September 20, 2006
i,!C |Jortlanb ©bscruvr
Page A3
PDC Under Fire
Institutional
racism targeted
by activists
** j
«
The city agency designed to
reverse blight in urban Portland
is under tire from African A m eri­
can leaders, w ho say th e y 'v e
been neglected in the Portland
D e v e lo p m e n t C o m m is s io n 's
agenda.
M ore than 90 people attended
the agency’s board last week to
press the issue o f what Sen. Avel
Gordly called “institutional rac­
ism", Gordly was joined by Port­
land U rban L eague president
M arcus M unday, Dr. L eR oy
H aynes Jr. o f A llen T em p le
Church and form er PDC execu­
tive Baruti Artharee.
Charles W ilhoite, a PDC board
member, said that as an African
A m erican he ap p reciated the
group’s concerns, and that he
shared their opinions.
The outspoken leaders repre­
sent a community unsatisfied with
Portland's attem pts to spread its
prosperity into their neighbor­
hoods with construction projects
overlooking m inority w orkers,
and a hom e-ow nership gap that
leaves African Americans lag­
ging.
PD C ’s annual budget is $247
million this year - money for
projects like recreating the outer
southeast Portland com m unity
o f Lents and developing the high
profile South W aterfront Project
and Pearl District.
Historically, African American
Sen. Avel Gordly
Rev. Dr. LeRoy Haynes Jr
com m unities have felt the short
end of the stick when it com es to
urban renewal. Frustrations have
increased since African A m eri­
cans were moved out of North
Portland to make way for Legacy
E m an u el H o spital & H ealth
More and
more people have
told me PDC
means People
Don't Count.
— Baruti Artharee,
former PDC executive
C en ter's expansion in the early
1970s. followed by an upheaval
to make way for Interstate 5 and
M emorial Coliseum.
The activists want to see pub­
lic dollars start to work more in
the favor o f African American
neighborhoods. They say that
starts with more representation
in agency staff. PDC, already
lagging behind in em ployee di­
versity, recently lost three Afri­
can Am ericans in a public depar­
ture - Tyrone Henry in contract­
ing and Allyson Spencer and Rita
McCain in housing.
Based on voluntary inform a­
tion provided by employees. PDC
says about five percent o f its
staff, or 10 o f 185 employees,
are African American. None of
the agency's executives is A fri­
can American. About six percent
o f Portland's 514,0(X) people are
African American, according to
a 2005 estim ate by the U.S. C en­
sus Bureau.
Artharee gave a sobering ex­
ample o f the agency's reputa­
tion, telling the board that "more
and more people have told me
PDC means People D on'tC ount",
"This isn't about any single
issue," he said after the meeting.
"It is one o f being ignored and
not caring.”
Portland Broadcasts Scheduled
T w o public gatherings to hear
from N ation o f Islam leader
M inister L ouis E arrakhan are
scheduled this w eekend in Port­
land.
O p en E y es P ro d u c tio n s w ill
h o st a w id e sc re e n D V D
b ro a d c a st o f F a rra k h a n 's S tate
o f the B lack U nion A d d re ss,
w ith h o st T a v is S m ile y , on
F rid a y , S ep t. 22 at R e fle c tio n s
C o ffe e /T a lk in g D rum B o o k ­
s to r e , 4 4 6 N .E . K illin g s -
w o rth St.
T h e free b ro a d c a st b e g in s
at 6 p .m . an d is fo llo w e d by a
d iscu ssio n .
O n S u n d a y , S e p t. 2 4 ,
Farrakhan will address the c o m ­
m unity via D V D in a speaking
o g is m r u ;
Protection Sized To Fit
One thing you want your family in always led is protected. We understand. At American Family
Insurance, we feel that way about our family of customers, too. That's why our agents are so
knowledgeable and eager to try io help you select an auto policy that tils in perfectly with your family's
needs. No leeling compares to the confidence ol knowing family’s got your back, no matter what comes
down the road Visit us ai www.amtam.com or call today and talk to a helpful, friendly agent about the
variety ol auto coverage options we have to offer.
American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries
American Standard Insurance Company of Wisconsin
Home Office ■ Madbon. W! 53783
American Family Mutual Insurance Company
American Standard Insurance Company of Ohio
Home Office - Columbus. OH 43240
www amfam com
AMERICAN FAMILY
■■■ m u r r -M
©2005
AU your protection undoi one root *
001631 - 7/05
JET LI IN HIS FINAL
L ARTS EPIC
From the producers
of “HERO” and
CROUCHING TIGER,
HIDDEN DRAGON”
M inister Louis Farrakhan
eng ag em en t titled “T he A buse
ol the F e m a le ', broadcast at
U n iv e rsity Park C o m m u n ity
C en ter, 9 0 0 9 N. Foss in St.
Johns, D oors open at 1 p.m . and
adm ission is free.
Woman Named to Supreme Court
Gov. Ted Kulongoski appointed
Martha Lee Walters to the Oregon
State Supreme Court Monday, add­
ing a woman to the all-m ale panel to
t ill a vacancy created by the retire­
ment o f Justice R. W illia m Riggs.
legal analyst who comes from a
unique background, and we are
lucky to have her serve on the
co u rt," the G overnor said. "She is a
real person who has a sense o f what
is happening on the ground, and
she cares deeply about Oregon, the
laws and the people.
Walters has close to 30 years’
experience in c iv il litigation, labor
law and m unicipal law.
Kulongoski said he was also
pleased to appoint a woman.
She is w id e ly acclaimed fo r her
representation o f disabled profes­
sional g o lfe r Casey M artin in his
lawsuit against the PGA T our over
the T o u r's refusal to a llo w M artin
to use a g o lf cart. The case went all
the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,
which ruled that federal law required
the PGA to accommodate M artin
by allow ing him to ride thegolfcart.
“ Ms. W alters is an outstanding
ÎÂ
" It is important to havejudges o f
varied backgrounds and e xp e ri­
ences. We need to continue to
strive to d ive rsify both the bar and
bench in Oregon so they better
reflect the population they serve,"
M artha Lee Walters
H f jjjj/ / u r o
he said.
Walters resides in the Eugene
area and is married w ith tw o grown
children.
Sickle Cell Annual Telethon Upcoming
More pledges and
entertainers needed
Join the fight against Sickle Cell D isease by
calling in y our pledge during the A nnual Sickle
Cell T elethon, Saturday, Sept. .30 from 4 p.m. to
8 p.nt. at M etro Fast C o m m u n ity M edia Studio,
829 N F 8th in G resham . T he fun d raiser will air
live on channel 21.
Sickle Cell is an inherited blood d iso rd er p ri­
marily affecting m orethan 70,000 African A m eri­
cans but frequents H ispanic. G reek. M altese.
I
C aucasian and o ther races. T his painful and
disabling hereditary disease often results in early
death.
T he Sickle Cell A nem ia Foundation o f O r­
egon still seeks volunteers o f all kinds to help
with entertainm ent for the telethon. For m ore
inform ation o r to donate o r provide e n te rta in ­
m ent, call the foundation at 5 0 3 -2 4 9 -1366 or
503-667-7555.
I .ocatedat 4936 N F Skidm ore, the foundation
o tte rs tree testing, lim ited financial support for
those suffering from the disease, free c o u n se l­
ing, parent education and support groups.
■ " 7 ^ “’ J
'
. ‘■Vf’ •■/,(
.u tdf*
1
■ ^D h « gon
"T ? f r. i'll it r.9 7 ? ||J