Black
Month
""'American Experience
ÿînrtlatth (J)hserucr
‘City of Roses’
Established in 1970
www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXVI. Number 7
Wednesday • February 15. 2006
Blasting
Through
Barriers
An advocate for
students, community
by S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserver
Dr. Algie Gatewood discovered long ago how
powerful education could be. As president of Port­
land Community College’s Cascade Campus, he has
a passion for blasting through academic barriers,
giving people a voice through attainable education
found in community colleges.
He proudly emphasizes the Cascade’s role in bridg­
ing educational gaps, but most passionately he’ll
attribute recent success to its excellent faculty, staff
and students.
“I need to give credit where it’s due,” Gatewood
said.
It would be easy for Gatewood to beam in the
shadow of the new Moriarty Arts and Humanities
Building, one of five additions at Cascade in the past
two years. Also, a one-third increase in capacity in
state-of-the-art classrooms is no accomplishment to
hide, especially since those classrooms benefit the
surrounding north and northeast Portland neighbor­
hoods.
Gatewood can quickly fire off these and a several
other accomplishments, but while he champions the
success of linking the community with the school,
he’s quick to praise everyone involved.
With Black History Month on campus and in front
of the public’s eye, the college leader looks back at
his high school guidance counselor as a hero for
showing him educational opportunities.
Gatewood believes important contributions aren’t
always high profile, and ordinary individuals fight
daily against racism and other issues within the
country’s educational arenas.
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
PCC Cascade President Dr. Algie Gatewood strives to represent the diverse community surrounding his north Portland campus.
G atew ood'strip to PCC started years earlier, in his
native North Carolina. In 1974 he began an educa­
tional career at a community college, developing
programs to attract underrepresented and underem­
ployed people, then helping them stay gainfully
employed. He went on to work at the University of
North Carolina, office of the president in the state
education assistance authority as the director of
health, education and welfare.
“I became very much involved in the community,”
he said. “Aiming to help people enjoy a better quality
o f life through education."
Gatewood moved to Oregon and returned to a
community college in his current role, nearly two
years ago. He is the second African American presi­
dent at Cascade, and the college's third top black
executive along with current PCC President Dr.
Preston Pulliams. Gatewood upholds a mission to
attract underrepresented minorities along with other
students, and describes community colleges as the
"single greatest institutions of higher education.”
Why community colleges, instead of, say, presti­
gious institutions?
“ Ina community college you have a much broader
mix of students," he said.
“W e're in the best position to respond to the
higher educational needs of the community.
“This is why I’m in this biz.”
continued
on page A 6
J a Z Z . ' 0' All Ages
Portland Jazz
Festival heats
up local scene
The 2(X)6 Portland Jazz Festi­
val kicks o ff Friday, offering
more than 100 events over the
course o f 10 days with world-
c la ss a rtists such as M cC oy
Tyner, Dee Dee Bridgew ater,
Eddie Palmieri, Bill Frisell, Nicho­
las Payton, plus Ravi Coltrane,
Miguel Zenon, Stefon Harris and
Susan Werner.
In addition to award-winning
artists’ performances, the festi­
val offers dozens o f free regional
jazz showcases, educational out­
reach program s and partnered
events, making jazz available for
everyone young and old and on
any budget.
,, Week ¡n
,hc Review
Jazz events happen around the
clock from the jazz breakfasts
and brunches to the midnight jam
sessio n s. W ith a rtists e v e ry ­
where, fans have opportunities
for unique access. For example,
you can hear Grammy award win­
ning artists talk at jazz dialogues or
listen to them testing their musical
know-how at JazzTimes Before
& A fter’s. Other events include
jazz workshops and free midnight
jam sessions Friday and Saturday
at Jake’s Grill.
This year’s festival honors jazz
legend John Coltrane with a se­
ries o f events Friday and Satur­
day titled, C hasin’ the Trane: Re­
membering John Coltrane.
Forthe first time in three years,
the Portland Jazz Festival will
offer the Incredible Journey of
continued
y^
ing more than a week resulted in two inmate
deaths. About 2(X) inmates have been moved
out, with another 400 expected this
week. See story, page A 2
Cheney Shoots Hunter
Hotel Lodging Runs Out
I s
o J- n —
£•
o 2
X rS .
2 — •
Ï3 £ '
> 30 (
c
j
c Í
A federal judge allowed the Federal Emer­
gency Management Agency to stop paying
for hotel rooms of about 12,(MX) evacuated
families on Monday. This is the second
wave of Hurricane Katrina evacuees to lose
hotel lodging. FEMAchief R. David Paulison
said they’re doing the right thing for these
people, but some said they had nowhere
else to go. See story, page A2
Jail Riots Hit LA
Hundreds of LA county jail inmates were
being transferred to the state corrections
system after racially motivated brawls last­
on page A6
78-year-old Harry Whittington suf­
fered a m i nor hear, attack earl y Tues­
day. after being accidentally shot by
Vice President Dick Cheney on Sat­
urday w hile hunting in Texas.
Whittington had been moved from
intensive care to a “step-down unit,”
bu, doctors perf ormed a cardiac cath­
eterization after lodged birdshot pel­
lets caused an irregular heartbeat.
five operating rooms and 63 beds T ues­
day. The hospital also reopened an adult
and a pediatric intensive care unit, a phar­
macy and several
ca rd io lo g y labs,
answ ering one of
the city ’s most ur­
gent needs.
Cartoon
Protests
Continue
T h o u sa n d s ra m ­
paged through two
cities in Pakistan
Tuesday, burning
See story, page A 2
and v a n d a liz in g
Vice President, Dick Cheney buildings, as pro­
New Orleans' Tulane Reopens
tests over the re­
Tulane University H ospital, which sus­
cent publication o f Prophet Muhammad
tained more than $90 m illion in damage
caricatures in Europe and elsew here. A,
from Hurricane Katrina, reopened its ER,
leasc two people were killed. Intelligence
officials suspect Islamic militant groups
in c ite d
the
violence to underm ine President Gen.
Pervez M usharraf’s U .S.-allied govern­
ment.
GM To Invest Millions
General Motors Corp, said Tuesday it will
hire almost 300 w orkers and invest $545
m illion in five Michigan plants. The state
has lost an estim ated 130,000 auto jobs in
the pas, five years.
U.S. Fights Censorship
The State D epartment announced plans
on Tuesday for a campaign com bating
foreign governm ents’ restriction of the
Internet. State Department trade expert
Josette Shiner spoke out against the use
o f technology to restrict access to politi­
cal content.