Portland observer., January 15, 2014, 2014 special edition, Page 13, Image 13

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January 15, 2014
M
a r t in
L u t h e r K in g J r .
Page 13
2014 s p e c ia l c o i l ion
Fighting for Justice with Police Reforms
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 11
e n fo rc e m e n t. S h e d o e s n ’t h o ld
b a c k fro m c a llin g fo r p u b lic
u se o f c a m e ra s to re c o rd p o ­
lice encounters, which is lawful as
long as it is not interfering with the
police investigation.'
M a ss a w a re n e s s is n e c e s ­
sary in the c ity b e c a u se o f a
m u ch la rg e r p ro b le m o f ra c ia l
p ro filin g , H a rd e sty say s, a te n ­
d e n cy o f p o lic e o ffic e rs to sto p
p e rs o n s o f c o lo r m o re f r e ­
q u e n tly , as w ell as use e x c e s ­
siv e fo rc e on th em .
R e c e n t d a ta o ffe re d by P o rt­
lan d C o p w a tc h a n d the A lb in a
M in is te r ia l A llia n c e , w h ic h
H a rd e s ty is a c tiv e ly in v o lv e d ,
shows that blacks and Latinos are
stopped by police at rates nearly
twice that of whites; despite the fact
that statistics show they are less
likely to be carrying contraband or
violating laws.
Numbers like these are unac­
ceptable, she says, andhighlight why
police reform is necessary.
T hough the form er tw o-term
state re p re se n ta tiv e has b een
pushing for police reform s in and
outside the “system ” for years, it
is only been recently that her ef­
forts have been bolstered by a
new group o f local activists under
the title o f “T he C am paign to E nd
the N ew Jim C row .”
C o -c h aired by lo n g tim e P o rt­
la n d a c tiv is t Ja m ie P a rtrid g e ,
th e c o a litio n p u lle d th e la b e l
from a b o o k p e n n ed by M ich elle
A le x a n d e r e n title d “T h e N ew
Jim C ro w ” in w h ic h she illu s ­
tra te s th e sta rk p a ra lle ls o f th e
p riso n in d u stria l c o m p le x to
la w fu l ra c ism a n d c la ssism .
T h e c a m p a ig n m e e ts at the
C a sc a d e C a m p u s o f P o rtla n d
C o m m u n ity C o lle g e in n o rth
P o rtla n d e v ery o th e r w eek , d is ­
c u ssin g d e ta ils o f th e e x h a u s ­
tive book, and form u latin g plans
to c o m b a t it in th e city .
C u rre n tly th e ir m a in a g e n d a
is fo r th e a d o p tio n o f a p o lic e
re v ie w b o a rd th at is c o m p le te ly
in d e p e n d e n t fro m th e c ity , an d
to h a v e c o m m u n ity m em b e rs
in v o lv e d in p o lic e tra in in g to
im p ro v e o f f ic e r in te ra c tio n s
w ith m in o rity p o p u la tio n s.
T h is itin e r a r y h a s f o u n d
H a rd e s ty a c ro ss th e ta b le fro m
M a y o r C h a rlie H a le s m a n y -a -
tim e d u rin g his y e a r in o ffic e .
H e r fa ith in w h a t c an be
a c c o m p lish e d w ith H ales, h o w ­
e v e r, re m a in s lim ite d as he
e n te rs h is se c o n d y e a r in o f ­
f ic e , b e c a u s e s h e s e e s th e
M a y o r as p la c in g to o m u ch
v a lu e on th e o p in io n o f P o lice
C h ie f M ik e R eese.
“ It sh o u ld be ju s t the o p p o ­
site , it s h o u ld be R eese w o r­
r ie d a b o u t w h a t th e M a y o r
th in k s an d h o w he c an im p le ­
m e n t w h a t th e M a y o r w a n ts to
see h a p p e n ,” H a rd e sty says.
O n e e x a m p le , she say s, is
th e c h ie f ’s o p p o s itio n to h a v ­
ing c o m m u n ity m e m b e rs in ­
v o lv e d in p o lic e fo rc e tra in in g .
Just the opposite is true in
Hardesty’s mind; if the police are
dealing with any andevery one in the
community, it should be any and
everyone who trains them at least on
the sociable side o f things.
“I d o n ’t w an t a n y b o d y th in k ­
in g I ’m a n ti-p o lic e . I ’m a n ti­
p o lice b ru tality , I ’m a n ti-p o lic e
a b u se , I ’m a n ti-tre a tin g o n e
se g m e n t o f th e p o p u la tio n d if­
fe re n t,” sh e say s.
H a rd e s ty w ill k n o w su c c e ss
w h e n sh e se es it.
“ M o re tra n s p a re n c y n e ed s
to be b e en b u ilt in to th e sy ste m
so th a t th e p e o p le th a t are c o m ­
*
There are those who are asking the
devotees o f civil rights, ‘when will you be
satisfied?’ We can never be satisfied as long
as the Negro is the victim o f the unspeakable
horrors o f police brutality. -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
'' ’s W .
in g b e h in d m e d o n ’t h a v e to
k e e p b a n g in g th e ir h e a d s
a g a in s t th e w a ll a s k in g th e
sa m e q u e s tio n s o v e r a n d o v e r
a g a in w h o h a v e n o d e s ire to
f u n d a m e n ta lly c h a n g e ,” sh e
sa y s.
C u rre n tly th e D e p a rtm e n t o f
J u s tic e is in v e s tig a tin g c la im s
th a t P o rtla n d P o lic e h a v e a c te d
w ith e x c e s s iv e fo rc e o n th e
m e n ta lly ill. A p ro p o s e d s e ttle ­
m e n t sta n d s at $ 2 6 m illio n . In
p re p a ra tio n , th e A lb in a M in is ­
te ria l A llia n c e C o a litio n fo r
Ju s tic e a n d P o lic e R e fo rm is
h o stin g c o m m u n ity e d u c a tio n
fo ru m s b e g in n in g o n Ja n . 25 at
n o o n at M a ra n a th a C h u rc h to
h e lp th e m w rite a n d ta p e te s ti­
m o n y fo r a fa irn e s s h e a rin g
s c h e d u le d fo r F e b . 18 at the
fe d e ra l c o u rth o u s e .
ss
Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church
8th Annual Drum Major Ecumenical Scholarship Program
“Salute to Greatness ‘Living the Dream’ Luncheon’’
Saturday, January 18, 2014 • 12noon - 2:00pm • Dr. & Mrs. O.B. Williams Fellowship Hall
3138 North Vancouver Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97227 • Ticket donation $25.00
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The Luncheon program will honor the lives and legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Mrs.
Coretta Scott King, Mrs. Rosa Louise Parks and Ms. Yolanda King. Community leaders and
organizations whose lives mirror these “Drum Majors” will also be recognized. Four local high
school students will be honored with a Drum Major Humanitarian award.
“Redeeming the Dream” Ecumenical Service
Sunday, January 19, 2014 • 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Main Sanctuary - Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church
The program will include a speaker’s panel with faith and community leaders, interfaith prayers,
and music for the soul. Nelson Mandela "Medal of Freedom and Peace” will be awarded.
This event is free to the public.
Reception to follow immediately after program in the Dr. & Mrs. O.B. Williams Fellowship Hall
7/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / ///
V ancouver A venue F irst B aptist C hurch
PASTOR J .W . M A T T ttîM N T S S T I - S lM O R S E R V A N T
3138 N o rth V a n c o u v e r A v en u e • P o rtla n d , O re g o n 97227
503.282.9496 office • 503.284.6073 fax • v a f b c h u r c h lf a ao l.co m • h ttp ://v a fb c p d x .o rg
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