www. port landobserver. corn
Committed to Cultural Diversity
May 9, 2 0 0 7
Jesus Walks, Mom Talks
M etro
Mother o f Kanye West
reflects with her own hook
years*
See Arts & Entertainment, inside
•'com m unity service
<r'"' ^Jortlanb OObserucr
_______ SECTION
/n o m mu nity
C a 1 e n d a r
B
Healing Revival
Wednesday, M ay 9 through Friday, May
11. at 7 p.m., the A lle n Tem ple C M E
Church, 4236 N.E. 8th Ave., welcomes the
com m unity to a ‘ Spring R e viva l’ fo r re­
newal, recovery and rejuvenating o f the
spirit. For more inform ation, call 503-287-
0261.
Stamp Out Hunger
Saturday, M ay 12, the National Associa­
tion o f Letter Carriers w ill he collecting
nonperishahle foods to benefit the O r­
egon Food Bank N etw ork.
Walk For Mom
Sunday, M ay 13, the Am erican Cancer
Society hosts the 6th annual M aking
Strides Against Breast Cancer: W alk fo r
M om benefiting breast cancerawareness.
The w alk begins at 9:30a.m. at 1875 S. W.
Park Ave. For more inform ation, call 503-
795-.3940orvisitcancer.org/stridesonline.
Help Loaves & Fishes
The T w o Rivers Loaves & Fishes Center,
9009 N. Foss St., needs volunteer drivers
fo r m ea ls-o n -w h e e ls to ensure that
homebound seniors in St. Johns receive
nutritional meals and a bit o f com panion­
ship. Call 503-988-4088.
“Say Hey, NW!”
Thursday, M ay 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 8
p.m.. Partners in Diversity, 224 N .W . 13th.
host the quarterly reception to welcome
new professionals o f co lo r relocating to
Oregon and Southwest W ashington. For
m o re
in fo r m a tio n ,
e m a il
nakash i mav @ mac .com.
photo by R aymond R f . ndleman /T he P ortland O bserver
Interim Jefferson High School Principal Cynthia Harris is nurturing leaders for the north Portland school, including student Akela Auer (right) and
teacher Andrew Kulak (left), who has taught English at Jefferson for seven years.
Harris’ New Vision for Jefferson
Lents Home Buying Fair
Saturday,M ay 12,from 10a.m. to 2 p .in „
at the K e lly Elementary School, 9030 S.E.
Cooper St., acom m unity fa ir w ill provide
inform ation on home buying. Three $5,(MX)
down payment assistance grants w ill be
raffled o ff. For more inform ation, call 503-
7 8 8 -8 0 5 2 , e x te n s io n 105 o r v is it
rosecdc.org.
With Dudley
gone, school
seeks democracy
Open Meadow Arts
by R aymond R endleman
Thursday, M ay 17, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
students o f Open M eadow A lternative
Schools invite the fa m ily , friends and the
com m unity to share their music, art and
poetry, at the W ater P ollution C ontrol
Lab com m unity room, 6543 N. Burlington
A ve.
Basketball Classic
P ortland O bserver
Jefferson H igh School’ s top-down
management style may have left w ith
Principal Leon Dudley. The strongest
voice fo r inclusiveness at the north
Portland school is now D u d le y’ s boss.
Jefferson and W ilson Cluster D irector and
Interim Jefferson Principal Cynthia Harris.
The school adm inistrator, who tried to
shield D udley from media scrutiny earlier
this year by forbidding unapproved ac­
cess to the school, is now pushing ac­
countability as a replacement fo r D udley's
For 35 years, Harris worked as a public-
school teacher and adm inistrator fo r the
diverse and integrated districts o f the east
San Francisco Bay area, where she was
praised fo r sticking to a vision that de­
manded measurable performance improve­
ments.
authoritarian style.
"T here’ s not a one-tim e q uick fix to
anything,” Harris says. "W e have to be­
gin to model a different message w ith the
rules we put in place, w ith the sta ff we hire,
w ith the clothes we wear, w ith every­
th in g .”
A fte r w orking in Portland fo r less than
a year. Harris readily admits that her learn­
ing curve has been steep w ith a segre­
gated Jefferson.
“ I ’ ve been seeing a lot o f research lately
that the black A frican-A m erican male stu­
dent is different, and he requires a d iffe r­
ent approach," she says. "Each com m u­
n ity is different, so we need to learn from
ourselves."
As evidence fo r Jefferson's newfound
democracy. Harris cites w eekly sound-
offs in the school's C o m m u n ity Room,
where all students, faculty and sta ff are
invited to discuss the decision-m aking
process w ith her and other adm inistra­
tors over free pizza.
“ In schools that need to grow , the
process needs to be listening to the
continued
on page H6
Saturday, M ay 26, at SEI, 3920 N. Kerby,
you invited to encourage and support
high school athletes compete in the Port­
Brandon Roy Celebrates NBA Honor
land Interscholastic League Basketball
Classic. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. w ith tip-
o ff at 3 p.m. Proceeds to benefit the Joyce
Washington M em orial Scholarship Fund.
Blazer is league’s
Rookie of the Year
C all M a rk W ashington at 503-288-0033
fo r more inform ation.
( A P) -- The Portland Tra il Blazers rec­
ognized early on thatguard Brandon Roy's
last name was an acronym fo r R ookie o f
the Year.
Roy lived up to it, leading all rookies
w ith averages o f 16.8 points. 4.0 assists
and 35.4 minutes in 57 games, and on M ay
2 he was awarded the N B A 's Eddie Gott I ieb
Staying Healthy
Tuesday, M ay 22, Tuesday, June 5, and
Wednesday, June 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m..
the N orth East Health Center. 5329 N.E.
M L K B lvd., w ill host the forum discuss­
ing issues o f men and young men's health.
A g ift card w ill be given to all males
attending. Call 503-988-3387. extension
22242 fo rm o rc inform ation.
Ceramics Potteiy Sale
Tuesday, M ay 29 through Thursday,
M ay 3 1, the PCC Rock Creek campus.
17705 N .W . S p rin g ville Rd., ceramics
g u ild w ill hold its semi-annual pottery
sale in the art gallery and atrium in B u ild ­
ing 3. For more inform ation, call 503-848-
0272.
International Night
Friday, M ay 18, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.,
Portland State U niversity w ill host the
31st annual event celebrating the stu­
dent d ive rsity at PSU. The event w ill be
held in the Smith Mem orial Student Union
cafeteria. I825S .W . Broadway. C all 503-
straight year.
Roy was the P a c ific -10 Conference’ s
Player o f the Year his senior season at
Washington. He was drafted w ith the sixth
o v e ra ll p ic k by the M in n e s o ta
T im b e rw o l ves. then traded to Portland for
the draft rights to Randy Foye.
The 6-foot-6 guard was honored as the
W est's Rookie o f the M onth in January,
February and March. He also made the
A ll-S ta r game's rookie squad. He scored
at least 20 points 16 limes, including a
career-high 29 against Utah on A p ril 4.
"T h is is a proud day fo r the city, the
franchise, and Brandon, whose perfor­
mance this past season speaks volumes to
the direction w e’ re headed as a franchise."
Blazers general manager K evin Pritchard
T rophy.
He received 127 out o f 128 first-place
votes (638 points) from a panel o f sports
w riters and broadcasters. T o ro n to ’ s A n ­
drea Bargnani finished second w ith 264
points, and M em phis' R udyG ay was third
w ith 93 points.
“ It's rare to see a rookie step in, assume
a leadership role and become a go-to guy
as Brandon did this past season." T ra il
Blazers coach Nate M c M illa n said. "B ra n ­
don is a phenomenal young talent and has
a chance to become a very special player
in this league."
Roy is the third T ra il Blazer to w in the
a w a rd ,jo in in g G e o ff Petrie! 1970-71 (and
Sidney W ic k s (1971-72).
The Blazers finished 32-50, with 11 more
wins than in the previous season, but they
failed to make the playoffs fo r the fourth
said. “ Both on and o ff the court, Brandon
has demonstrated the m aturity and poise
photo by
M ark W asiiington /T he P ortland O bserver
Portland Trail Blazer guard Brandon Roy celebrates receiving the NBA Rookie
of the Year trophy during ceremonies at Self Enhancement, Inc. in north
Portland last Wednesday. The Seattle hometown star is joined by his girlfriend
Tiana Bardwell, his newborn son Brandon Roy Jr. and his mother Gina Roy.
o f a veteran."
In his N B A debut Nov. I in his home­
tow n o f Seattle. Roy scored 20 points. He
fo llo w e d that w ith a 19-point game at
Golden Slate.
" I love Brandon Roy. I love his game.
I le 's so smooth and carefree. It seems like
he never turns the ball over," Denver's
C arm elo A nthony said earlier this season.
"H e sure doesn't seem like a rookie in this
league. He's going to be The One in Port­
land."
725-4094 o r visit ois@ pdx.edu fo r more
inform ation and ticketing.
African American Council
Y o u ’ re invited on the third Tuesday o f
each month from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
when the A frica n Am erican A d viso ry
C ouncil meets at the K ing F acility, 4815
N.E. Seventh Ave. C all 503-823-0000.
Community Support
The A frica n Am erican Health C oalition,
a n o n-profit that touches the lives o f
m illio n s o f A frica n Americans each year,
reminds you to support your com m unity
organization. A ll donations, grants, and
gifts are tax deductible. For more inform a­
tion. visit aahc-portland.org.
i
County Chair Responds to Racial Disparities
S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserver
budget plans to restore fiscal responsibil­
ity to the county w h ile paying closer at­
tention to the most disadvantaged resi­
dents.
In other words, his county budget pro­
posal includes actions to reduce racial and
ethnic disparities, but at the same tim e he
wants to cut m illio n s o f dollars from pro­
grams that affect m in o rity residents.
N ew ly installed M ultnom ah County
Board C hair Ted W heeler has unveiled
Wheeler has outlineil $ 15 m illio n in cuts
to county services over the next year.
Yet minority
programs slated
for budget cuts
by
School-based programs stand a chance o f
losing $3.8 m illio n : that w o u ld mean
goodbye to Touchstone, a program that
helps low-incom e and m inority fam ilies by
providing u tilitie s and warm clothes fo r
children, as w ell as com m unity assistance,
domestic violence and counseling.
W heclercallsexisting racial disparities
a “ major problem among A frica n A m e ri­
cans and increasingly Latinos. N ative
Americans and Asians."and he acknow l­
edges that his plan Io cut Touchstone was
a very tough decision to make.
" A lot o f county employees w ill lose
their jobs over this," he said. "B u t to return
the county to fiscal stability w e’ re going
to cut a lot o f popular programs."
He said there are many great leaders
w ith in the Touchstone program , but
that the program lacks focus and is
continued
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on page H5
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