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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
m ^ tn r Th
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.