September 21, 2011
Minority & Small Business Week
IN S ID E
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Page 3
Fred Meyer
What's on your list today?
M inority B usiness
On Mission for Birth Justice
O pinion r
nog»
pages 10-11
¿ w -SjtSs&t'
by M indy C ixiper
H ealth
page 12
S eptember C alendar
page 14
F o o d
page 17
el
Founder and
CEO grows
non-profit
organization
O bservador
page 18
M E TRO
pages 19
T he P ortland O bserver
Shafia M. Monroe, who has as­
sisted women in healthy and holis­
tic birthing practices since she was
16-years-old, has worked her entire
adult life dedicated to eliminating
the barriers lived by minority women
and families to positive and beauti­
ful birth experiences.
As a midwife with seven children
of her own, Monroe said she has
assisted in the birth of over 500
women and educated thousands of
individuals throughout her lifetime
in hopes of creating a society where
justice is given at birth.
“Over 25 years, and I’m still do­
ing the same thing,” she said, point­
ing to a black and white image of
herself as a young African Ameri­
can doula holding a baby that just
entered the world.
“Women need to feel beautiful
and valued.”
As the founder of the non-profit
International Center for Traditional
Childbearing (ICTC) located in
northeast Portland on Martin Luther
King Boulevard, Monroe is a living
advocate that women should and
can be the destinies of their own
bodies.
Founded in 1991, the ICTC was
created to promote the health of
women and their families and to
train minority women who aspire to
TO ICI
GOALS OF TRAINING
tow
the Doula role
nde*s‘ : -
motionc
•
’
photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserver
Shafia M. Monroe, the founder o f the non-profit International
Center for Traditional Childbirth based out o f Portland, teaches a
Full Circle Doula and birthing companion workshop, which trains
women to help mothers and families have a positive and healthy
birth experience.
become midwives or birthing com-
panions, known as doulas.
The Greek word doula refers to an
individual who provides personal
support to women and families
throughout the pregnancy and chi Id-
birth.
The ICTC’s doula training pro-
gram, which is one of the newest in
the country, teaches students how
continued
on page 7
ODOT Updates Disparity Study
C lassifieds
page 26-27
In 2007 a study was conducted
that reviewed contracting prac­
tices for the Oregon Department
of Transportation over an eight-
year period.
The study show ed that the
O D O T’s overall use of D isadvan­
taged Business Enterprises to be
positive. However, construction
su b -c o n tra c tin g fo r A fric a n -
Am erican and A sian-A m erican
firm s w ere fo u n d to be
underutilized.
D isadvantaged firms include
those that are at least 51 percent O D O T’s activities over the past
owned and controlled by women three years.
or m inorities and other businesses
The m eetings are scheduled in
on a case-by-case basis.
Salem, on Thursday, Sept. 22,
In response, ODOT established from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the ODOT
“hard goals” for hiring African HR Training Center on 2775 19th
A m e ric a n -o w n e d and A sia n St. S.E., and in Portland on Friday,
A m erican-ow ned co n stru ctio n Sept. 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30
subcontractors and com m itted to a m. at the ODOT Region 1 Office
reviewing its progress regularly. on 123 N.W. Flanders.
ODOT invites business ow n­
After the meetings, the study will
ers and the public to a meeting on be available online on ODOT’sCivil
the results of its latest disparity R ig h ts w e b site by v isitin g
study update which will evaluate oregon.gov/ODOT.