news o f the horrible treatment towards black people spread quickly through out the North and also to the western territories o f the country. Spectators were shocked with what they heard. Many started their own anti-racist and anti-lynching campaigns after hearing her speak. Just weeks prior to the summer 1919 Chicago riots, Ida published an article warning the city o f pos sible unrest and how to prepare for it. Had the town paid attention to her, the situation may have not been so bad in the end. However, city officials ignored her and that summ er saw one o f the bloodiest riots in U.S. history. After more than a 30-year exile from the south, this flamboyant activist, editor, publisher and ora tor returned in 1922 to investigate the case o f the black farmers who were indicted for murder in the Ar kansas Race Riot. Although she died on March 25, 1931, the legacy o f Ida B. Wells- Bamett still stands tall today. A hous ing project in Chicago has been namedafterher. She wasalso named one o f the twenty-five most out standing women in Chicago’s his tory, and thecity ofMemphis placed ahistorical marker in her honorat the place where the ‘Free Speech ’ news paper offices once stood. Barnett’s death from uremia, a kidney disease, may have ended her physical presence here on this earth, but fond memories o f all that she did for her race will be her for eternity. Her autobiography was edited and published posthumously by her daughter Alfreda Duster. Ron Webber is a retired electri cian and frequent writer and speaker on African American his tory He is a regular contributor to The Portland Observer.