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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2010)
Page 34 M a r t in L u t h e r K in g J r . January 13. 2010 201O s p e c ia l ed itio n Poverty and Civil Rights ■ * ' Street Roots puts homelessness in focus by J ake T homas T he P ortland O bserver On a wet morning in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood, a small parade of scruffy men- some wearing beards or mustaches, some with ponchos and knit caps- scuffle in and out of an office carrying stacks of papers wrapped in plastic. This is the office of Street Roots, Portland’s very own “street pa- per.” For about 10 years, the pa- per has grown from its humble origins into a sharp paper that has helped scores of down-and-out people- Street papers are unique social enterprises that have been steadily springing up in cities in almost every continent. The model of such ventures is simple: They sell stacks of papers to the homeless and indigent, who then sell them on street corners at a higher price, Vendors pocket any profit made, and sometimes use it as a stepping stone to get off the street, continued on page 40 3 * • Fourth Annual Drum Major Ecumenical Service Presented By Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church, J.W. Matt Hennessee, Senior Pastor photo by J ake T homas /T he ream Homeless veteran Larry Reynolds sells Street Roots for extra income. The paper sells for a buck, which helps people like Reynolds stay afloat. Police Taken to Task continued Honoring the lives and legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Yolanda D. King Sunday, January 17, 2010 3:00 p.m. Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church 3138 N. Vancouver Ave., Portland, Oregon 97227 Featuring: Keynote speaker: Oregon Attorney General John Kroger • 2010 Drum Major Awards • Faith Community Representatives • Dignitaries • Local Musicians Free-Will Offering Supports The Drum Major Scholarship Program For Information Contact Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church at 503.282.9496 • www.vancouveravechurch.org P ortland O bserver from page 2 dent reveals greater danger to Portland's black community. “Is it safe for a Black Ameri can to be in Portland, Oregon?” Henry asks. The letter requests written answers for a series of ques tions concerning the incident, as well as whether or not the police union was perm itted for the march and if it violated any con tracts or codes by marching. “OABA believes that this display o f a police march and rally was designed to question civilian authority over them. W hen police officers take this approach, all citizens' civil right come into question,” concludes the letter. NMMM Students Honor King continued from page 17 variety of projects are being planned with the help of Hands On G reater Portland and the United Way of the C olum bia- Willamette. The projects include refur bishing schools and com m u nity centers as well as support ing organizations such as the Humane Society, O regon Food Bank, Community Cycling Cen ter, and Oregon M entors. M any com m unity organizations use the day as a springboard for year-round civic action, includ ing signing up m entors, tutors and youth to take pledges of nonviolence. Area colleges participating in the service day include George Fox University, Lewis and Clark College, Washington State Uni versity-Vancouver, Linfield Col lege, Mt. Hood Community Col lege, M ultnom ah U niversity, Portland Community College, Portland State University, Reed College, Willamette University, U n iv ersity o f P o rtlan d and W arner Pacific College.