Committed to Cultural Diversity www.portlandobserver.com M etro ■ m iriti A ugust 9. 2 0 0 6 Shakira Embraces Fans 'Hips Don't Lie' singer devotes success to U.S. Latino community See El Observador, page B5 îl’1 JJorthxnb (0hsertier SECTION p o m m u n it y C a le n d a r Buffalo Soldiersin Vancouver SEI Golf Tournament Get involved in the Self Enhance-| tnent, Inc. 25th Anniversary golf I tournament, a "thank you" to SEI sponsors at The Reserve Vine­ yards &GolfClub in Aloha. Shifts start at 8:30 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. Volunteers receive great N ikegearandam eal. Rolesforall ages on and off the course arc available. To sign upas a groupor an individual, contact Sandra] Koelle-Stewart at 503-249-1721, extension 264. Family Fun at Irving Park Portland Parks and Recreation and I First Steps Sports Academy wel­ come all to Family FunDays, on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 11,18and 25 at Irving Park, 7 N.E. Knott St. There will be food and entertainment, health screenings) and more. Music Millennium BBQ The 14th Annual Customer Ap­ preciation Barbequc will take place| at Music Millennium, 3158 E. Burnside, on Saturday, Aug. 19 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy free food, live music, beverages and prizes, plus jugglers, magicians, clowns and more. For a complete I ine-up for musical act or for more | information,call 503-231 -8943. Meet and Greet In the biz and new tothecity?Join| Say Hey, NW! - a multicultural meet and greet for professionals of color, at the group next recep­ tion, Thursday, Aug. 10from5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland Ball­ room. For more information, con­ tact Vicki Nakashima of Partners in Diversity at 503-516-3505 or) email nakashimav@mac.com. Vietnam Wall Memorial The Vietnam Traveling Wall is| making its way toGresham. From Thursday, Aug 10 to Saturday, Aug. 13, the extraordinary exhibit will be available for viewing at Forest Lawn Cemetery, allowing people of all ages to honor and remember the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.l Lents Founders Day Research sheds new light on local history A research article sheds new light on the activities and experiences of African American soldiers - known as Buffalo Soldiers - when they were stationed at V ancouver Barracks, now part o f Fort V ancouver National H istoric Site and the V ancouver N ational Historic Reserve, Published in the latest issue of Oregon H istorical Q uarterly, the a r­ ticle takes account o f the men and activities o f the 24th U.S. Infantry’s Com pany B, an African American unit stationed at Vancouver Barracks for 13 months in 1899 and 1900, be­ tween front-line service in Cuba dur­ ing the Spanish American W ar and the Philippines during the Philippine War. It’s a com pelling story o f the sol­ diers in several ways, according to the article’s author, G reg Shine, the chief ranger and historian at Fort Vancouver. “Their activities while posted here, such as responding to the labor cri­ sis in W ardner, Idaho, were nation­ ally significant.” Shine said. “T heir experience helps us better under­ stand our com m unity and its role in the history o f African A m ericans in the A merican W est.” The story fills a gap in the histori­ cal study o f Buffalo Soldiers in the West and places Vancouver Barracks firmly within its scope, where it was noticeably absent or where it has been confused with Vancouver, Brit­ ish Colum bia, Shine said. He said learning about the sol­ d ie r s liv e s an d a c tiv itie s at V ancouver Barracks provided a de- ** ‘2 -■ »k» « k '*■ H H i ll IK ■ . feÿSp ; B «a iáfcíi M ark W ashington /T he P or i land O bserver Greg Shine, the chief ranger and historian at Fort Vancouver, shows a picture of Sgt. Edward Gibson, a Buffalo Soldier who was stationed at the historic site's Vancouver Barracks from 1899-1900. photo by tailed glimpse of a largely unknown aspect of Pacific Northwest history during the volatile Jim Crow segre­ gation era. It also fosters a connec­ tion to the historic site for local A f­ rican Americans. Shine said the soldiers developed a close relationship with the black com m unity of neighboring Portland w hile stationed at the fort. "At least one o f Company B’s soldiers, Sgt. Mack Stanfield, later retired to Portland with his wife, Sallie, where both lived the rem ain­ der o f their lives," he explained. "Perhaps there are members of the c o m m u n ity w ho knew the Stanfields or other Buffalo Soldiers and can help us better understand their lives and contributions to our nation’s story," Shine said. "If so, I’d love to hear from them and ex­ pand the information we can share with the public through program ­ ming in this national park setting." A detailed roster o f all o f the sol­ diers in the company is included in the Shine’s article. The issue (O regon H istorical Q uarterly, Summer 2006, Vol. 107, no. 2) is available at the Vancouver National Historic Reserve V isitor Center bookstore, located on O ffic­ ers Row at 1501 Evergreen Blvd. in Vancouver or by calling 360-816- 6234. The issue is also available in the Oregon Historical Society Museum Store, located on the corner of South­ west Broadway and Madison Street; or via e -m a il at museum store@ ohs.org or phone at 503-306-5230. O rganizations, schools and busi­ nesses interested in carrying this item can contact the Oregon H istori­ cal Society Press at 503-306-5233. For more inform ation, contact S h in e at 3 6 0 -8 1 6 -6 2 3 1 or greg_shine@ nps.gov. A Spoken History of Portland’s Past African American lives, struggles documented Enjoy hot dogs, refreshments and| music during Lents Founders Day, Sunday, Aug. 20 at Lents Park,| Southeast 92nd Avenue between Holgate and Steele. A parade be­ gins at noon On Saturday, Aug. 19, catch a basebal I game between The staff at the Marie Smith Health the City Slickers and the Lents Rebels, 4 p.m. at the Wattles Boys) and Social C enter has produced an oral and GirlsClub field. Economic Empowerment PDX Confidential, a group of mi­ nority professionals will host| DEED: Diversity Economic Em­ powerment Day, hosts a confer-1 ence to celebrate diversity, ex­ plore individual skills and develop| leadership in the global economy, Tuesday, Sept. 12 at the Portland Hilton and Executive Tower, 9 2 1 S.W. Sixth Ave. The conference takes place from 8 a.m. to2:3()p.m., followed by a Masquerade Ball at) 6p.m. Women in Community Service V olunteer m entors are being| sought by Women in Community Service to work with incarcerated women at the Coffee Creek Cor­ rectional Facility. Mentors pro­ vide support and encouragement for women transitioning from prison back into the community. Volunteers must be females, age 24 and up. For more information,! call 503-570-6614. years of •^community service history docum entary highlighting the lives o f 15 seniors living in north and northeast Portland, to prem iere Thurs­ day, Aug. 10 at 6 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. at the center, 4616 N. Albina Ave. The docum entary com es after a year of planning and working with caregivers and volunteers, and interview ing clients for the project. The film highlights the local African American struggle for justice in Port­ land, featuring Bobbi Nunn, a longtime continued on page B3 Portland entrepreneur Johnnie Maxey is featured in an oral history project depicting the lives of local activists and civil rights pioneers. Local Poet Publishes Book Tackles issues of raising young men J. W. Doncan' s debut tx >ok, “Fatherless Boys and Mothers On Their O w n”(Author House Publishers) doesn’t offer solutions from a au­ thoritative point o f view, but rather gently prompts the reader to discuss the issues sur- rou ndi ng you ng men i n our society. J. IV. Doncan and “ Fatherless Boys” is a her debut book collection o f p