B lack H istory M
February 9, 2005
special
•overaae.
onth ä
Page A3
M ovie G iant O ssie D avis R em em b ered
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
was somehow enriched by his
strong, but gentle presence.
Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee
celebrated their 50th wedding anni­
versary in 1998 with the publication
the Lunts, or Hume Cronyn and
Jessica Tandy. Davis and Dee first
appeared together in the play s “Jeb,”
in 1946, and "Anna Lucasta," in
1946-47. Davis’ first film, "No Way
O ut” in 1950, was Dee’s fifth.
(AP)— Ossie Davis,
Both had key roles in
whose rich baritone
the te le v is io n series
and elegant, unshak­
“Roots: The Next Genera­
able bearing made him
tio n ” (1 9 7 8 ), “ M artin
a giant of the stage, is
Luther King: The Dream
being remembered for
and the Drum” (1986) and
his work on screen and
“The Stand"(1994). Davis
the civil rights move­
appeared in three Spike Lee
ment.
films, including “School
Davis, 87, was found
D aze,” “ Do the Right
dead Friday in his ho­
Thing” and "Jungle Fe­
tel room in M iam i
ver." Dee also appeared in
Beach, Fla. He was
the latter two; among her
making a film, “Retire­
best-known films was "A
ment,” said Arminda
Raisin in the Sun,” in 1961.
Thomas, who works in
In 2004, Davis and Dee
his New Rochelle, N. Y.
were among the artists
office.
selected to receive the
Miami Beach police
Kennedy Center Honors.
sp o k e sm a n B obby
When not on stage or
Hernandez said Davis’
on camera, Davis and Dee
g ra n d so n
c a lle d
were deeply involved in
shortly before 7 a.m.
civil rights issues and ef­
when Davis would not
forts to promote the cause
open the door to his
o f blacks in the entertain­
room at the Shore Club Oss/e Davis and wife, Ruby Dee, pose in front o f
ment industry. They nearly
H o tel. D av is w as their movie poster at the opening night gala of
ran afoul of the anti-Com-
found dead, apparently their film “Gone Are the Days!” on Sept. 23,
munist witch-hunts of the
o f n a tu ra l c a u se s, 1963.
early 1950s, but were never
Hernandez said.
of a dual autobiography, “With openly accused of any wrongdo­
Davis wrote, acted, directed and Ossie & Ruby: In This Life To­ ing.
produced for the theater and Holly­ gether.”
Actor Roy Scheider, who had
wood. Even light fare such as the
Their partnership called to mind performed with Davis and attended
comedy “Grumpy Old Men" with other performing couples, such as anti-war rallies with him, called
Fought racial
injustice on
stage, in real life
Davis and Dee "the first political
couple of America.”
Ossie seemed to always show
up at the right time, on the right
side, which was always the human
side,” Scheider said. "He was al­
ways progressive and had a very
heartfelt sympathy for all people
everywhere.”
The oldest of five children, Davis
was born in tiny Cogdell, G a„ in
1917 and grew up in nearby
Waycross and Valdosta. He left
home in 1935, hitchhiking to W ash­
ington toenter Howard University,
where he studied drama, intending
to be a playwright.
His career as an actor began in
1939 with the Rose McClendon
Players in Harlem, then the center
of black culture in America. There,
the young Davis met or mingled
with some of the most influential
figures of the time, including the
preacher Father Divine, W.E.B.
D uB ois, A. P h ilip R andolph,
Langston H ughes and Richard
Wright.
knowledge, guilty o f anything —
other than being black — that might
upset anybody,” he wrote.
They were friends with baseball
star Jackie Robinson — Dee played
his wife, opposite Robinson him ­
self, in the 1950 movie “The Jackie
R obinson S tory” — and with
Malcolm X.
In the book, Davis told how a
prior commitment caused them to
miss the Harlem rally where Malcolm
was assassinated in 1965. Davis
delivered the eulogy at M alcolm ’s
funeral, calling him “our own black
shining prince — who didn’t hesi­
tate to die, because he loved us so.”
Ossie Davis
He reprised it in a voice-over for the
1992 Spike Lee film, "M alcolm X.”
He lined up with socialist re­
Along with film, stage and tele­
former DuBois and singer Paul vision, the couple’s careers ex­
Robeson, remaining fiercely loyal tended to a radio show, “The Ossie
to the singer even after Robeson Davis and Ruby Dee Story H our,”
was denounced by other black that ran on 65 stations for four
political, sports and show business years in the m id-1970s, featuring a
figures for his openly communist mix of black themes.
and pro-Soviet sympathies.
Both made numerous guest ap­
“ W e’ve never been, to our pearances on television shows.
D irect F lights
TO
Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino
In Laughlin, Nevada
~355i~-___
ROOM & AIR PACKAGES
F ro m $ 2 ‘| 9 to $ 2 3 9 *
(Price Includes All Taxes & Fees)
School Board Member Considers Future
E m b a ttle d s c h o o l b o a r d
m em b er D erry Jack so n c a lle d a
n e w s c o n f e r e n c e F rid a y to
pled g e his in n o cen ce in a d is­
pute o v er v io la tin g a ju d g e ’s
re stra in in g order.
Jackson, 42, said he would fin­
ish the five m onths rem aining on
his term on the Portland School
D istrict Board o f Education.
He said that he w ould consider
the needs o f his fam ily and talk to
m em bers o f the com m unity be-
Derry Jackson. (KGW photo)
fore decided w hether to run for
re-election.
Jackson was jailed Feb. 1 in
W ashington County in Hillsboro,
on four m isdem eanor counts of
violating a fam ily abuse restrain­
ing order.
D uring the news conference,
backed by some o f his support­
ers in the African Am erican com ­
munity, he denied using or threat­
ening violence against his e s­
tranged wife, Bernel Jackson.
From PORTLAND, OREGON
To LAUGHLIN, NEVADA
During
FEBRUARY
Flights Every
1-866-228-2734
www.riversideresort.com
Weds - Sat 3 Nights
Sat - Weds 4 Nights
•PRICES ARE PER PERSON, BASED O N DOUBLE OCCUPANCY SINGLE OCCUPANCY S50 ADDITIO NAL CHARGE. INCLUDES ROUNDTRIP AIRFARE.
G RO UND TRANSFERS A N D HOTEL LODGING AT THE RIVERSIDE RESORT. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, ARE NOT RETROACTIVE , A N D MAY
NO T BE AVAILABLE O N CERTAIN DEPARTURES OR AT TIME OF BOOKING DUE TO LIMITED SPACE. SEE OPERATOR PARTICIPANT CONTRACT FOR
ADD ITIO NA L OETAILS. TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE CHANGE A N D CANCELLATION PENALTIES APPLY PRICE INCLUDES ALLTAXES ANO FEES
ALL CHARTER FLIGHTS OPERATED FOR SKY QUEST BY RYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES, MCDONNELL DOUGLAS M O 82 JET AIRCRAFT
Ozcaoktux,
LOVES C O M PA N Y
C h o c o la t e & R e d W in e T a s tin g
S a tu rd a y & S u n d a y • 1 1 a m - 5 p m
Do you find yourself fantasizing about chocolate truffles? Is there a
chocolate bar hidden in your desk drawer? Does the word “ kiss”
make you think about a foil wrapped piece of candy? Do you consider
Neapolitan disgraceful? Have you ever made an excuse to go to the
store just to buy chocolate?
If so, you’re not alone. Come join your fellow chocolate fanatics
this weekend when we offer tastes of more than 50 different*
types of chocolate. Sample the dark, milk, bittersweet, and semi­
sweet varieties. Seriously evaluate if adding hazelnuts, almonds,
raspberries, peanut butter, green tea, or espresso actually makes
chocolate taste better.
Want to be really spoiled? Cleanse your taste buds for the next
chocolate sample with a sip from one of our favorite wines. W e’ll
be matching deep reds with their perfect chocolate counterpart,
creating a sinfully rich duo.
The {rienM&si sfare in faun.
E A S Y
&
F U N
TO
S H O P
L O C A L L Y
O W N E D
&
O P E R A T E D
C O N C O R D IA
O R E N C O S T A T IO N
R A L E IG H H IL L S
SELLW OOD
SEVEN C O R N ER S
N E 3 3 r d & K illin g s w o r t h
P o r tla n d O R 9 7 2 1 1
5 0 3 .2 8 8 3 8 3 8
C o r n e ll & N E 6 1 s t A v e .
H ills b o r o O R 9 7 1 2 4
503 648 6968
7 3 0 0 S W B e a v e r t o n - H ills d a le
P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 2 5
5 0 3 2 9 2 .6 8 3 8
1214 SE T a c o m a
P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 0 2
503 230 4949
1 9 5 4 S E D iv is io n S tr e e t
P o r t la n d O R 9 7 2 0 2
5 0 3 4 4 5 .2 8 8 8