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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2004)
Page A4 (Clje Jlortlanò ©bseruer O pinion Portland Observer Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer E n i r ti t i n -C h 1 1 1 ,P u i L i Charles USPS 959-680 H. í h i i D I K g c T o r Paul Neufeldt C t u r n /t Washington E D IT O t Michael Leighton Established 1970 O The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and w ill be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope A ll created design display ads become the sole property o f the new spaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent o f the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition o f such ad. © 1996 THE PO R TLAN D OBSERVER A L L R IG H T S RESER VED. R E P R O D U C T IO N IN W H O L E O R IN PAR T W IT H O U T P E R M IS S IO N IS P R O H IB IT E D . M « n a c c r Kathy Linder t t ic i 4747 NE Martin Luther King. Jr. Blvd., D IS T R IB U T IO N Portland. OR 97211 M A N A C K R Mark Washington R e r o K T S K Jaymee R. Cuti P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer PO Box 3137 , Portland, OR 97208 P erio d ical Postage In P o rtlan d 1 , —7 OR -------- ■ Subscriptions e . ry 7 e a r ■________ ----------------- —------------------- ---- paid •—-----------------— - — ---------- . r „ « are . w $ 6 0 .0 0 r p w The Ponland O bserver-Oregon's Oldest M ulticultural P ublication-is a member o f the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Repre sentative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc, New York. N Y, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver. I 5032880033 • FAX503 288-0015 • EMAILnçw$^pQrtl^ndQ^çry^r:çQm^u^çriDtion<§>Dortlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.com There’s Power in Where You Shop ALBINA MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE Cascade B a I m ® „ ( ¡ i LIAD ARM Project Healing Worship Celebration Join us in our war against HIV/AIDS, and help break the silence in our communities. Albina Ministerial Alliance (AMA) is breaking the silence on HIV/AIDS in the African American communities by educating Christian churches in the North and Northeast community and fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS. AMA is inviting community members, pastors, ministers and missionaries to the annual local observance of the national Balm in Gilead’s Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS worship celebration. Please join us in our war against HIV/AIDS with Keynote Speaker, Vanessa Gaston, PresidentICEO Urban League of Portland on: Sunday, March 7, 4 p.m. Bethel A.M.E. Church 5828 NE Eighth Ave. Portland, Oregon FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bishop Grace Osborne, AMA Health Coordinator, (503) 281-5850, or Dr. LeRoy Haynes, Service Coordinator (503) 287-0261. 7 **A II classes are free of charge £ African American Health Coalition, Inc. \ Presents for your health, Wellness W ithin REACH Activity Calendar Aerobics Mallory Ave. Christian Church Mon, Wed, Fri, 6-7am, Pierce • 5:3O-6:2Opm, Granville • 6:30-7:30pm. Nickerson Humboldt Elementary Tue, Thu, 6-7pm, Keller Low Impact Aerobics Daniel’s Memorial Church Tue, 7:15-8:15pm, Granville Salvation Army M att Dishman Salsa Salvation Arm y Mon, 6:30-7:30pm, Henry M att Dishman Tue, Thu, 7-8am, Lois Tai Chi Salvation Arm y Wed, 6:30-7:30pm, Lyles Walking Group Peninsula Park Sat, 12:30pm, Woods African Dance M att Dishman Sat. 10 -1 1 am. Addo W eight M gnt./Conditioning U. of Portland Indoor Track Tue, Thu, 9-IOam, Hasan Body Conditioning W ild Oats Market Sat, 9:30-10:30am, Nickerson Yoga W ild Oats Market Tue, Thu, 7:30-8:30pm, O'Rourke Pilates M att Dishman Mon. 12:15-1:15pm, Jenkins March 03.2004 Support businesses that add to our economic base by F aye M. B urch -W ilson expected to shop in the new stores given the opportunity to partici The focus on Black History but not benefit from the enormous pate fully we will send our own kids places the achievements o f Afri amount of work required to de to college” and we will help to sup can-Americans in the spotlight and velop, design and open a new store. port the critical non profit organiza increases appreciation of the sig Are these national retailers with tions with our dollars and civic nificant contributions of African certification barriers asking the voluntarism efforts. Americans. As inventors, scien people hired to build those stores to Ladies who are card-carrying tists, creative thinkers, writers and come back to this community and members of the “Shop-till -Y ou - authors, artists, educators, profes shop? No they are not. However, Drop C lu b ” are you investing in sional practitioners, entrepreneurs, they are expecting you to buy from stores that in turn make an invest politicians, developers, contractors, them and keep them in business. ment in your immediate commu service providers, home owners and What happens if you decide not nity? Many o f our students have business owners; the importance to invest in building the wealth of complained that no students from of these contributions should not retailers who choose not to invest North and Northeast Portland High be ignored. or share some of the benefits with Schools are getting callbacks to Equally significant is the collec the community? What return and work for the Lloyd Center shops tive purchasing-power of A frican- benefit should you get for your and retailers. We saw recently on Americans. buying power?The retail chain that 60 Minutes that some stores are We are a very important con invests in ourcommunity, hires local targeting a very different consumer. sumer base. Collectively, the buy residents and contracts with the If they are losing interest in the ing power of African Americans in local contractors and small commu urban minority buyer and courting Oregon has doubled in the last 10 nity-based businesses and who the suburban shoppers, we have a years to over $938 million dollars. give back by supporting our civic choice to make as well. The Hispanic communities, in O r organizations and issues deserves Shifting emphasis and creating egon, now have $3.9 billion dollars and has earned our support and an image more suited to the major in buying power. Collectively Afri consumer dollars. ity community which is seen as an can Americans, Asians, Latinos, Consider the actions of your lo- ideal customer, is a business deci- and Native Americans will purchase over $2 trillion dollars nationally. This is important because we all have choices about what we pur chase and where we will spend our dollars. However, until we make better and more informed purchas ing decisions and realize the power we hold individually and collec tively our communities will not move forward and benefit directly from that purchasing base. — Faye M. Burch-Wilson, African-American construction We would be well served by project manager and business consultant creating and supporting a strong locally -based economic agenda. cal banks, whether the Bank of sion the retailer is free to make. As Whe n y ou ha ve to make a choice Umpqua, Wells Fargo or US Bank a consumer, we enjoy the same about where to purchase your gro are allowing our contractors and freedom of choice. We can chose to ceries or personal items from retail resident-owned businesses to part shop and patronize only th o se ’ ers consider whether or not African ner with them to build and expand stores that hire and support the Americans are employed by the their operations. If these financial minoritycommunity. In sharp con businesses, are visible in entry level institutions are not willing to share trast to this kind o f approach, and management positions and the wealth with the community per- Nordstrom has an elegant Black whether African Americans partici haps the community should make History month photography exhibit pated in the construction and/or different choices. in the middle of their Lloyd Center expansion to facilities. Bank of America is making a lobby. It is their way of acknowl O f the new sites currently under statement by sponsoring the infa edging A frican-A m ericans and construction or recently co n mous and valued art exhibit the showing respect for African-Ameri structed such as Interstate Fred Hewitt African American Art col can as a valued customer. M eyer, T rader Jo e ’s, Z upans, lection on exhibit at Portland State Art exhibits and photography W algreen’s or QEC’s, consider if University. We thank you for that exhibits once a year are wonderful local residents and local minority but we also want you to promote and exciting but we want ourcom contractors were given an oppor home ownership, lend money to munity to participate in the eco tunity to participate in building the our development projects and fi nomic distribution of wealth all year new stores. nance our business ventures. As long. This has to be about more What you may not be aware of is an example. Albina Banks’ mission than who has the right pictures on many of the nationally -know n re is to participate in the resurgence of their walls. Look around and be tail chains like Walgreen stores have our com m unity. They em ploy come more aware of you influence a national certification program. This people from our community and and use it wisely. kind of certification requirement is appoint community residents to Remember to use local African a significant barrier to locally held their board. These institutions are American owned businesses for construction businesses and local partnering with the community and goods and services. Use your buy contractors because it precludes profiting and prospering from those ing power where it counts. Let’s their participation. These national strong community partnerships. build an economic base for our retail chains import skilled labor Many big businesses think the community. Support businesses from outside of the communities in answer is to sprinkle a few scholar who give their support to you! which they are building and ex ships around ourcommunity hut if Faye M. Burch-Wilson is an ac panding their operations. we are given the opportunity to complished African-American con The retailer makes the decision participate in the economic benefit struction project manager and lo to adopt practices and policies that as a colleague of mine, Andre Baugh cal business consultant who pro exclude the local residents who are also a consultant said, “if we are motes diversity in the workplace. Consider whether or not African Americans are employed by the businesses, are visible in entry level and management positions and whether African Americans participated in the construction. b etter le the <3cdit0r: Daniel's Memorial Church. 1234 NE Killingsworth (12th & Killingsworth) Peninsula Park, 700 N Portland Humboldt Elementary. 1915 N Gantenbem Malory Avenue Christian Church (Gym), 126 NE Alberta Salvation Army. 5325 N Williams U. of Portland Indoor Track. 500 N Willamette Wild Oats Market. 3535 NE 15th Matt Dishman. 77 NE Knott Must be 21 or older to participate. Please contact AAHC before showing up to the first class and for more information at 503-413-1850 or kdempsey@aahc-portland.org. Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class. R a c ia l an d E th n ic A p p r o a c h « to C o m m u n ity H e a lth A Program of the African American Health Coalition. Inc Sponsored Oy the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Contact AAHC at 5 0 3 -4 13 - 1 ISO or visit our web site at www.aahc-portfand.org Nomination is No Joke I am writing this letter in refer ence to the nomination of R Kelly for an NAACP image award. The very first time I heard about it. the thought that came to me. was this is just someone playing a very crude joke, but after a little investigation. I found out that the nomination is as real as it gets. When I picked myself up off the floor I realized that the people who let this nomihation even make it to the table or have this up for discus sion are the real joke. Unless I missed the redefining of i image along the way somewhere, I personally find this embarrassing, and downright shameful for this to goon, coming from an organization with a rich tradition in serving and standing up for the right values and moral threads of ourcommunity. Let it be understood that no means am I judging Mr. Kelly. But you would think that in a room full of people, that apparently have been chosen to be there because of the ability to make decent intellectual decisions, one or maybe two would have stood up and said, you know folks, this may not be the best idea until we find out if Mr. Kelly will be exonerated from thechargesofchild pornography, so we will have to block this nomination by any means necessary. After going this path with the R Kelly nomination, it only affirms that the questions of credibility, purpose and mission of this organi zation in certain situations are ab solutely valid. Paul Knauls Jr. Northeast Portland
