Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, June 09, 2010, Page 4, Image 4

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    Paëc4_____________________ «h» llortlani» tôbstrutr
'u"e 2010
L aw
Stamp Immortalizes Filmmaker
Inspires new
generations
v \s \s '
The 33rd stamp in the Black
H eritag e
se ries
honors
pio-'neering filmmaker Oscar
Micheaux.
Micheaux, who lived from
1X84 to 1951, wrote, directed,
produced, and distributed more
than 40 movies during the first
half o f the 20th century. An am­
bitious, larger-than-life figure, he
thrived at a time when African-
American filmmakers were rare,
venues for their work were
scarce, and support from the in­
dustry did not exist.
His entrepreneurial spirit and
independent vision continue to
inspire new generations o f film­
makers and artists.
Forgotten after his death,
Micheaux was rediscovered in
the late 1960s by South Dakota
historians and in the 1970s by
film historians interested in
early black cinema. Although
only 15 o f his movies are known
to have survived in whole or in
part, he has become a cinematic
icon.
In 1986, Micheaux was post­
hum ously awarded a special
Directors Guild o f Am erica
award. In 1995, the Producers
Guild o f Am erica established
the Oscar M icheaux Award to
honor “an individual or indi­
viduals whose achievem ents
in film and television have been
accom plished despite difficult
o d d s.”
A video surveillance camera shows a man accused o f robbing
the downtown branch o f West Coast Bank.
Robbery Suspect Wanted
The Portland Police Bureau, in
cooperation with Crime Stoppers,
is asking for your help in identify­
ing a bank robbery suspect caught
on a surveillance camera.
On Thursday, April 22 at 10:30
a.m., the West Coast Bank at 100
S.W. Broadway was robbed by a
lone male. He entered the bank,
approached the teller with a note
|N EW S E A S O N S J
that demanded money, and then
fled the scene on foot.
The suspect is a white, in his late
20s, approximately 5'7" tall, with a
thin to medium build. He is described
as having black short hair, clean
shaven and was last seen wearing a
dark blue baseball cap and a blue
sweatshirt with a hood.
Crime Stoppers is offering a cash
reward o f up to $1,000 for informa­
tion, reported to Crime Stoppers, that
leads to an arrest in this case, or any
unsolved felony, and you remain
anonymous. Contact Crime Stop­
pers at 503-823-HELP (4357), or at
crimestoppersoforegon.com
M A R K E T
ACLU Fights
N O W D E L IV E R IN G
Y o u r fa v o r ite n e ig h b o r h o o d g r o c e r y s to r e n o w d e liv e r s
g r o c e r ie s r ig h t to y o u r h o m e o r o ffic e .
Harsh
Sentences
Urges abolition
of mandatory
minimums
R«
w w w .n e w s e a s o n s m a r k e t.c o m
you click, we deliver, (or pull up for pick up)
The American Civil Liberties
Union has asked the U.S. Sentencing
Commission to abolish or reform
mandatory minimums because they
generate unnecessarily harsh sen­
tences, tie judges’ hands in consider­
ing circumstances, create racial dis­
parities and empower prosecutors to
force defendants to bargain away
their constitutional rights.
Congress has mandated that the
commission provide a report on
mandatory minimums by October.
ACLU Drug Law Reform Project
Director Jay Rorty recently urged
the commission to reaffirm its long
stated position that mandatory mini­
mums should be abolished and asked
the commission to take steps inde­
pendent o f Congress to mitigate the
harms o f existing mandatory mini­
mum sentences.
“Mandatory minimum sentences
defeat the purposes o f sentencing,
create unwarranted racial disparity”
said Rorty in his testimony.