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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 2009)
August 12, 2009 tElji {Jortlanò (Dhseruer Celebrating Diversity in the Page A5 Workplace M oving Forward for Justice, Equality Where do we go from here? by R ea . D r . L e R oy H aynes J r . Does the election of Barack O bam a to the office o f President o f the U nited States o f America mean that the d re a m o f M a rtin L uth er K ing Jr. has been fulfilled? Does it m ean that racism has been elim inated in America and the struggle for justice, freedom and equality is over? There are many w ho would say that the struggle for civil- rights and equality has been w on and there is no longer any need for civil rights organiza tions like the NAACP, South ern C hristian Leadership C on ference or the Urban League - that A frican A m ericans have arrived — that the final chapter on racism and the vestiges o f Jim Crow has been written. But is this true? We m ust acknow ledge that President O bam a’s election is one o f the g reatest historical events in A m erican history. It represents the m atur ing o f a great nation to fu lfill its d e stin y in o vercom in g the h o r rendous history o f sla very, Jim C row and other injustices. To m a n y A fric a n A m ericans who lived through the second class citi z e n s h ip , ly n c h in g , c h u rc h bom bings and day-to-day rac ism that denied their humanity - the election o f Barack Obama as our country’s 44th president was a dream that they believed w ould not happen in their life time. This pivotal event carried the hopes, prayers and dream s o f our fore-parents w ho traveled the m iddle-passages on slave ships, endured the horrors o f slavery on plantations and ex perienced the world o f A m eri can apartheid for another 100 years. Yet, K in g 's dream for A m erica is bigger than any one h is to r ic a l f ig u re , ra c e o r achievem ent. The struggle for civil rights racism in America. T h is h is to ric a l m o m e n t moves us forward tow ard cre ating a ju st and equal society where people will be judged by their character and not by the color o f their skin. Yes! W e've Yes! We've come a long way in America, but there is still some distance to cover and equality did not stop with the h istorical p assage o f the 1964 Civil-Rights Bill and the 1965 Voters Rights Bill. As great as the election o f Barack Obama was to the nation and to A fri can-A m ericans in particular — as well as other people o f color - it does not fulfill King’s dream for a free, ju st and equal soci ety. Rather, it brings us closer to writing the final chapter on come a long way in America, but there is still some distance to cover in o rder to truly fulfill K ing's dream o f the beloved community. The battle is not over for fair, ju st and equal rights for people o f co lo r an d p oo r p eo p le in America. The battle is not over w hen A frican-A m ericans are three times more likely to live in poverty than whites. Harvest Beat to Uplift Lives namic performance. Sebe Kan (m eaning “Serious Sound” ), a renow ned 11 -m em b er W est A fric an drum an d dance perform ance troupe, will also enchant guests with their sp irited style and sh o w m an ship. Em ceed by KINK FM ’s arts and culture guru, Inessa, the Africa Bridge Harvest Gala will be a night rem em bered by all who attend as an uplifting cel ebration o f com m unity and A f rican cultures. Tickets are $75 and available by v is itin g africabridgegala.com. Celebrating the power of community M oving to the rhythm o f the harvest beat, the greater Port land com m unity is invited to attend A frica Bridge, a harvest gala to benefit the lives o f or phans and children in Tanzania im pacted by HIV AIDS. The event is scheduled Sat u rd ay , A u g .29 at 5 p.m . at Nelson Farms on Sauvie Island, 14825 N.W. Gillihan Rd. G uests will enjoy an exhila rating night o f A frican music and drum m ing, an outstanding A frican-infused harvest dinner by C harles Stilwell o f D evil’s F ood C aterin g and inspiring m essages from Barry Childs, founder and executive director o f Africa Bridge. O bo Addy, a G hanian drum m aster since age six and key originator o f the seminal m usi cal m ovem ent now know n as W orldbeat, will delight the au dience with a rhythm ically dy- The battle is not over when there still is racial disparities b etw een A fric an -A m erica n s and whites in health care; when stark inequities still exist in our educational system ; our eco nomic system; and injustice still exists in our criminal justice sys tem and law enforcem ent. The recent arrest o f the noted scholar and Harvard University professor, Dr. Louis Gates, while en te rin g his ow n ho m e and charged with the crim e o f “dis orderly conduct” is a case that reaffirm s that the battle against racism and in eq u ality is not over, but continues. It dem on strates very clearly that even with an African American in the m ost p o w erfu l o ffic e in the country, and in the most pow erful nation in the world, that no m atter how high you climb in your profession or position or up the economic ladder - you still are affected by racism and inequality in Am erica if you are an African Am erican or a per son o f color. Yet, today’s battle is not lim ited to correcting the injustices and inequalities caused by rac ism in America. We must not only direct the m essage o f so cial justice to those who con tinue to perpetuate racism, but we must look internally. We m ust battle against the self-destruction of black males, against the crim e and violence in our community, against the d ru g use and d ru g d ea lin g , against the frequency o f teen age pregnancies and fatherless children, against the epidem ic ofHIV/AIDS. We cannot afford to neglect either the last vestiges of rac ism in our society or the self- d estru ctiv e b ehaviors w ithin our communities. The battle is not over. Rev. Dr. LeRoy Haynes Jr. is the pastor o f Allen Temple CME church and vice-president o f the A lbina M inisterial A lli- Community Picnic to Celebrate Cultures Saturday event at Overlook Park O ur United Villages is hosting an Intercultural C om m u nity G athering on Saturday, Aug. 15 at Overlook Park in north Portland from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. “O ur hope is that this event will inspire people to cel ebrate and learn m ore about the richness o f cultural diver sity in our com m unity,” says Linda Hunter, com m unity outreach manager for the local non-profit community build ing organization. The free and fam ily-friendly event will feature interac tive villages, cultural sharing conversations, m usic, food, raffle prizes and opportunities to meet neighbors. There will be several hands-on activities such as playing an in strument, taking a dance lesson, listening to a story and trying on traditional clothing. Everyone is encouraged to bring a bag lunch and blan kets and chairs. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Deejays Ghanian drum master Obo Addy will bring an exhilaring night o f African music to ‘Africa Bridge,' an Aug. 29 benefit to help the lives o f orphans and children in Tanzania im pacted by HIV and AIDS. will spin music from around the world throughout the af ternoon. “We hope that folks will leave this event with more knowl edge about how to reach out to neighbors cross-culturally and be more curious about learning and seeking cultural- specific inform ation,” says Kate Erickson, a com m unity outreach organizer for O ur United Villages. For more inform ation, visit ourunitedvillages.org. This is an invitation to visit our store! From, Career Transitions Program at Mt. Hood T h e M t. H ood C om m unity C ollege T ran sitio n s program p rov id es ca reer d evelopm ent an d co lleg e p rep a ra tio n se r v ic es to sin g le p are n ts, d is p laced h o m em ak ers and m i nority and im m igrant w om en. P a rtic ip a n ts m u st a tte n d an inform ation session and co m plete an applicatio n to be a c cep ted into the program . I n f o r m a tio n s e s s io n s , w hich w ill include training on h ow to apply for financial aid and prepare for college entry. w ill take place on the M H C C G resham C am p u s in the C o l le g e B o a r d r o o m , R o o m A C 2 3 5 9 , at th e f o llo w in g tim es: M onday, A ug. 17, from 10 a.m . to noon; W ednesday, A u g . 26, fro m 1 to 3 p .m .; T h u rsd a y , S ep t. 3, fro m 10 a.m . to n oon; a n d T uesday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m . to noon. T h e T ra n s itio n s p ro g ra m o ffers m any services, in clu d ing peer m entoring and in fo r m ation about accessin g fin an cial aid, scholarsh ip s and c o l le g e a n d c o m m u n ity r e so u rc e s. S tu d e n ts w ill a lso learn to re se a rc h an d se lect c a re e r g o als an d to d ev e lo p co lleg e su c ce ss skills. N o n n a tiv e E n g lis h s p e a k in g w om en w ho have acquired in term ed iate E nglish skills are enco u rag ed to apply. F or m ore in form ation, c o n tact the T ran sitio n s program at 5 0 3 -4 9 1 -7 6 8 0 , ext. 0, or v is it m h c c .e d u /tr a n s itio n s . F or services in S panish, call 5 0 3 -4 9 1 -6 9 7 2 . S erving m ore than 2 7,000 students each year, M t. H ood C o m m u n ity C ollege provides students the education needed for the career o f their choice. M H C C o ffers m ore th an 60 asso ciate deg rees, certificate p ro g ra m s a n d tr a n s f e r o p tions in a w ide variety o f d is ciplines. < Flowers' Chiropractic Office 2124 N.E. Hancock Street, Portland Oregon 97212 Phone: (5 0 3 ) 2 8 7 -5 5 0 4 www.emeraldforestherbarium.net 503-249-0047 Bob.erneraldforest@ integra.net G O O D SAMARITAN M ERIDIAN PARK Part 33. Osteoperosis and Bone Loss Reversal • Exercise regularly to help strengthen bones. Talk with a doctor to leam exercises you can safely perform. Consult a chiropractor if the curvature o f your upper back causes pain or discomfort. Closed Sun-Mon THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL An ongoing senes of questions and answers about America's natural healing profession • D evelop good body m e ch an ics through ex ercises to im prove your posture. • Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitam in D. Y our d o cto r might prescribe a m edication to help prevent further bone loss. Sat ll:30am-4pm EMANUEL Dr. Billy R. Flowers \ : I have osteoporosis and now my back has a more “rounded" look. W hat is this? : You might have started to develop a “dow ager’s hump” or an abnormal outward curving o f the vertebrae of the upper back. Bones becom e brittle with osteoporosis and the upper vertebrae can col lapse on each other, causing a rounded appearance. To help stop and even re verse bone loss: Tues-Frt ll:30am-5:30pm Our legacy is yours. 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