Page A3
lanuary 30, 2008
Focus on Human Rights Welcomed
Rights Commission'stop advocate.
Carmen Caballero Rubio, defines
her efforts in the mayor’s office
broadly to include any underserved
population.
Rubio appreciates increasing
numbers of immigrants’ hard work
going unrecognized as a symbol
for greater social problems. She
sees opportunities for creativity
where other parts of governm ent
have left populations and issues
behind.
“We need someone who’s go
ing to be on watch to tie everything
together, see if there are some pat
terns and maybe recommend some
direct action to correct (problems),”
Rubio says.
Meeting with local residents over
the past year, city officials heard
many calls to bring back the Human
Rights Commission, a panel that
was dissolved in 2003 after 55 years
Commission
returns after
absence
by R aymond R endleman
T iie P ortland O bsery er
The Portland City Council’s ap
proval ofa Human Rights Commis
sion andaC hildren's Billot Rights
revitalizes a political framework for
addressing basic social issues.
T he
g oal
is to o ffe r
underrepresented populations a
voice in government policies toend
disparities, racial tensions and bar
riers to community needs.
Advocates have identified some
recent controversies might have
benefited from the commission, in
cluding the ruling that delayed
Oregon’s domestic partnership law,
the fight over renaming Interstate
Avenue and the efforts of police
racial-profiling committees.
For complicated issues such as
these, the rights commission could
strive to make a difference by pre
senting the facts in a neutral set
ting.
Tiffani Penson, Bureau of De
velopment outreach coordinator,
and Katie Perkins, mentoring coor
dinator for Portland Impact, joined
in a recent discussion about the
consequences of hate speech and
the ways that it could be controlled.
For Penson, passionate conver
sations will translate into real strides
in education and employment.
“It’s a good role for the govern
ment to take,” she says. “My main
goal is, by me being on the front
line, listening, seeing what the is
sues are, 1 want to come up with
ways that the bureau can address
and be a part of the solution to as
photos by
from Front
about the case will generate lively
questions from the audience.
“ Race in the media is an impor
tant issue anywhere, bu, we re
ally felt like with the Foxworth
case there was a lot not said,”
Johnson told the Portland O b
server.
Johnson and graduate student
Roberta Hunle com pleted a 22-
page study o f the case, focusing
on the different tactics utilized by
P o rtlan d ’s black-ow ned press
versus the dominant white-owned
media.
"The Skanner and the Observer
told a more complex story consis
tently, where the m ainstream pa
pers focused primarily on the sex
of the thing." Johnson says.
As some newspapers printed
the claim s in their entirety, the
minority news outlets focused on
the merits of the case or what
Johnson and Hunte call the d if
ference betw een "constructive
and destructive storytelling."
If more news outlets had treated
the story with such consid er
ation. Johnson argues, “The pub
lic would have access to a larger,
more complex story, and thus may
not fall into the ways that we
traditionally think about race.”
He said the police department
itself has a role in creating a silent
environm ent surrounding racial
issues, but the responsibility for
R aymond R endleman /T he P ortland O bserver
Jefferson High School mentor Daniel Capuia works on the local children's bill of rights at a recent
community meeting.
many of those issues as possible.” will appreciate any improved means
Seeing human rights as espe for redressing grievances.
“We walked a long, hard road so
cially important for people of di
verse backgrounds, Penson argues that those rights would be acknowl
that people in her black community edged,” she says. "Without hu
Race in the Media
continued
of advocacy, beginning in 1948 with
the United Nation's declaration of
universal human rights.
Lew Fredrick, a consultant for
the city and community leader, said
Portland Human Rights Commis
sion will need patience.
“T here's a lot to take on," he
says, citing the possibilities for
advocacy, research, education and
intervention.
Daniel Capuia. a Portland State
University student who recently
received a grant through the non
profit Innovation Partnership to
coordinate mentors at Jefferson
High School, was grateful to the
commitment of the mayor and his
staff to reviving the commission.
Both men hoped that future city
leaders will stay committed.
"It can't be something that just
takes place for this particular ad
ministration," Fredrick says.
the perpetuation o f stereotypes
rests primarily on media outlets
that tend to bury the real story.
“ It is interesting in a city
where officers who are found
guilty o f using unreasonable
force still m aintain their jobs,
though Foxworth loses his for a
consensual sexual relationship,”
the essay’s conclusion reads.
“This is not just about the
guy who six years ago had an
affair and wrote a nasty e-m ail,”
Johnson says. “Portland is one
o f the w hitest large cities in
America, so most people have
very little contact with blacks in
this city, and that being the case,
how they make sense o f stuff is
based m ostly on w hat they
read.”
Johnson is especially exited
about the forum and plans for
plenty of time for open discus
sion.
Slated as part of the PSU Black
Bag Speaker Series, the forum
discussion will include O rego
nian colum nists Renee Mitchell
and D av id R e in h a rd , N ick
Budnick of the Portland Tribune
and Opio Sokoni of KBMS Ra
dio. Jointly sponsored by the
PSU Black Studies program and
the M ulticultural Center, the
event will take place on Tues
day, Feb. 5, from noon to 1:30
p.m. in the MCC, Room 228 of
the Smith M emorial Student
Union, 1825S.W . Broadway.
man rights, you can’t possibly feel
equal or successful, you just feel
stilled."
Being one generation removed
from migrant workers, the Human
Vanport Square Success
continued
from Front
Restaurant. Living Color Beauty
Supply. KaiserGroup, LauraCarey
Design, Rick Harris and Associ
ates. Vanport Café. Tran Allstate
Insurance, Avita LLC, Norell De
sign and Cascade Energy.
Officialssay up to 70 jobs will be
retained or generated by the project.
A second phase of the develop
ment is expected to bring the con
struction of a 24-Hour Fitness to
the corner of Northeast MLK and
Alberta Street.
Developer Ray Leary (left) and
Old Town Pizza Owner Adam
Milne celebrate the opening of
Vanport Square, a major office
and retail complex in the heart
of the King Neighborhood. Old
Town Pizza will be one of
Vanport Square s original
tenants when it opens in May.
photo by
M arr W asiiington /T he P ortland O bserv er
NEW SEASONS
PKartTMCCf
ARBOR LO D G E/
Schools on Focus at Expo
Nearly 15.000 parents, students, teachers, administrators
and com m unity members are expected at Celebrate! Port
land Public Schools from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at the
Portland Expo Center.
Every school and program w ill be represented at the fifth -
annual event. The schedule also includes student dance and
music performances, an exhibition o f student artwork, and a
full-size replica o f a kindergarten classroom. High schools
w ill offer inform ation on their sports programs, language
centers, clubs and scholastic achievements.
Celebrate! also w ill provide inform ation regarding student
transitions, whether starting kindergarten or moving up to
middle or high school. Staff members w ill be available to help
answer questions about navigating new schools and the
district transfer process.
For more inform ation, visit the Portland Public Schools
Web site, pps.k 12.or.us, and click on the Celebrate! PPS link.
Carmen Caballero Rubio defines her efforts in the mayor’s
office broadly to include any underserved population.
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