Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, January 28, 2009, Page 7, Image 7

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    Page A 7
lanuary 28. 2009
F ebruary is B lack H istory M onth
Facets of Africa at Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
V is it in g K e n y a n a rtis t w e lc o m e d
Portland most vibrant story tellers,
representing the many facets of Afri­
can cultures are featured during spe­
cial performances and a gallery exhibit
for Black History Month at the Inter­
state Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340
N. Interstate Ave.
L ocal m u sician C aton L yles,
Ghanian dancer Habiba, Nicaraguan
healer Graziella Teofeld, South Afri-
can sto ry s p e c ia lis t S a m a n th a
Vandermere and 1FCC resident actor
Jennifer Lanier will participate in
Facets o f Africa perform ances each
Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m.
during the month o f February; and
on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. T ick­
ets are $10 for adults and $8 for
stu d en ts.
The gallery exhibit features works
by Kenyan artist Jacob W achira
Ezigbo, the IFCC Resident Artist for
the spring of 2009.
Ezigbo will attend an artist’s re­
ception on Thursday, Jan. 29, from
5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The gallery exhibit
is free and open Tuesdays through
Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
S aturdays from noon to 4 p.m.
through Feb. 21.
Bom in Nairobi, Kenya in 1975,
Ezigbo cannot recall a time he was not
drawing or painting. One of his favor­
ite things to do was to create brightly
colored murals on the sides of the
houses in Mathare.
Mathare is a gigantic si um in Nairobi
where Ezigbo was bom and spent his
childhood. He has traveled about the
world yet he has chosen to return to
Mathare where his lives today. He
adopted the name Ezigbo (ezigbo-
meaning “the good one” from the Ibo
community of Nigeria).
Ezigbo will also be featured during
an Artist Lecture on Saturday, Feb. 21
from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Jacob Wachira Ezigbo o f Kenya is
the current resident artist at the
Interstate Firehouse Cultural
Center. His works are going on
display in the IFCC's Facets o f
Africa gallery exhibit celebrating
Black History Month.
PCC Hosts
Provocative
Speaker
Free Talks on
Race, Law
Paul Finkelman, a specialist in American legal
history and race, will be delivering two free lectures
at Washington State University in Vancouver on
Thursday, Jan. 29.
Finkleman will speak on Asian Immigration to the
U.S. and the Chinese Exclusion Act at Noon in the
One of America’s most provocative public intellectu­
als and a longtime champion forracial justice, Dr. Comel
West, will give an exciting and
timely presentation on the elec-
tion o f P resident Barack
O bam a and speak to
Am erica’s challenges, suc­
cesses and the restoration of
hope during a public lecture
Thursday at 7 p.m. at the
Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W.
Broadway.
Sponsored by Portland
C om m unity C o lleg e, the
speaking engagement will kick
off Black H istory M onth
events that follow in Febru-
% Paul Finkelman
school’s Administration building, room 110.
He will deliverthe talk "Law in the Service of Evil:
How Southern Lawyers and Judges Defended Sla­
very," at 7 p.m. in the Multimedia Classroom build­
ing, Room 6.
On Friday, Jan. 30, Finkelman will also be running
a workshop on slavery in U.S. history and the Dred
Scott case for select Washougal history teachers
through the Teaching American History Grant funded
through the U.S. Department of Education.
Finkelman is the author of more than 100 scholarly
articles plus more than 20books. He is an expert in the
law of slavery, constitutional law, and legal issues
surrounding baseball.
Take. Timo to Sho/to
Dr. Cornel West
ary. Tickets are $25 to $45
and a v a ilab le through
Ticketmaster outlets.
Dr. W est’s writing, speak­
ing, and teaching weave to­
gether the traditions of the
black Baptist Church, progres­
sive politics, and jazz. The New
York Times has praised his
“ferocious moral vision.”
Currently the Class of 1943
Professor at Princeton Uni­
versity, Dr. West burst onto
the national scene in 1993 with
his bestselling book, Race
Matters, a searing analysis of
racism in American democ­
racy. Race Matters has be­
come a contemporary classic,
selling more than a half a mil­
lion copies to date. In addition,
he has published 16 other
books and has edited 13 texts.
A LITTLE HISTORY.
Black History Month is about discovery. And with routes from the
Carolinas to New York, Florida to DC, and all points in between,
Amtrak- makes it possible to discover history in any part of the
country. Relax in roomy Coach seats, grab a bite to eat from the
dining car, or take in the views from the lounge car. Amtrak is the
perfect way to connect with family as you reflect on the past and
build possibilities for the future.
We welcome everyone on board - especially those with a heart for
discovering history. And best of all, kidspges 2-15 ride half price.
Amtrak. Getting there is half the fun.
Kids ages 2-15 ride half off.
For more information:
Caff, 1-800-USA-RAIL
Anrtrak.com.
Advertise withdiversiiy in
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