www.portlandobserver.tom
Committed to Cultural Diversity
December 12. 2007
An Inspiring Start
M etro
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1 e n d a r
St. Johns Posada
The St. Johns Posada, an annual event
celebrating the Christmas story o f M ary
and Joseph's search fo r shelter, w ill be
gin w ith a candlelight procession on Sat
urday, Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m. at the St. Johns
Plaza at N orth B urlington and Lombard.
The com m unity is invited to enjoy live
music, dancing, piñata play, flow er-m ak
ing, facing painting and traditional Latino
and North Am erican food.
Homeownership Help
Thursday, Dec. 13, from 6 :3 0 to 7 :30p.m.,
the nonprofit Portland C om m unity Land
Trust w ill provide inform ation on a ffo rd
able homeownership opportunities. The
orientation class w ill be held at the N orth
Portland L ib ra ry, 512 N. K illin g sw o rth .
For registration inform ation,call 503-493-
0293 o r visit pclt.org/buy.
Weatherization Workshops
Thursday, Dec. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m., James
John Headstart. 7439 N. Charleston Ave.,
w ill host the free educational workshops
to self-weatherize your home: p a rtici
pants w ill receive a free w eatherizing kit.
Free weatherization is available fo r se
niors. Call 503-284-6827 fo r inform ation
on additional workshops and to register.
Television Production Lesson
Saturday, Dec. 15, from l:3 0 to 4 :3 0 p .m „
the Interstate Firehouse C ultural Center,
5340 N. Interstate Ave., w ill host the
workshop teaching the basics fo r pro
ducing taped o r live studio productions;
$20 fee. For more inform ation, call 503-
288-1515.
Ranger Lantern Tours
Saturday, Dec. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., w ith
lantern in hand and a skilled ranger lead
ing the way, explore the history o f Fort
V a n co u ve r, 612 E. Reserve St. in
Vancouver, Wash. Call 360-816-6243 fo r
more inform ation.
Winter ‘ZooVentures’
Dec.26-Dec. 28, & Jan. 2-Jan.4, the O r
egon Zoo w ill host winter-break day
camps fille d w ith lots o f adventures fo r
kids, kindergarten through fourth grade;
fo r more inform ation, visit oregonzoo.org
orcall 503-220-2781.
Guitar Zero to Guitar Hero
Beginning Wednesday. Jan. 9, M t. Hood
C om m unity College w ill o ffe r guitar
classes fo r beginners; classes w ill be
held at M orey M id d le School, 2801 S.W.
Lucas in Troutdale. The fee is $59: fo r
registration information,call 503-491 -7572.
100% Oregon Duck
Jefferson
basketball teams
enjoy victories
Coach Ernie Kent
brings fruition to
U of O hoops
See stories, Sports page B5
See stories, Sports page B5
Opening
Doors to
Diversity
Career electrician
promotes union
workforce
by R aymond R endleman
T he P ortland O bserver
A 20-yearcareerelectrician, Larry W ar
ren im m ediately saw a problem when he
started organizing fo r his Portland trade
union. A fric a n Am ericans make up about
six percent o f the city population but only
one percent o f the union w orkforce that’ s
com m itted to protecting high wages and
generous benefits.
The discovery was even more "unbe
lievable” fo r Warren, since unions repre
sent black workers nationwide in a larger
proportion than any other ethnicity. O f
employed workers, blacks have 14.5 per
cent union membership to the I l.7percent
o f whites, according to the latest U.S.
Department o f Labor survey.
D uring the 1940s in Portland, blacks
hud p a rtic u la rd iffic u lty in obtaining union
membership, as frequently reported in the
local A frican-A m erican newspapers o f
that time.
C ivil-rig h ts obstacles to A frica n -A m e ri
can union membership in Portland have
dim inished, but disparities remain. Lead
labor organizers hope to show that union
doors have opened much w ider now for
m inorities and that people o f co lo r only
need to discover the advantages o f indus
try solidarity.
“ The biggest b a rrie r is that people
a re n 't a p p ly in g ,” says W arren, the m i
n o rity -re c ru itm e n t c o o rd in a to r fo r his
local c h a p te ro f the In te rn a tio n a l B ro th
erhood o f E le c tric ity W orkers. “ W hen
you take hundreds o f a p p lica tio n s and
you o n ly get tw o o r three a p p ly in g , then
t h e y ’ re n o t k n o w in g
th a t the
o p p o rtu n ity ’ s out th e re ."
Unions attract dedication through gen
erous pay packages that increase w ith
co st-o f-liv in g adjustments and each year
o f experience. W ith the current starting
wage at $33 an houron the check. Portland’ s
PHOTO IO
M \R K
W
a
S H IN G T O N /T h E
P()R 11
XND OBSERVER
Larry Warren concentrates on minority recruitment in his efforts as lead organizer for the local chapter of the Interna
tional Brotherhood of Electricity Workers.
The biggest barrier is that people area't
applying. When you take hundreds o f
applications and you only get two or three
applying, then they 're not knowing that the
opportunity's out there.
-L arry Warren
IB E W members make a m inim um wage anil
benefits package amounting to $48.09 an
hour.
"The retirement you w ill receive o ff o f
that w ill ju s t be tremendous," says W ar
ren. M any IB E W retirees can expect to
receive about $7,000 a month after the age
of55.
Warren sees a common misperception
in th inking that skilled trades are more
dangerous or require a certain personal
ity. “ A lot o f people tend to think o f
electrical as being d iffic u lt, but w ith any
jo b , once you learn a jo b , it's very easy,”
he says.
A lso a track coach at Jefferson High
School. Warren strives to connect w ith
students across the city who are begin
ning to consider plans fo r the future, in
addition to his mission to unionize unaf
filiated workers.
“ W e're really reaching out as w ell to try
to educate the youth on the requirements,"
Warren says, citin g the 2.0 grade-point
average and year o f mathematics needed
toget intothe IB E W training center. A n y-
continued
on page H2
Advocates Needed
Volunteer advocates and investigators
are needed to serve as ombudsmen fo r
residents o f nursing homes, residential-
care facilities, assisted-living and adult-
foster-care homes; training and ce rtifica
tion begins Thursday, Jan. 10. For more
inform ation on how you can get involved
contact Kathy W alter at 800-522-2602.
Learn to Make Recycled Art
Portland C om m unity College is o ffe rin g
the hands-on training to create art from
recycled materials; classes w ill be held at
the R eBuilding Center. 3625 N. M issis
sippi Ave. C all 503-731-6622 fo r more
information.
Alternative Transportation History Revealed
Artist plays off
Traveling through
Time’ series
R aymond R endleman
T he P ortland O bserver
bi
W hile riding M ax trains this year, Gabe
Flores saw something missing among the
“ T raveling through Tim e” placards o f old
streetcars, trains, ferries and lour buses
that display Portland’ s transportation his
tory. Flores longed fo r images that con
fronted the history o f those who were
subject to oppression.
His research led him to the Oregon
H istorical Society where he found photo
Helping the Hungry
The Oregon Food Bank desperately needs
your donations o f nonperishable foods
and funds. To fin d out how you can help,
call 503-282-0555.
Literacy Volunteers Needed
The Volunteer Literacy Program at Port
land C om m unity College-Cascade needs
volunteertutors to provide free in d iv id u
alized instruction in basic literacy, En
glish language, and math skills. Call 503-
244-3898 o r visit oregonliteracy.org.
Volunteer for Crisis Line
W ant to make a d ifference in yo u rc o m -
in u n ity ? V o lunteers and advocates are
needed fo r the Portland W o m e n 's C r i
sis Lin e . The needs in clude o n -ca ll
advocates to respond in person o r o ver
the phone, outreach and educational
e ffo rts, and fu n d ra isin g and a d m in is
tra tive duties. C a ll 5 0 3-232-4176 fo r
more in fo rm a tio n.
African American Council
Y o u ’ re invited on the third Tuesday o f
each month. fro m 5 :3 0 to 6 :3 0 p .m „ when
the A frican Am erican A dvisory C ouncil
meets at the K ing Facility, 4 8 15 N.E. Sev
enth. Call 5O3-8234KXM) fo r information.
graphs o f African Americans between 19(X)
and 1962 w orking as servants, caterers
and luggage handler'.. He then transfixed
those photos w ith logos that played o ff
T riM e t’ s series fo r an art exhibit he calls
“ Traveling through a Sim pler T im e ," on
display this month at the Portland A rt
Center. 32 N .W . F ifth Ave.
Flores, who has a history degree from
Port land State University, wanted to bring
out aspects o f the past that are often
overlooked in mainstream literature.
"W e ’ re so afraid o f pointing the fin g e r
at ourselves." he says.
A longtim e resident o f northeast Port
land, Flores hopes that his alternative
history w ill act as a strike against racism
resurfacing. He wants h isa rtw o rk toserve
as a reminder that it wasn’ t that long ago
that the Kian was a pow erful force in the
state.
Flores credits a philosophical discus
sion w ith his friend Rachael W ilson w ith
the concept and wishes to thank her for
helping him sift through the prim ary docu
ments at the Oregon H istorical Society.
There is one Hispanic person in his
display, but Flores hopes to find more
racial diversity among railroad builders as
he strives tow ard his own 50-image archive.
W earing a shirt to his First Thursday
opening last week that read "hyphenated-
am erican," Flores h im se lf is a m ixture o f
French. Natn e American. Italian and Span
hyphenated-american
PHOTO BI R AVMONP R l N l)l EM AN/T i IE PO RTLAND O b s ERV ER
Gabe Flores found historic photographs of African Americans in Portland and then transfixed them to TriMet “Traveling
through Time" logos to create an inspiring art exhibit.
ish.
H e considered ending the series on a
positive note w ith his favorite piece repre
senting an A frican-A m erican bus d rive r
named Robert D illard in the early ‘50s after
the Urban I .eague exerted’pressure on the
continued
on page H2
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