April 20, 2011
®*!e Iß o rtlattò (Jhbspruer
L aw
Woman Proves
Police Harassment
A Multnomah County jury ruled
10-2 on Thursday that police com­
mitted battery and falsely arrested a
local African American woman after
she inquired over the arrest of a
fellow MAX rider and asked the
officer for his identification.
A lthough the crim inal case
against 33-year-old S hei’Meka
Newmann was dropped when the
officer failed to attend the trial,
she was encouraged by her Sun­
day school students and other
m embers of the com m unity to sue
as a way to stand up for what she
felt was right.
The jury awarded Newmann
$82,000 and explained after the trial
that the verdict was meant to send
the Portland police a message that
citizens have a right to ask for busi­
ness cards.
PageS
J iisTirF
Advocate for Minority Contractors
A local business owner com­
mitted to addressing the needs
of minorities within his own
company has been elected to
head up the Oregon chapter of
the National Association of
Minority Contractors.
M ark M atthew s, the presi­
dent of the Pacificm ark C on­
struction, has earned respect
from his peers as a hands-on
general contractor who hires
a diverse w orkforce and looks Mark Matthews
for every opportunity to utilize
other m inority com panies and
certified m inority contractors.
Gil C arreon from Liberty
Steel, and a m em ber o f the
Iro n W o rk e rs U n io n , w as
elected to serve as vice presi­
dent o f the local organization;
and Faye Burch, a local con­
sultant for disadvantaged, m i­
nority and w om en-ow ned con­
tra c to rs , w as re -e le c te d to
serve on the g ro u p ’s board.
Group Promotes
Disaster Readiness
Disaster readiness is the latest
challenge for a local group dedi­
cated to helping people tackle so­
cial and economic issues.
The Diaspora Caucus in Oregon
encourages people of African de­
scent to come to the table to partici­
pate in natural disaster prepared­
ness training through the American
Red Cross.
The caucus, led by Ruth Pitts-
London of Gresham, will host a town
hall meeting on Friday, April 22 at
the local Red C ross, 3131 N.
Vancouver Ave. The meeting will
begin at 7:00 p.m.
For more information, call Pitts-
London at 503-775-3635.
Church Arson was Act of Hate
A white-man was convicted on
Thursday of setting fire to a mostly
b lack ch u rch a fte r P re sid e n t
Obama's 2008 election as the nation's
first black president.
Prosecutors said that Michael
Jacques, 26, and two friends were
motivated by racial resentment when
they set fire to the M acedonia
Church of God in Christ in Spring-
field, Mass, just moments after the
election results were announced.
After a three-week trial, a jury
deliberated for nearly three days
before finding Jacques guilty of
conspiracy to violate civil rights,
religious property damage because
of race, and damage to religious
property by use of fire.
Jacques faces up to 60 years in
prison. Two other men have already
pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Although completely destroyed
by the fire, the church is currently
being rebuilt and is expected to open
later this year.
Groups Support Young People
The ongoing efforts at building
local support for young people will
be celebrated at two upcoming
events.
The local black chapter of Par­
ents and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays (PFLAG) will celebrate its sec­
ond birthday on Saturday, April 23
at the Local Lounge, 3535 N.E. Mar­
tin Luther King Jr.
The event will start at 6 p.m. with
a report on past successes in sup­
porting individuals throughout the
community and information on fur­
ther ways to become involved with
the organization. The night will in­
clude snacks and dancing.
A benefit to support the educa­
tion o f law students dedicated to
fighting bigotry and discrimination
within the community will be held
Friday evening, April 29, at the Old
Church, 1422 S.W. 11th Ave., in
honor of the late Bill and Ann Shep­
herd, who co-founded the Portland
chapter of the PFLAG.
Composer and soprano Theresa
Koon will perform a 50-minute con­
cert. An assortment of deserts from
local Portland bakeries will be
served.
PFLAG provides educational and
emotional support to individuals in
distress about sexual orientation
issues.
Tickets are $40 in advance or $50
at the door. For more information,
call503-286-1752.
Accelerate success.
Growth coaching for your business.
Your business started with a dream. That dream is
now a reality, but you probably needed some help
from friends and family along the way. How about a
little help from our Family to keep your business
growing? For the third consecutive year, American
Family Insurance is offering a Business Accelerator
Program that can turbo-charge your small business,
all at NO COST to you.
Our team of experts will provide you with the tools and
strategies you need to stay on track and ahead of the
curve in the areas of sales, marketing, finance, and more.
American Family Insurance. Protecting your family,
your world, your dreams.
BUSINESS
ACCELERATOR
PROGRAM
AMERICAW FAMILY
IN S U R A N C E
Don’t delay. Registration is EASY, and there are
online courses available now on our website.
Portland Symposium
Register at AmFamBusinessAccelerator.com
Thursday, May 12th
9:00am-1:15pm
American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries
American Family Insurance Company
Home Office - Madison, Wl 53783
amfam.com
©2011
004329 rev. 3/11
Crowne Plaza Portland
1441 NE 2nd Ave.
Portland
Registration and Networking
begin at 8:00am