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Committed to Cultural Diversity
February 21. 2 0 0 7
Civil Rights Movement Pins
M etro
Easily-made, low cost pins were
the badges and insignia o f a
generation seeking equality
ïhl' p arttan i» (JDliscruer
/nomm unity
C a le n d a r
Morning Star Concert
PO Soul Entertainment has organized a
benefit concert to assist with the rebuild
ing of Morning Star Missionary Baptist
Church. Many of Portland best Gospel
acts will be present and performing. The
event is Saturday, March 3 at 6 p.m. at
Calvary Christian Center, 126N.E. Alberta.
A $10 donation is requested.
Humboldt Fund Raiser
Tuesday, March 6, McMenamins Chapel
Pub, 430 N. Ki I lingsworth. will contribute
50 percent of all food and beverage sales
after 5 p.m. to the Humboldt Elementary
School programs. Enjoy a delicious meal
and help support the school.
Zoo Teens Needed
The Oregon Zoo needs 300 high school
students for the summer to assist in edu
cating zoo visitors. If you love animals
and leaching others, cal 1503-220-2449.
Gloria McMurtry
Wednesday, Feb. 28. from 7 p.m. to 8:30
p.m. at the Enterbeing, 1603 N.E. Alberta
St.. Gloria McMurtry, proprietor of the
Talking Drum and Reflections, will share
her personal story. All are welcome.
Used Book Sale
Wednesday, March 28, from 8 a.m. until
6 p.m.. the Multnomah County Library
used book store at 216 N.E. Knott St. will
celebrates its 19th anniversary by offer-
ingall used merchandise at 55 percent off.
Ghana Women's Art Exhibit
WSU Vancouver, 14204 N.E. Salmon
Creek Ave., hosts a powerful West Afri
can art exhibit with guest lecturer and
well-known Ghanaian art historian Nii
Quarcoopome. The gallery hours are
Monday thru Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9
p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more
information, cal 136( )-546-958( ).
Wolf Family Encounters
Saturday,M arch3,10a.rn.to 11 a.m.,the
Oregon Zoo, presents “Don't be afraid of
the big bad w olf', a unique opportunity
for children ages 8-13 years old (children
must be accompanied by an adult), to
explore and learn the nature of wolves.
Call 503-220-2781 for more information.
Weight Loss Series
New Seasons Market at Northeast 33rd
and Killingsworth Street will host free
weight lossclasses on Feb. 28. March 28.
and April 25 from 7 p.m. to8:3()p.m.
_
by S arah B lount
T he P or i land O bserver
Much like feminist and race studies
author bell hooks has been known to
change the way we perceive the world,
Portland artist Rochelle D. "Ro Deezy''
Hart writes, sings and slams her words to
transform our perception of African Ameri
cans. and specifically black women.
Through her stage presence in the lo
cal hip-hop scene, Ro Deezy is an activist,
spoken word poet and recording artist.
She believes in advocacy forall, but iden
tifies as a Black Nationalist, which makes
some people nervous. She has fought for
civil rights profesionally in a former posi
tion at the public defender's office, help
ing people reclaim their lives by expung
ing certain convictions from theirrecords.
During the day she studies as a psy
chology student at Concordia College in
northeast Portland. Her ultimate dream is
to receive her doctorate in forensic sci
ence and write a book dealing with the
legal aspects of psychology.
2007 has already proved to be an
impactful year - she is getting
married this summer (but she
w on't divulge any details about
him ) and plans to study abroad in
Ghana later this year.
With her hand in so many pots
at the age of 30, Ro Deezy is
pursuing higher education so she
can bring all these elements to
gether.
“I' ve been doing this non-aca-
demically," she said, “but with a
degree I'm taking it to the next
level.”
But it is through her written words, an
artistic outlet she discovered in a type
writer as a child, that Ro Deezy has expe
rienced one of her most successful
achievements - giving voice to black
women to change the way we perceive the
world.
Through her book “I Woke Up and Put
My Crown On,” Ro Deezy collected the
biographies of everyday women around
the United States. Across all backgrounds
Community Support
The African American Health Coalition,
a non-profit that touches the lives of
millionsof African Americans each year,
reminds you to support your community
organization. All donations, grants, and
gifts are tax deductible. For more informa
tion, visit aahc-portland.org.
Bradley-Angle House
The Bradley-Angle House needs volun
teers to help its outreach against domes
tic violence. Women of color and bilin
gual women arc encouraged to call. For
more information, call 503-282-9940.
Parenting Classes
Newborns don’t come with instruction
manuals but parents and parents-to-bc
can attend classes through Providence
Health Systems to learn about a variety of
topics from pain and childbirth to
breastfeeding to infant CPR and much
more. For a schedule of events, call 503-
574-6595 or visit: providence.org/classes.
p ilo r o hv M V i n n w
G inn /T he P ortland O bserver
Rochelle D. 'Ro Deezy" Hart tackles issues of social justice in a collision of careers as a local hip hop performance
poet, author and recording artist. She is pursuing a doctorate in forensic science to bring all these elements together.
I find it alarming to
still equate black
womanhood with
struggle. We obviously
haven't come that far.
- Rochelle D. "Ro Deezy" Hart
of income, age and social status, together
these ‘76 voices' offera glimpse of black
women not often portrayed in mainstream
society. With each individual story, their
words prove wrong common stereotypes.
"I find it alarming to still equate hlack
womanhood with struggle," she said. “We
obviously haven't come that far.”
Each woman was asked the same 19.
open-ended questions. Their replies run
like a thread through the pages: with never
a passive response, they offer personal
descriptions of strength and accomplish
ment mixed with dignity and grace.
The title refers specifically to black
women waking up from previous lifestyles
that were unhealthy, and becoming who
they are." Ro Deezy said.
“I was running into the most phenom
enal women,” she said, "but we don't hear
their stories.. .this gives them a voice."
The brxik doesn’t scrutinize or criticize,
and it doesn't preach or lament. But by
exposing the multiple dimensions of the 76
voices, Ro Deezy has created a politically
charged composition in its ability to rede
fine the perception of hlack women.
Many of us have allowed our views to
be shaped by society. For hundreds of
years Americans were fed the image of a
black woman as just a mother and wife.
Today the media tells us black women are
suffering more and more from depression
and HIV/AIDS. And in this age. the phrase
"strong black woman" is still sometimes
twisted into something negative or intimi-
dating.
Ro D eezy's 76 voices contradict these
myths. These women are admirable be
cause yes. many are wives and mothers,
but they have lived through divorce, won
awards, dreamt of writing novels in Paris,
moved to strange cities and walked across
many stages. Their stories are ordinary
and extraordinary all at once.
There isn't a person with nothing to
gain from this book.
"76 Voices" is for anyone who has
been threatened by the phrase "strong
black woman." For anyone who has be
gun a sentence with "I'm not a racist,
b ut..." For anyone who hasn't had a black
female in their life, and for anyone who
has never had the luxury of getting out
side of their own head and trying on a new
perspective.
Ro Deezy's sixth book, "Wliat Else Did
Y oh Think I Would Say," will he released
nationally later this year from Publish
America.
Black United Fund Promotes Director
Adrienne J. Livingston is the newly
promoted executive director of the Black
United Fund.
The native O regonian has worked
with the com m unity group for over six
years as its cam paign manager, director
o f major gifts and as an associate direc
tor. She became interim executive direc
tor when Amina Anderson relocated to
W ashington. D.C.
“There is power in unity and I look
forward to building strong partnerships
Fostering Diversity
Black History Foundation
SECTION
Performance
poet revolutionizes
with her words
End the War Now Rally
The Black History Museum of Oregon is
seeking the brilliant minds of concerned
individuals to help in restructuring the
museum foundation'scommittec. Call 503-
284-0617 for more information.
_
Redefining 'Black Woman'
Sunday, March 18, Pioneer Courthouse
Square, Oregonians will mark the 4th
anniversary of the Iraq War, with a peace
ful march through downtown Portland at
1:30p.m. Call 503-230-9427 for more infor
mation.
Thursday, April 26 thru Friday, April 27.
Mt. Hood Community College and Port
land State University, will host the two-
day conference to address critical diver
sity-related issues in the Portland and
Gresham communities, with educational,
business and cultural leaders. Call 503-
491 -7254 for more information.
* community service
See Black History Month, page B3
Adrienne Livingston
in the com m unity," Livingston said.
Livingston received a B achelor's de
gree in m arketing, international busi
ness and international studies from
Oregon State University. She received
the 2002 Rotary Ambassadorial Schol
arship to study in the Dominican Re
public for two years. While residing
there, she worked at the American Cham
ber of Commerce of the Dominican Re
public.
Black United Fund of Oregon is a phil-
anthropic and community development
institution committed to the social and
economic empowerment of Oregon' s low-
income communities.
The organization was created in 1983
to address the disproportionately low
level of charitable dollars given to orga
nizations serving com m unities of color.
Over 20 years, the Black United raised
$4 million through workplace giving
cam paigns and other generous dona
tions.
McMenamins to Renovate Old Temple
Ethos gives up
music center plans
Ethos, Inc. has given up plans to re
store the dilapidated Masonic Temple on
North Commercial Avenue into a music
academy, instead selling the property to
the local McMenamins brew pub chain.
The non-profit music education group
decided that its limited funds would best
be used to increase the capacity of its
existing programs and Io complete the
renovations on its headquarters located a
few blocks away at ION. Killingsworth St.
Originally built in 1923, the Masonic
Temple has been boarded up and vacant
since a fire rendered it uninhabitable in
1981.
The tra n sfe ro f ow nership greatly in
creases the presence o f McMenamins
in the n e ig h b o rh o o d a c ro ss from
Jefferson High School, the North Port
land Library and Portland Community
College.
Just las, month, the chain known for
preserving historic buildings across
Portland and the Northwest opened the
I
The dilapidated Masonic Temple on North Commercial Avenue across from
Jefferson High School has been purchased by McMenamins. The local brew
pub empire just opened its latest restaurant and bar next door to the site at
the former Killingsworth Chapel of the Chimes.
Chapel Pub and moved its adm inistra
tive offices into the former Little Chapel
of the Chim es property, adjacent to the
temple.
M cM enamins said it plans to use the
temp 66059
nunity event
space and for possible office expan
sion. The company has also agreed to
let Ethos use the tem ple for com m unity
events several tim es a year once reno
vations are com plete.
In the meantime, the M cM enamins is
donating use of its Crystal Ballroom to
Ethos once a year for community con
certs.
"As neighbors, w e're glad thatacom -
m u n ity
m in d e d
b u s in e s s
lik e
M cM enamins can com plete the restora
tion of this historic structure. W e're
confident that the M asonic Tem ple will
be in good hands." said Charles Lewis,
Ethos founder and executive director.
Shortly after purchasing the Masonic
Temple in 2003, Ethos also purchased its
current 7.5(H) square fix« headquarters.
Unlike the temple, however. Ethos staff
ami volunteers hav e been able to do much
of the renovation work themselves.