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Volume XXXXI. Number 8
Wednesday • February 23, 2011
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
A v ^ n n A m m A ^ P°n " nd\ Mf canAme" can "s to ry took place on Palm Sunday in 1951 when more than 600 community members marched up North Vancouver
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VancouverAvenue nrst BaPtlst Church. The symbolic procession marked a new era for the prosperity of blacks in Portland The church
plans to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the event by re-enacting the march on Palm Sunday this year.
Historic March Encore
Church plans to
repeat symbolic
procession
C ari H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
by
On Palm Sunday in 1951, hundreds of
residents from the metro area marched up
North Vancouver Avenue to celebrate a
newly purchased Vancouver Avenue First
Baptist Church as a place of worship for
Portland’s black community.
The blissful procession made headlines
and was reported on the front page o f the
Oregonian. The church was considered to
be one o f the largest property acquisi­
tions by blacks in Portland at the time and
marked a new prosperity for local African-
Americans.
Real estate covenants that restricted
where blacks could live were being broken
down and a large African American popu­
lation who lost their worldly possessions
from the Colum bia River flood at Vanport
in 1948 was finally starting to rebuild their
lives.
“It heralded a message that things were
changing, and the air o f hope was upon
continued
on page 10
President Promotes Future Technologies
Intel visit makes
point about
investments in kids
President Barack Obama came to a mas­
sive, cutting edge Intel chip making plant in
Hillsboro Friday to learn how to make Ameri­
can kids more competitive in math and sci­
ence.
The president praised Intel’s commitment
to education in Oregon during the visit and
continued
y^
on page 10
President Barack Obama
looks at a computer screen
as he tours the Intel
Transmission Electronic
Microscope Lab in
Hillsboro. The Friday visit
was scheduled to promote
an American economic
future that leads in technol­
ogy, but one that will
depend on American kids
who are more competitive
in math and science.