Page A3 A p ril 29. 2009 National Urban League CEO Visits Portland Talks up group’s relevance by J ake T homas T he P ortland O bserver “W e’re a historic brand; al­ m ost a hundred years old,” said Marc M orial, the presi­ dent and chief executive o f­ ficer of the N ational Urban L eag u e, “O ne o f the c h a l­ lenges that h isto ric brands have is to keep evolving.” M o ria l w as in P o rtla n d M onday to help the U rban L eague stay relev an t and to tout his o rg a n iz a tio n ’s new report "The State o f Black A m erica 2009: A M essage to the P r e s id e n t,” w h ich a r ­ gues that A frican A m ericans s till fa c e d a u n tin g c h a l ­ lenges although a black man is p resident. During a press conference at the Portland Urban League, the former New Orleans mayor discussed President O bam a’s accom plishm ents in his first 100 days o f office, citing his p a ssa g e o f th e e c o n o m ic stimulus bill, a ban on torture, and the extension of health insurance to children. T h e h o u s in g c r is is and growing gap between the rich and the poor was also a topic taken up by M orial. “A frican A m ericans’ eco ­ nomic condition is so tied to their race that it’s hard to sepa­ rate the tw o,” said Morial. He asserted that the gap be­ tween the rich and the poor was unsustainable. “ A n a tio n d iv id e d e c o ­ nom ically is a nation th a t’s divided socially. Is a nation th at’s divided politically. It’s a nation that has a d ifficu lt tim e com peting in the w orld eco n o m y , and th a t is why closing the d ivide is im por- Dear Deanna! w ithout it m inorities could be left behind, creating a green e c o n o m ic d iv id e o r e v en green apartheid. He hopes that the National Urban League will become a major green jobs trainer. It’s al­ ready provided this service for 18,(XX) people in 2007, he said. Morial also pointed to new, younger CEOs o f local chap­ ters, like P ortland’s Marcus Mundy, as a way o f keeping relevant. He hopes that young people will want to work to alleviate poverty and other social ills and will see the Urban League as a vehicle to do that. “ W e’re w o rk in g hard to make sure w e’re relevant to a new generation,” he said. Urging people to take care o f th e ir h e a lth and th e ir children's health was also an issue brought up. W hen asked w hat M orial was doing personally to ini p ro v e h is o w n h e a lth he stated that he had sworn off red meat for the last 20 years “Now that doesn’t mean 1 n ev er touch red m e a t,” he added, to laughter. The criminal justice system also came up during the con­ ference. M orial, a lawyer by training, said that a big part of the reason why the U S. is a le a d in g in c a r c e ra to r o f people is because defendants often d o n ’t get a fair shake because they can 't afford the best lawyers. “The crim inal justice sys­ tem is in sham bles,” he said. M orial w as proud o f his o rg a n iz a tio n ’s work on n a­ tional legislation to help ease inmates back into mainstream society. He was also heart­ ened by Sen. Jim W ebb’s (D- Virginia) efforts to reform the prison system. on each other. You have to decide how much time you have to babysit w hile they play games. Take control of your relationship and put your sister in her place. Your boyfriend needs to know your expecta­ tions as you give him your ver­ bal thoughts on dealing with your sister. If he doesn't be­ have erase him and remember that boyfriends without rings come and go, but sisters are always around. be abused, cheated on and we broke up anyway. I want to get my boyfriend back and I’m not sure what todo. I’ve apologized but nothing seems to work. — Heartbroken and Torn; San Diego, Calif. shouldn’t have anything else to do with you. Your apology is nice but look at it from his side as you expect him to return after being with another man. Get over it, learn from your mistakes and if he comes back, fine and if not, keep it moving. after hours, you can call the police as a guarantee for a good nights sleep. 1 have an issue with my loud neighbor. She is so rude and disrespectful and has no regards for the rest of us in the apart­ ment complex. W e’re forced to listen to her loud music, she has company coming in and out and her place is always one big party. Several of us have joined together asked her to tone it down but she laughs and says she can do as she pleases as long as she pays her rent. What other options do we have to deal with this headache? - A n ­ noyed; On-Line Reader Dear Deanna! Dear Annoyed: You can file a complaint and the first stop should be the on-site manager’soffice. If this resource isn’t helpful then you should contact the management com­ pany. Yes, your neighbor pays Urban League has increased its foreclosure counseling ser­ vices 1Ü fold to help people cope with the housing crisis. He also touted his organization’s work in job training, particularly green jobs and expects them to become a m ajor part o f the economy as environmental is­ sues take on increasing impor­ tance. “Jobs are created when so­ ciety wants to solve a prob­ lem," he said. Morial highlighted how part of the federal stimulus pack­ age went toward w eatheriza­ Marc Morial tion services, and the league tant for the nation," he said. was there to partner with sev­ A reoccurring topic was the eral cities to provide them with importance of keeping the Ur­ readily trained workers. “Going green should mean ban League relevant. He said helping people benefit from that this can be done by fo­ cusing on the pressing issues going green,” said Morial, ex­ of the day, and bringing in plaining how participation in a new e n v iro n m e n ta l new leadership. Morial pointed out that the workforce is crucial because rent but you pay as well and are entitled to a decent amount of peace and quiet. Once this is done, boundaries should be established. On another note, if she violates the noise ordinance My sister hates my boyfriend because she feels he doesn’t treat me right. My boyfriend doesn’t like her because he feels she is too nosey. They always argue, try to embarrass each other and do dirty things to each other. I’m at the breaking point after my sister stole acheck from his checkbook and cashed it. On the other hand, my boy­ friend told her boyfriend that she was cheating. Where do 1 draw the line with them before someone gets hurt? —G inaC.; Charleston, S.C. Dear Gina: Almost like school kids you would think they have a crush Dear Heartbroken: The story never changes when Ask Deanna is written by Deanna one thinks the grass is greener M. Write Ask Deanna! at the on the other side. However, in email askdeannal @yahoo.com your case, you had a crew tell­ or 264 S. LaCienega Blvd. Suite ing you what to do but you 1283 Beverly Hills, CA 90211. chose not to listen. It serves Website: >wiv. askdeanna. com you right and your ex-boyfriend Dear Deanna! I broke up with my boyfriend for another guy and now 1 realize this was a mistake. I had a good man and I should've listened to my family and friends as they told me I should’ve stayed with him. I was seeking thrills and excitement. This caused me to Advertíse with diversitly in Îlîl '¡jJnrtllatrò (©bs erma* Call 503-288-0033 1 ads@poi tlandob servericom Mother Lizzie Joshua Day Local role model celebrated Porthaven Care Center, in cooperation with the Oregon Healthcare Association’s Senior Wish Program, is celebrating “Mother Lizzie Joshua" for her lifelong service and dedication to the north and northeast Port­ land community. Joshua is a great role model for past and present times. She moved to the Portland area in the 1930s and started building ships and religious communi­ ties. Together with a group of dedi­ cated community members, she founded several churches that Lizzie Joshua is being honored as a role model for her many years as a foster parent and mentor. Portland Community Colleg« JOB FAIR are still thriving in the Portland area. Her home was always open to people who needed food, clothing and support to get their lives on the right path. As a foster parent, she pro­ vided homes and raised many children. “You have to respect children to be respected by children” was the advice she gave par­ ents over the years. Church representatives and som e o f the c h ild re n that “Mother Joshua" raised will be joining her in the celebration of her extraordinary accomplish­ ments on Saturday, May 2 at 2 p.m. at the Porthaven Care Cen­ ter, located at 5330 N.E. Prescott St. For more information, call Jodi Burroughs at 503-317-7685. Tuesday, May 5, 2009 Í1 AM 3 PM Cascade Campus Gymnasium - All job seekers welcome - Free admission and parking Prepare before the fair by going to w w w .p c c .e d u /c a s c a d e jo b fa ir Cascade Cam pus Gym 70S N K illingsw or 1h St. P ortland OR 97217 your future Served by Tn-Met buses » 4 and »72 at the H K thngsworth Max Station Tutu’s Portland Speech Live on Radio » you rt«#d particípale m W*» event contact *»* Office for Student s with OutaíHM»» at Oregon Public Broadcasting will air a special live broadcast o f A rc h b ish o p E m e ritu s Desmond Tutu when he pre­ sents a speech at the Univer­ sity of Portland on Monday, May 4. Presented by the Ecumenical M inistries of Oregon, Tuto’s speech entitled "Transforma­ tive Power of Reconciliation in Society" will begin at approxi­ mately 7:30p.m. For years. Archbishop Tutu has been a, the forefront of the crusade to fight racial injustice in South Africa. Archbishop Desmond Tutu In 1986, he was elected as ers can tune in to hear the en- 503 977*341