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Page 4
lune 19, 2013
Troubleat the Workplace
continued
“Although in situations like this it may
not always be about race, we must stand
with our community when we think
there has been an in ju stice.” says
Haynes.
The Urban League of Portland has
also been actively supporting the two
employees as well.
Urban League President M ichael
Alexander says in a situation like this it
is best not to take a position of “right or
wrong” but make sure
all parties involved
are
b est
se rv e d .
from front
Church and a representative for the
Albina Ministerial Alliance, says he is
advocating for two female cellular-com­
munications employees in Portland who
say they have been the victims of racism
on the job. He echoes Bannon’s senti­
ment of “shock” adding that it is perhaps
even more troubling in post-Obama
United States.
/vezy
Mays Jr.
■
.
fM
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“When people come to us, we’re going to
reach out to the organization and make
sure they revisit their policies and are
really doing their best to uphold them.”
Mays currently maintains a full-time
job schedule with Harder; the two com ­
munications employees have not been
so lucky. Though both remain em ploy­
ees on the com pany’s personnel files
they have been without work or pay for
several months now.
In all three incidents, the victims were
the only African-Americans at their place
of employment. As they all strive for a
resolve to their individual accusations, all
they can do is continue to fight and wait.
Many times issues of workplace dis­
crimination can be handled internally,
however in extreme cases it is often best
to contact the Oregon Bureau of Labor
and Industries or the Equal Em ploy­
ment Opportunity Commission.
Established in 1970
i
a
,
Volume XXXX. Number 13
Wednesday
March 31,
vveouesuay • iviartn
>i, z 2010
u iu
y
H ousing
Special Edition
City üi’Roses'
Set inside, pnges 4-5
Committed to Cultural Diversity
of
(ommunitv service
Young,
Black
Gifted
Recognizing kids
on right track
as J «Kt T mo m m
I HE P o RILAWOMMN tR
Portland’s African-Am erican youth are often caught up
in a net o f negative public perceptions brought by news o f
gang violence, the sobering achievement gap and school
drop out rates.
But there aplenty o f young black kids in Pori land who are
on the right pad), making good grades, headed to college,
and are making positive contribution» to the city. A new
or email
ads @ portlandobserver.com
photographic tribute recognizes the hard work o f some o f
these students and shows that there is still reason to be
optimistic
"Young, Black & G ifted.” a photo essay putting the
spotlight on the accomplishments o f high-achieving A f r i­
can-American students, opens Io the public on Monday.
April 5 at Portland Schoo, District headquarters at 5 0 , N .
Dixon St. and w ill later be moved to the Lloyd Center
Mall.
The project is the brain child o f Rciko W illiam s, the
district 's fam ily and community engagement manager, who
said she got the idea after having a conversation with
someone who seemed shocked when sire mentioned an
African-American student that w asexcelling Aftcrthecon-.
il b Q P r 1 h P
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versation she worried that all the attention on the problems
o f young black students was drowning out the hard work o f
others.
“You hear so much about deficits and achievement gaps,”
she said
W illiam s said the exhibit came together w ith a cal, for
nominations o f black studeats doing w ell district-wide, and
the recruitment o f a photographer and web developer
Skylar B oll, a freshman at Jefferson High School is one o f
ihe I ) students featured in the exhibit.
Holts gets A ’ » and B ’ s in school She does especially w ell
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in English classes, taught by Anne Novinger, one o f her
favorite teachers, and chemistry is getting »Ivadily easier.
Holt plans to go to college and is thinking about law school
down the road
"I’m enjoying it a lot.” she said o f her high school. “ I like
continued y f on page 19
rm n o s v J. sk > T momas / T ms P oan.A vn(X srasca
Skylar Holt excels as freshman at Jefferson High School in north Portland. Her contribution as one of the
ettys ’ Young. Black A Gifted" students Is pad of a new exhibit coming to school district headquarters and
Lloyd Center Mall