Februaiy 18, 2009
Page A 8
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Avel Gordly gets a hug from Dalton Miller-Jones, the chair o f the Black Studies Depart
ment at Portland State University. Gordly is helping prepare the next generation o f African-
American leaders by jointly teaching a leadership seminar with Miller-Jones.
Passing the Torch
continued ^ ^ fr o m Front
BA N O e WEST ä
Bank of the West
is proud to support
Black History Month.
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Different perspectives generate fresh
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Since stepping into politics, Gordly has
earned widespread respect and has made
inroads on previously ignored issues. She
helped m anauever through a bill that re
quired police d ep artm en ts to estab lish
planned respon ses w henever they used
deadly force.
Shortly before leaving office, Gordly also
shepherded through a bill establishing the
Environmental Justice Task Force, which
aims to give a voice to those affected by
natural resources decisions.
Darrell Millner, a professor of black stud
ies at Portland State University, said that be
cause of Gordly's race and gender, more
people in traditionally marginalized groups
have felt they have a voice because of her.
Millner added that Gordly has been a strong
moral voice during her time in Salem, par
ticularly in the area of mental health.
Jason Renaud, the board secretary for the
Mental Health Association of Portland and
retired social worker, said that few state leg
islatures have someone like Gordly who has
boldly brought an issue to the forefront that
is typically ignored.
Gordly's connection to the issue is per
sonal. She has a son who has struggled with
mental health and who is currently living and
working independently.
Also during her time in politics, she helped
push through a bill requiring training for po
lice officers on how to handle the mentally
ill, and has called attention to the need for
funding for mental health services, like the
Garlington Center in northeast Portland.
But she hasn't turned her back on the is
sue since. Recently she partnered with Or
egon Health and Science University to cre
ate the Avel Gordly Center for Healing, a
clinic geared toward providing culturally sen
sitive mental health treatment.
Gordly was also unabashed about point
ing out to others the struggles African-Ameri
cans have experienced in obtaining equality.
She partnered with the Oregon Historical
Society to provide every member of the Leg
islature with a copy of Elizabeth McLagan's
"A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Black in
Oregon, 1788-1940.”
She also recalls convincing then Republi
can House Speaker Karen Minnis to move a
h isto rical picture o f form er Gov. M ark
Hatfield working on a bill to end Oregon's
racist public accommodation laws to a more
prominent and symbolic place in the capital.
"I don't think we've seen the end o f her
influence." quipped Millner.
Ethics Cited in
Adams Scandal
continued
front Front
the young man’s career.
"You have the potential for
exploitation," said Hanson.
Supporters of Adams have
insisted that he should have
never have had to answer a
question about his sex life in
the first place. Hanson ex
plained that this view would
normally have credence, but
because Adams was specifi
cally asked about a potentially
inappropriate sexual relation
ship the question was fair.
"It was a trap he created
for himself," quipped Hanson.
Darrell Millner, a professor
of black studies at Portland
State University, said that few
public figures are as widely
respected as Gordly, a Demo
crat who has crossed political
lines to break partisan gridlock.
"She represented the con
science of the state," was the
first words out of M illner's
m outh w hen ask ed about
Gordly’s influence in the Or
egon Legislature, adding that
she was always on the fore-
r
I
J
front o f issues concerning
ethics or morality.
Gordly said it now appears
that by refusing to resign,
Adams is acting like he’s en
titled to the office of mayor.
"When I look at Sam and
how he was groomed, so to
speak, he is a product of the
old boy old network in this city
and this state. He is a product
of white privilege and entitle
ment and, he is acting like he
is entitled to the role," said
Gordly.
Adams was the ch ief of
staff to form er mayor Vera
Katz years before he became
an elected official.
G o rd ly also had harsh
words for those who want to
support Adams for other rea
sons.
"I think there is something
terribly wrong with the po
litical culture in our city.” she
said.
A lth o u g h A dam s a n
nounced last month that he
will stay on as mayor, there
is already an effort to recall
him, which can't take place
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until he has been in office for
six months under Oregon law.
But Gordly said that Adams
should step down to avoid the
costly recall election, which
will further strain city coffers
and impact important city pro
grams and services that have
been drained by the recession.
However, when asked if
there has been a double stan
dard in how Adams has been
treated compared to former
P o lice
C h ie f
D errick
Foxworth, an African-Ameri
can who was demoted after
an explosive sexual harass
m ent case w as b ro u g h t
against him by a police depart
ment desk clerk, she said the
situations don't run parallel
and are "totally different."
"I hurt for Sam. I pray for
him," added Gordly, who said
that she is prepared to per
sonally forgive the mayor, but
in sists th ere m ust c o n s e
quences.
Gordly also wonders what
message from Adams' deci
sion to stay on sends to the
youth of Portland.
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