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Good in the Neighborhood
African American Health Coalition members march
to promote good health in the community at the
Good in the Neighborhood parade Saturday on
Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
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Soleful
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S tru tters
Parade partici­
pant Michael
Harper, a Royal
Rosarian and
former Trail
Blazer, enjoyed
himself at
Good in the
Neighborhood.
V
The dance group Sole ful Strutters strut soulfully down Martin Luther
King Jr. Boulevard in the Good in the Neighborhood Parade.
C o u n tr ie s o f A f r ic a
Moors dominate former slave state
by R on W eber
T he P ortland O bserver
millet, sorghum, root crops, dates inches ot rain tai Is per year, leaving
and livestock.
rich and lush vegetation along the
Mauritania is considered a one- river banks. Here, lions and mon­
religion nation with more than 99 keys are plentiful. In contrast, very
percent of the population listed as little plant and animal life is found in
Muslim. Less than half of the male northern regions of the country.
population and only one-quarter of Threequarters of Mauritania’s work­
women can read and write. The ing population are involved with
country’s average life span is farming. Eighty percent of the coun­
less than 50 years old, with try lives in this southern region
men living to the age of 47 along the Senegal River.
. and women to 53.
Black M auritanians were the
MAURITANIA
With just more than 2.5 first to gain formal education and
T h is
large
million people, the popula­ many now hold jobs in teaching.
northwestern na­
tion density is quite sur­
With Arabic and French as the
tio n o f A fric a
prising at only five people two main languages in the coun­
reaches all the way
for every square mile. Al­ try, many citizens are bilingual.
from the S ah ara
though the average woman has 6 Although about one quarter of
Desert to the Atlantic
children, infant mortality rate is the population lives and works in
Ocean. Just north of Senegal, this close to one 1 of 10. Also causing the cities, only a small percent­
area was once a hot spot for the a decline in population numbers is age are exposed to a m odern so­
slave trade. Slaves were brought to the fact that Mauritania, like so ciety and the am enities that go
the coastal seaports by rival tribes many other African countries is with it.
far inland and sold for whatever the plagued with early adult mortality
On Nov. 28, 1960, M auritania
market would bare.
rates due to AIDS, Hepatitis, and gained its independence from
Today, M auritania is mostly many other diseases. Africa is still France. W hile politics are often
made up of moors. The moors are much behind Europe and America tribal matters. The Democratic and
classified as white and black, al­
though these terms have little to do
with color. Much of the white class
is based on land ownership, money,
and material possessions. Much of
the poorer or “black" class is no­
madic and roams the countryside
while living in tents. Mauritania
residents whose skin color actually
is black are a minority, making up
about a third of the general popula­
tion.
Large high-grade iron ore de­
posits near the town of F'derik have in many health care issues.
Social Republic Parties are gain­
become an important mineral re­
Schooling is another problem ing ground. As the country is
source in Mauritania with custom­ facing the nation. While the gov­ broken into 12 regions, much law
ers in Britain, Germany and Italy. ernment provides free schooling and policy are settled at the re­
The income from the mines pro­ for children, only about half the gional level. Although Mauritania
vides the government with a large kids actual ly attend, due to the large is somewhat behind in m odern­
portion of its revenue. Copper and number of nomadic tribes. Weather ism due to so much of the nation
phosphate are two more natural in Mauritania is another interesting being nom adic, new er genera­
resources that help Mauritania fi­ fact. Due to the fact that almost the tions are becoming impatient with
nancially. On the Atlantic coast, entire country lies within the Sa­ the old ways. Cell phones, auto­
commercial fishing brings much hara Desert, most of the nation sees mobiles, com puters and other hi-
needed income to poor coastal less than five inches of rain a year tech luxury goods are beginning
towns. While industry and com­ and is tortured under constant to appear in the streets and in
merce make up some of the gross triple-digit temperatures. A small w ealthier homes. As Africa itself
national product figures, agricul­ strip in the southern part o f is gradually accepting more m od­
ture reigns at almost 50 percent. MauritaniaparallelstheSenegal Val­ ernistic approaches and ideas,
Common agricultural gtxxls include ley and River. Here, around 30 M auritania too will follow.
Less than half o f the male
population and only one-quarter o f
women can read and write. The
country's average life span is less
than 50 years old, with men living to
the age o f 47 and women to 53.
First Nike Factory Store Turns 20
continued
from A3
inspire the kind of entrepreneur-
ship, economic growth and access
to resources that promotes a thriv­
ing community for residents and
business owners." DeStefano said.
As part of the anniversary cel­
ebration, University of Oregon
head fix),ball coach Mike Bello,ti,
along with former 1972-76 Portland
Trail Blazer and the factory store’s
firs, manager La Rue Martin and the
store’s current manager Steven
Shane helped host an open house
for area neighbors. The celebration
included food, entertainment and
networking opportunities for com­
munity organizations.
"Nike has been a key economic
driver for this community, and they
are to be congratulated no, only for
doing business here for the las, 20
years, but for being one of the first
area businesses to stand up and
declare northeast Portland as a vi­
able community to do business in,”
said Herndon, who led the Black
United Front in the 1980s and served
as a catalyst for encouraging busi­
nesses to locate in the community.
“Northeast Portland has seen
incredible change in the last two
decades that simply could not have
happened at the speed it did if it
were no, for the significant commit­
ments made by Nike and others in
the business community— both in
Albina
Bank
Opens on
Fremont
p h o t o s us M a r k W a s h in g t o n /
T hk P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r
terms of achieving economic re­
ward and providing community in­
vestment," Herndon said.
When the Nike Portland Factory
Store opened in 1984, it pledged to
donate a portion of the store’s prof­
its to community-based non-profit
organizations. To bring the store's
20-year investment in north and
northeast Portland to a total of $1
million, Nike expanded its grant
program this year to twenty $5,0(X)
grants. The company has also re­
newed a commitment to donate
$50,(XX) a year through 2007.
Some of the recipients include
Albina Head Start, Ethos, Inc., King
School, Portland Youth Builders
and Portland Habitat for Humanity.
An array o f m usic and re ­
freshm ents se, the stage last
Friday for the grand opening
celeb ratio n o f A lbina C o m ­
munity B ank’s new Beaumont
branch on 4020 N.E. Fremont.
The m inority-ow ned bank
aim s to fill the gap betw een
b u s in e s s a n d r e s id e n tia l
b a n k in g s e r v ic e s in th e
neighborhood. A lbina C o m ­
m unity Bank was created to
r e s to r e a n d e n c o u r a g e a
stronger sense o f com m unity
w ithin north and northeast
n eig h b o rh o o d s.
S tudents from Ethos Inc.,
a m ulticultural m usic cen ter
based in north and northeast
P ortland that provides m usic
education to disadvantaged
students, perform ed for the
grand opening.
S cheduled F lights
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In Laughlin, Nevada
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**A II classes are free of charge!
African American Health Coalition, Inc.
Presents for your health,
Wellness Within. REACH Activity Calendar
Aerobics
Mallory Ave. Christian Church
Pilates (Contact AAHC)
Matt Dishman
Mon, Wed, Fri, 6-7am, Pierce • 5:30-6:20pm,
Granville • 6:30-7:30pm, Nickerson
Tue, 8-9pm
Low Impact Aerobics
Daniel’s Memorial Church
(Class courtesy of M itt Dishman)
lue. 7:IS-8:l5pm . Granville
Tue, Thu, 7-8am, Lois
W ater Aerobics (Contact AAHC)
Columbia Pool, Matt Dishman,
Salvation Army
St John’s Comunity Center
Tue, 6:30-7:30pm
African Dance
Matt Dishman
Walking Croup
Peninsula Park
Sat, 10-1 lam, Addo
Sat 12:30pm, Woods
Body Conditioning
W ild Oats Market
Tue, Thu, 6:30pm, Woods
Sat, 9 :30-10:30am, Nickerson
Weight Mgnt./Conditioning
W hitaker Track
Chicago Step
Matt Dishman
Tue, Thu, 9 - 1 Oam, Hasan
Fri, 6:30pm, Kendrick
Yoga
Wild Oats Market
Kickboxing
Humboldt Elementary
Tue, Thu, 7:30-8:30pm. O’Rourke
Stretching/Body Sculpting
Matt Dishman
Tai Chi (Contact AAHC)
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Lloyd Ctr, I st FI. in front of Sears
Tue, Thu, 6-7pm, Keller
Columbia Pod. 7701 N Chautaqua
Peninsula Park. 700 N Portland
Daniel’s Memorial Church, 1234 NE Killmgsworth
Humboldt Elementary, 4 91 S N Gantenbem
Salvation Army. S32S N Williams
St John’s Community Center, 8427 N. Central
Malory Ave Oinsoan Church (Gym), 126 NF Alberta
Matt Dishman. 77 NE Knott
Whitaker Track, NE 42nd & Killmgsworth
Wild Oats Market. 353S NE 15th
“ Must be 18 or older to participate. Please contact AAHC before showing up to the first class and for
more information at S03-413-1850 or kdempsey@aahc-portland.org. Please receive approval from your
doctor before beginning exercise class.
R a c ia l a n d E th n ic A p p ro a c h e s to C o m m u n ity H e a lth
A Program oT the African Amarican Health Coalition, Inc
Sponsoren by the Centers ftx Disease Control and Prevention (CDC|
Contact AAHC at S 0 J -4 U -U 5 0 or visit our web site at w w w u h c -portland.org