Heat Wave!
Health warnings are
issued as temperatures
reach near 100 degrees
Into to College Life
Summer camp at PSU
shows boys and girls
the way to higher ed
See story, page 3
See Metro, page 11
jfortlanh
‘City ¿»/Roses’ *5»
Volume XXXXI
Number 31
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • August 15. 2012
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Community
Rights
a W rong
Victims of hate crime
shown strong support
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
After racist graffiti was sprayed Thursday on businesses and
the Sons of Haiti Grand Lodge on North Mississippi Avenue,
countless residents and neighbors have shown up to voice their
support for the hate crime victims, who were heavy hearted.
Portland Police officers are investigating the death threats
and racially derogatorily messages as a hate crime. The graffiti
was found on both the building and food cart next to the lodge—
both run by African Americans.
Melva Lee Holmes, the Grand Worthy Matron of the Most
Worshipful St. Joseph Grand Lodge, a sister group located at the
Masonic temple, said the vandalism was heartbreaking.
“Someone came down very very early Thursday morning and
put graffiti all around the hall and vendor carts,” said Holmes,
72, a member of the local chapter since the 70s. “Nigger was
written all around the side along with a Swastika and a statue of
a man with a rope around his neck.” .
Although it was the first time anything of this nature has
happened at the lodge, for Holmes, the whole experience was
just awful, she said.
“When I got down here I was just so shocked. I was so hurt,
and I did shed some tears because this order here has done
nothing but good for the community,” she said.
Holmes said, however, she has been extremely moved by the
number of people who have extended a hand of support for the
lodge, which has served as a home for celebrations, since
moving to the neighborhood more than four decades ago.
“We do a lot and the best we can to help the community,” she
said. “W e give baskets of food on Thanksgiving. We also do
things for Boise school. Next week, we are going to help rally
people to vote.”
The lodge also hosts numerous weddings and celebrations
throughout the year, as well as weekly Karate lessons for youth.
“It is a shame someone would do this in the name of hate. My
heart was so heavy because I can’t understand who would want
to do something like that,” she said. “But the neighborhood has
really rallied behind us.”
Ross Daniels, a friend of the adjacent food carts and the
lodge, agreed.
“These people are such boring people who can’t think of
photo by M indy C ooper /T hf . P ortland O bserver
anything else but to use ugly old stereotypes,” he said. “Yet it Melva Lee Holmes, Grand Worthy Matron of the Most Worshipful St. Joseph Grand Lodge, said the recent
continued
on page 9
vandalism to her group’s Masonic temple on North Mississippi Avenue was heartbreaking. She expressed,
however, deep gratitude for the community support received from throughout the neighborhood.