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Committed to Cultural Diversity
February 27. 200S
Celebrating Black History
M etro
From facing wartime challenges
to the NA AC P's 99 years
See coverage inside, pages B2, B3 and B6
¿riu' ^ io rtla tib (IDhserucr
»
o m m u n ity
C a l e n d a r ‘The Inspirational Legacy of AI Forthan’
Homework Help
The Black Parent Initiative and Concordia
Teachers Corp, provide free homework
help fo r kids ages 5 to 19 on Tuesdays
and Thursdays, from 3:45 to 5 p.m. at
Grace C ovenant C hurch, 5450 N.E.
Flanders; and from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at C al­
vary Christian Center. 126 N.E. Alberta;
as w ell as M ondays and Wednesdays
from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the East Portland
C om m unity Center, 740 S.E. 106th Ave.
‘Sweet Crude’ Reception
Thursday, Feb. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m.,
Portland's S w ahili Imports hosts a pre­
show reception fo r "Sweet Crude” film
producer and director Sandy C io ffi. The
vie w in g o f the film , adocumentary about
o il d rillin g in the N iger R iver Delta, w ill
fo llo w at 7:30 p.m., at the Portland C om ­
munity College Cascade campus Moriarty
Building.
Catch the Authors
Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m., In Other
Words, 8 N.E. K illin g sw o rth S t., w ill host
a reading night featuring five gay, lesbian
and transgender authors. For more in fo r­
mation, visit inotherwords.org or call 503-
232-6003.
V-Day Portland
Friday, Feb. 29 and Saturday. March I , at
6 p.m., the Center fo r S elf Enhancement,
3920 N. K irb y St., presents Eve Ensler’ s
The Vagina Monologues, to raise aware­
ness and end violence against women.
A dm ission is fo u r cans o f nonperishable
foods or new w om en’ s toiletries; fo r more
information.1 call 503-901 -5501.
Film honors
late counselor
A local center that helps men recover
from alcohol and drugs is celebrating a
remarkable story and new documentary o f
a local A frica n Am erican who overcame
his addiction.
The Volunteers o f Am erica Men's Resi­
dential Center w ill host “ The Inspirational
Legacy o f A l Forthan," at the H o llyw o o d
Theatre on Thursday, March 13. Forthan
was the first person to move from an
alumnus o f the treatment center to come
back and w ork fo r the M H C .
He passed away in 2006. But his amaz­
ing story and the fine w ork he did for
others is told in the center's archives.
A n im posing 6-foot-4-inch frame, a
tough street-smart attitude, a long record
o f conv ictions and hard tim e— it was the
kind o f "currency” that commanded re­
spect among fe llo w prison inmates. A l
Forthan had it all.
He also had a 25-year addiction to heroin
and enough hustlers and players w aiting
back on the streets to keep the cycle
going. It w ould take some potent interven­
tion to turn this life around, that and the
one last close-call w ith police that left
Forthan shaken fo r days.
Forthan was born in Portland, the el­
dest o f seven children. The fa m ily was
But when Forthan was introduced to
heroin, the stakes were suddenly raised. It
was no longer enough to just deal— now
it required acts o f violence in order to
support his own addiction. His arrests and
convictions led to nine stretches in prison,
and w hile none o f the convictions were
serious enough to keep him from eventual
parole, they still robbed him o f a total o f
tw elve years o f his life.
«Mk
Al Forthan was known for inspiring others to quit drugs and alcohol.
shuffled around from one housing project
to another until Forthan was 13. His par­
ents did their best raising the fa m ily w ith
his father insisting that they get the edu­
cation he never had.
He w asn't buying it. Except fo r sports,
school was no match for hanging out w ith
friends on the street and in pool halls,
pushing the lim its o f the law and eventu­
ally, at age 19, getting arrested fo r robbery.
When he emerged from the Oregon
prison system 18 months later, he fin a lly
felt his life had some direction. He had
learned a more sophisticated rule o f street
ethics: how to play the system, how to
tra ffic in drugs and all the fin e r points
necessary fo r starting the life o f a career
crim inal. And. so it began.
It was the m id -’ 60s, back when drug
dealing was relatively lim ite d to pot and
pills. Before long, he had more money than
he had ever had before and the rush he felt,
this new sense o f purpose, gave him what
he believed to be “ self-esteem." Every­
thing he had learned in prison seemed to
be paying off.
Friday. Feb. 29 through Monday, March
3, the Portland Japanese Gardens w ill
host the D o ll Festival.
Camp Fire Incredible Kids
Envisioned
To reduce
domestic violence
The R otary C lu b o f Portland has
awarded $ I m illion to Bradley-Angle House
as the first step toward creating a Rotary
Center fo rC o m m u n ity Empowerment— a
com m unity resource center that w ill bring
together concerned citizens from all back­
grounds to w ork on reducing domestic
violence in the greater Portland area.
The donation provides the foundation
for a project that could exceed $3 m illio n
before its doors are opened in M ay 2010.
The domestic violence group w ill seek
additional donations from private founda­
tions and individuals to purchase a prop­
erty. remodel it, and fund basic center
operations fo r three years.
Town Hall Education Forum
Saturday, March 8, from 10:30 a.m. to
noon. Rep. C hip Shields w ill host a Town
Hall forum on education at the PCC-Cas-
cade Campus Student Services Cafeteria.
Electric Car Races
Saturday. March I, M t. Hood C om m u­
n ity College-Gresham Campus, w ill host
the electric car races beginning at 11 a.m.
For more inform ation, call M ark Watts at
503-762-6180. extension 5579.
Children's Book Fair
As the oldest domestic violence orga­
nization on the West coast. Bradley- Angle
House was founded in Portland in 1975 by
women who needed services and support,
neither o f which was available anywhere
at that time.
In its 33 years, the group has been a
national anil a regional leader in a move­
Lorna Nakeli opens her studio to the pubic.
Volunteer Elder Advocates
Problem Pooch - Finicky Feline
The Oregon Humane Society offers an­
swers to your pet’ s behavior issues. Prob­
lem Pooch class, Saturday, March I at
12:30p.m., F inicky Felineclass, Saturday,
March 8 at 12 :3 0 p.m., both classes w ill be
at 1067 N.E. Colum bia Blvd.
In Search of Black Holes
M onday. March 10, at 7 and 8 p.m.. Plan­
etarium Sky Theater at Mt. H ixtdC om m u-
nity College-Gresham Campus, w ill ex­
plore the mysteries o f black holes. L im ­
ited seating and $1 admission. For more
inform ation.call 503-491 -7 2 13.
Great Oregon Beach Cleanup
Saturday. March 29. between 10a.m. and
I p .m .,S O L V needs thousands o f volun­
teers fo r the 24th annual beach cleanup to
restore the coastline to pristine condi­
tio n .T o g e t in vo lve d .ca ll 800-333-7658.
Breaking the Cycle
A safe and confidential forum fo r males
lakes place every first and third Friday at
6 p.m. in the Calvary Christian Church,
126 N.E. Alberta. For more inform ation,
contact Pastor Eric Carson. 503-422-8573.
on page 112
Center
Camp Fire U SA Portland M etro Council
invites the p ublic to honor any incredible
child. Honorees w ill receive an award,
coupons and their name in print. The fee
is $25 per ch ild w ith registration available
until March 3 1. For more inform ation call,
503-224-7800, extension 142.
Thursday. March 6. certification classes
begin fo r volunteer advocates and inves­
tigators to serve the needs o f the elderly
and those in assisted-living centers to
insure they receive the propercare needed
w ith respect and d ig n ity. C all Kathy
Walters at 800-522-2602 to sign up.
continued
Empowerment
Doll Festival
Sunday. March 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
the U niversity o f Portland-Chiles Center,
5(MX) N. W illam ette B lvd., hosts a free
book fa ir featuring activities fo r children
o f all ages. Each child attending receives
a free book.
" It d id n 't matter i f I was in prison or
out," Forthan recalled. " I was •somebody,'
I had power. 1 was respected inside and on
the streets. I'd get out and then step right
back into the same game, the same habits.
I d id n ’ t realize that the lifestyle itself, the
power and control. had become as much o f
an addiction as the drugs.”
O ver the years. Forthan participated in
several drug rehabilitation treatment pro­
grams. It was never a comm itted relation­
ship. Nothing took. “ Spin dries" he calls
them. “ No life altering counseling. No
fo llo w -u p mentoring. Y o u're in. you get
clean, yo u 're out. Spin dries."
The turning point came in July o f ‘91.
As he pulled his car into the driveway, he
saw police cars and officers in the process
o f a bust. They were not there looking for
him , they waved him to get out o f their
way. Forthan’ s car was fille d w ith drugs
and paraphernalia, a gun and enough cash
to have landed him in a Federal prison
in definitely. M iraculously, nobody even
Portland Open Studios is recruiting
m inority and m ulticultural artists for next
fa ll's annual tour o f artist workspaces.
O f course, there are advantages to
the artists who open their studios. A u ­
diences are b u ilt, artwork sold, inspira­
tion grows and communication happens.
ment to create co n fid e n tia lly located safe
houses to shelter survivors and provide
peer support until they can gain the con­
fidence. skills and resources needed to
live safely on their own.
The new center w ill be open and acces­
sible to the public, where conversation,
strategizing and com m unity input can be
channeled tow aril initiatives that w ill make
domestic violence less and less socially
acceptable.
The fa c ility is m in im a lly projected to
house B ra dley-A ngle's non-residential
services (including youth services), ad­
m inistrative offices, volunteer services, a
One artwork image from each artist ap­
pears both in the o ffic ia l tour guide and
on the Portland Open Studios website,
w hich extends the benefits after the
scheduled tour weekends o f Oct. 11 and
18.
There are advantages to each neigh­
borhood where artists have their stu­
dios, too.
V isitors discover the art in their own
backyards and venture out in to parts o f
the metro area that they have never
been. A rtists and visitors participate in
grow ing a local arts com m unity fille d
w ith a diversity o f artists making art in all
library and resource center, an affordable
licensed childcare center, community meet­
ing rooms, performance and exhibit space,
and a healing garden. Depending on the
size o f the building, other programs could
be based there as well.
"The only possibility we have to end
domestic violence is to involve the entire
com m unity in changing the conditions
and perceptions that perpetuate the v io ­
lence." said Karla McFarland. Bradley-
A ngle House executive director. "W e
welcome R otary's vision in selecting this
media.
Painters who use o il. acrylic or water
color: sculptors who cast bronze, weld
found objects or mold clay: fiber artists
who weave, make quilts o r print fabric:
mask makers: book artists: and artists
w ho use just about anything else that
artists use to make artworks can all ap­
Joe Pogan works with metal.
ply.
Portland Open Studios offers the K im ­
berly Gales Emerging /Artists Scholar­
ship to encourage young artists be-
tween 20 and 30. The w inner receives a
w aiver o f all fees and a $100 stipend.
To apply for participation or for more
»
project from the dozens o f w orthy subm is­
inform ation on the scholarship, go Io
p o rlla n ilo p e n s tu d io s .c o m . A p p lic a ­
tions are due March 15.
/
sions. Domestic violence intersects w ith
so many other issues facing our c ity right
now
homelessness, drug a d d ic tio n ,
continued
on page It 2