The
February 17, 2010
Portland Observer Black History Month
Page 19
On Bondage, Slavery and Freedom:
‘The Wedding Gift’
is a powerful tale
tends to wed his daughter.
The plantation’s patriarch, Cornelius A1 len,
prides him self as a benevolent master who
keeps his “chattel” healthy and cared for.
by J ake T homas
However, the slaves live
T he P ortland O bserver
demeaning lives with ev­
With a black president in
ery waking hour devoted
office and no shortage of
The
to making the Allen’s con­
wealthy African Americans
tent.
on television, slavery has
We learn that Allen fa­
become a distant memory on
thered Sarah after years o f
our collective conscious­
forcing on her m other,
ness, and it’s not uncom­
E m m elin e.
W hen
mon to hear calls “to get over
Emmeline refuses, Allen
it.’’
sells her other daughter to
But slavery was a power-
a more brutal plantation
fill blemish on our national
owner who beats her and
history that is with us today.
makes her hands bleed
Thousands o f people were
picking cotton from sun
ripped from their homeland,
up
to sun down.
robbed o f their culture and M A R L E N S U Y A P A BO D D EN
After Sarah’s new mas­
religion, and forced to spend
ter begins making sexual
the rest of their lives doing unpaid back­ overtures to her, she splits disguised as freed-
breaking work for the benefit of others.
man with forged papers.
“The Wedding Gift”, a novel based on an
The book succeeds in providing a nuanced
actual court case that occurred in the antebel­ look at the abomination o f slavery and the
lum South, paints a gripping picture o f the social complexities that surrounded it without
desperation experienced by generations of bludgeoning the reader with a moralistic tone.
slaves, and the repressive and patriarchal The prose is lean and makes for a pager turner.
social environment o f the era that robbed so
However, a couple passages seem con­
many o f any control o f their lives.
trived, and could have been scenes from a b-
Written by Marlen Suyapa Bodden, a New list 1940s movie. Its “shocking” conclusion
York lawyer who represents low-wage and also seems forced.
immigrant workers, the book tells the story of
Regardless, “The Wedding Gift” does a
Sarah, a slave who is ripped from her family better job than most history textbooks in
when she is presented as a wedding gift by her revealing the abomination o f slavery, and
master to wealthy plantation owner who in­ why it’s so hard for some to “just get over it;
R
edding
g lF T
Ik
Dishman Hosts Free Event
Portland Parks and Recreation hosts its 7th
annual Black History Month celebration, Sat­
urday, Feb. 20 from 6 pm. to 7:30 p.m. at the
Matt Dishman Community Center, 77 N.E.
Knott St.
The community is invited to the free event
which will include food, music, poetry and arts
& crafts.
Special guests and activities will include
event master of ceremonies, Keith Dempsey;
the Maranatha Miracles Choir, a hip-hop dance
class performance by Motion Monsters; Trivia
questions for prizes; an art presentation by
Shajahan Sheriff; poetry and a performance by
1 st Infantry; and a presentation on The Black
Panther Party for Self Defense by Kent Ford.
Peninsula Little League 2010
(Serving the Youth of Inner North & Northeast Portland ages 5-14)
Visit our website at: www.eteamz.active.com/peninsulalittleleague
Registration available on-line beginning January 8, 2010
S10 DISCOUNT TO BE OFFERED FOR EARLY ON-LINE REGISTRATION
IF REGISTERED BY 1/31/10
Regular Sign-ups: $64/T-Ball, $74 All other levels
This fee includes the pepperoni fund raiser. Sell one bag o f pepperoni and get $24 o ff fee.
Each bag contains 24 sticks
THURSDAYS at Boys and Girls Club
CORE of the Solution
A Black civil rights activist,
Jam es Farm er becam e
James Farmer helped organize the
w ell-know n as a civil
1960s “freedom rides” whrch led
rights leader.
to the desegregation o f interstate
W hen F a rm e r r e ­
buses and bus term inals.
signed as the leader o f
He also played a m ajor role in
CORE in 1966, he contin­
the activities o f the Congress o f
ued to be active in a
Racial Equality serving as na­
num ber o f areas and was
tional chairm an and was later
soon appointed the as­
elected national director.
sistant secretary for ad­
The freedom rides, along with
m inistration o f the De­
other dem onstrations, captured
partm ent o f Health, Edu­
the im agination o f the nation and
cation and W elfare by
exposed to the world the brutal
President Nixon.
re ta lia tio n o f m any so u th ern
Over the years, Farmer
whites against the actions o f the James Farmer
taught and lectured at
demonstrators eventually ending racial discrimi
num erous institutions and becam e a
nation and segregation.
history professor at M ary W ashing-
CORE received nationw ide attention and
ton College.
5250 NE M artin Luther King Jr. Blvd • Febniary 4, and February 18 • 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
SATURDAYS at Peninsula Park Community Center;
700 N Portland Blvd (Rosa Parks Way) • February 6, and February 13 • 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Registration forms can be com pleted in advance by downloading from our website:
www.eteamz.active.com/peninsulalittleleague
Softball Program
Level
M in o r
M a jo r
J u n io r
Ages
8 -1 0
10- 12
13-14
Questions contact:
Mark Washington *
503-288-0033
markw(o portlandobserver.com
Baseball Program
Level
T-Ball
Farm
Minor
M a jo r
J u n io r
Ages
5 -6
7- 8
8 - 10
10-12
13-14
Questions contact:
Jjay Lincoln - j l i n k s ^ tmail.com
Items to bnng to sign-ups: Birth Certificate; Proof o f Address: Doctor/Insurance Information; Player Fee
Little League Baseball, Incorporated does not limit participation in its activities on the basis o f
disability, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual preference or religious preference.