September 15. 2004 _____________Cl” P o rtla u b (Obstruer Page A3 1972 Black IVOOdSfOCk’ Comes Alive ‘Wattstax’ captures feelings of the streets (A P )— On Aug. 2 0 ,1972, seven years after the urban upheaval in the Watts neighborhood ot Los A ngeles, some 112.000peoplecametogetherforadaylong concert that would become known as the “black W oodstock." They filled Los Angeles Memorial Coli seum to hear performances by Isaac Hayes, Albert King, the Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and more Staged by black-owned Stax Records, the Wattstax concert was not only a way to promote (he young, Memphis soul label and its artists, but also to celebrate black culture and renewed hope for a troubled community looking to rebuild itself. Stax President Art Bell decided to film the concert “for historical purposes.” The result: the 1973 documentary “W attstax," which made its broadcast TV debut this month on the PBS series “P.O.V.” The airing coincides with the W arner Bros. DVD release o f the film. In a recent interview. Bell said he wanted “W attstax” to be more than just another concert film. "W e needed to demonstrate that our music is an embodiment o f the black expe rience and what goes on in the lives o f our people,” he said. Bell retained noted documentary film makers David W olper and Mel Stuart, providing them, he said, "with some o f the best black camera people we could find” in order to capture "the correct perspective in presenting the black experience.” The mostly black crews scoured the street comers, barbershops, restaurants and churches of Watts, talking to people about politics, religion, music and rela tionships. But artistically, Stuart believed the film needed more o f a defining perspective, “a chorus like in ‘Henry V,’ a guy who tells you the meaning o f the film," he said. "But I wanted somebody really funny, but who could really express the deep feelings of the com munity.” Stax executives took Stuart to a night club in Watts and introduced him to Rich ard Pryor. "It’s this funky club and here's this guy on the stage and he starts talking and in two minutes I knew I was in the presence of a genius,” Stuart said of the comedian, whose acerbic social satire was widely known among blacks but had yet to cross over to mainstream audiences. “ I started talking to him,” Stuart re- Bar-Kays perform at the Los Angeles Coliseum in this Aug. 20,1972, file photo during a concert celebrating black pride. The PBS and Warner Bros. DVD documentary “Wattstax“ relives the concert that took place seven years after the urban upheaval in Watts that became known as the “black Woodstock." (AP photo) called, “and I said to him, ‘Say, what do you think about women? about sex?’ or ’What do you think about the blues, or gospel?’ Whatever. And he would wind up with a half an hour off the top of his head, out o f nowhere. And we used it. It was marvelous.” The film intersperses Pryor’s trenchant musings on the realities o f life for blacks in the 1970s with man-on-the-street inter views and footage o f the concert and audience. “What you're seeing in ‘Wattstax’ is the survival of black people,” said actor Ted Lange, who attended the concert and ap pears in the film as a 20-year-old unknown. “It was a celebration o f black people being black," added Lange, who played bartender Isaac on A B C 's "The Love Boat.” “Stax Records represented a closer connection to the average man, while Motown was trying to infiltrate the estab lishment. Stax was rejoicing in the differ ence in who we are, and that’s what you see in the film,” he said. "There was hope in that film and every thing that we aspired to be,” said Hayes, who was grand marshal at the pre-concert parade. "It was a great day and it went off without incident. We didn’t realize how huge it was unti 1 it was al 1 over and the film was cut together and shown." "P.O.V.” executivedirectorCaraMertes said "W attstax" tells us so much about black culture in the early ’70s. “It's an election year, and a lot 6 f the issues that were the reason that the Wattstax concert happened are still is sues today,” she said. "Also it’s a fabu lous time capsule that takes us back to that moment in 1972 before so much happened in the ’80s and ’90s.” While little has changed for the commu nity o f Watts, Lange thinks the hope o f the ’70s is still alive. “What matters is people can change things and with change comes hope,” he said. “It was as true then as it is today. This film deals with that reality.” MM County Enforces New Income Tax (AP) — Multnomah County is pursuing residents who never filed tax returns for a new local income tax, hoping to enrich the county coffer by as much as $ 12 million by tracking down an estimated 58,000 households. County officials have shipped out the first batch of letters to people suspected o f tax evasion. The collection effort is crucial to maintaining money for schools and county services promised when ous and dedicated as I am . The m an w ho got her pregnant is denying the baby but I will step up to the plate and be the fam ily m an she needs. Help. - T o n y Foster; Buffalo, N.Y. voters passed a three-year 1.25 percent tax hike last year. The 58,000 households account for one-fifth o f the county’s tax payers and owe an estimated $ 18 million for the 2003 tax year, offi cials say. Dave Boyer, the county ’ s chief financial officer estim ates the county could collect about two- thirds of that, bringing in an esti mated $ 12 million for schools and county services. Katz’ Health Improves (AP) — The latest medical tests is gone. show Portland’s M ayor Vera Katz “The cancer is currently unde has no remnants o f cancer, follow tectable,” said Dr. Rebecca Orwoll, ing a bout of chemotherapy this Katz’ oncologist with Northwest June. Cancer Specialists. A recent scan showed that the Katz, 71, has been undergoing tumors, previously found in her treatm ent while still acting as stomach, are no longer visible. It mayor. She will retire in January confirms her gynecologists’ find after more than 30 years in Oregon ings that the hard mass discovered politics, including three terms as in Katz lower abdomen on June 10 Portland mayor. Islam and Politics continued from Front one o f the most common miscon ceptions about Muslims. “The concept of a holy war in Islam primarily deals with war on one’s self, war on our destructing, immoral appetites, things that cause problems for a human being.” he said. His shows also touch on similari ties between Islam and Christianity. “One of the things we try to focus on is promoting the similari ties through interfaith advocacy, and try to promote interfaith dia logues,” he said. Haamid also uses music as a means of communication in his ra dio show, “The Essence o f Soul,” also on KBOO, which airs every other Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. He says music is another tool he uses in reaching African Ameri cans, his primary audience. “ As a p ra c tic in g M uslim , I have a re sp o n sib ility to m in is ter and prom ote the relig io n and health y co m m u n ity life. T h a t’s w hat I try to do w ith those p ro g ram s," he said. “ Even the w ith the m usic p ro g ra m , you have to be re a listic if you w ant to reach th e A fric a n - A m e r ic a n a u d i en ce, and m usic p lays a big part in that. I d o n ’t speak fo r the A fric an -A m erica n co m m u n ity , but I am a p art o f it." p u rp o sely h ard c o re and slam your responses too hard. True, your advice is good but can you at least be softer? - J o h n ; Bir m ingham , Ala. Dear John: Dear Tony: Real People, Real Advice bz nth ice culmini known fa r its fearless approach la reality based sahjeets! Dear Deanna! Stop being a Fool in Love and realize y o u r girlfriend d o e sn ’t w ant you, your com m itm ent or y o u r fam ily values. It's co m m endable y o u ’ll suffer the storm with her but in the long run, the dram a, deception and stress isn ’t w orth it. G od has a pearl for you but y o u 'll be too blind and broke dow n to receive it if you stay in the mess y o u 're in. You c a n ’t force the relationship on her so R eality and honesty is n ever view ed as nice to people that are used to lies, and being told w hat they w ant to hear. W e live in a hard cruel w orld th a t’s being m ade w orse by sin, propaganda and h alf truths. Therefore, you will not find sugar coated replies ju st for the sake o f a smile. Truth, cutting-edge w isdom and reality are here to stay. K eep reading and rem em ber that soft mainly applies to cotton balls, kittens and new born babies. pointed because I’ve been with others and had experiences that w ere 10 tim es better. I’m not sure I w ant to stay in the m ar riage because I c a n ’t deal with this. W hat do I do ? - M is h a Tyler; Fort Hood, Texas Dear Misha: Be glad you m arried a man that avoided sexual im m orality. Your virgin elim inated your exposure to A ID S , d ise a se s an d b aby m om m a dram a. A pparently there w ere things other than sex that m ade you love him and accept his hand in m arriage. If you were sm art, y o u ’d realize y o u ’re the teacher w ith a perm anent stu dent w hose skills are going to get b etter and im prove w ith each le sso n .. .if you know w hat I mean. M y girlfriend cheated, lied, stole from me and got pregnant by you need to count her as a loss another m an but I still love her and keep it m oving. Dear Deanna! and w ant to be with her. W hat Dear Deanna! I m ade the m istake and m arried a Ask Deanna is written by Deanna can I do to m ake her see my love I’ve had it w ith your colum n. m an that was a virgin. E very M. Write Ask Deanna! Email: and w ant to be with m e and do You need to be m ore sensitive. thing in the relationship has al askdeannal @yahoo.com or the right things. T hese other men People write you w ith their p ro b w ays been wonderful until our write: Deanna M, P.O. Box 88847, are using her and a re n ’t as seri lem s and it seem s like y o u ’re w ed d in g n ig h t. I w as d is a p Los Angeles, CA 90009. Website: iw n > . askdeanna. com Telethon Fights Sickle Cell . A rea residents can jo in in the An inherited blood disorder af fight against Sickle Cell A nem ia fecting primarily Afro-Americans, disease by calling in your pledge but frequently Hispanic, Greek, o f support during a Saturday, Maltese and Caucasian ethnicities Sept. 25 telethon from 4 p.m. until also, Sickle Cell Anemia can be life 8 p.m. on M ultnom ah County threatening. It is a disease that it Cable TV. painful, disabling and often results Come jo in us for the release of the Dynamix CD “Chillaxin’ on the MAX” Dynam ix in concert w ith DJ O.G. ONE 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on the Sabin CDC-TriMet Community Stage, NE Alberta & 22nd Ave. Free Dynamix CDs and autographs following each performance. 7th Annual Albqrta Street Fair A m ulticultural neighborhood celebration Saturday, September 18th 1 1 a .m . t o 6 p .m . NE A lb e rta St., fro m 1 1 th Ave. to 31 s t Ave. "Chtllaxfn'on the MAX" is sponsored byTriMet and Sab.n Community Development Corporation and o C 5 we" 35 ? di° and ™ pub" c service announcements This " o je r t w a , designed to provide youth w ith an opportunity to create a safety campaign for their peers while learninq 9 valuable media industry skill, in the process Many thanks to our project partners Dynamix Urban aiTd All^dPVaughDnShea Entertainment' Port'and Community Media and students, Alberta Wash House Brought to you by t r im m e t and Sabin Community Development Corporation in premature death. Take back life by supporting the telethon as funds are raised to help find a cure and better treatm ent. For inform ation about being tested for the disease, call 503-249-1366.