January 15. 2014
X
M artin L u th er K ing J r .
Page 35
2014 special eoiiion
Saluting Martin Luther King Jr.
Alberta Street Market
909 N.E. Alberta Street
503-282-2169
★ Hot Food ★
★
Best Chicken Wings In Town
★
Best Selection of Mirco Brew and Wine
by
D onovan M. S mith /T he P ortland O bserver
Joyce Harris has established herself as a purveyor of African
culture in Portland through the decades. She says in order for
new leaders in the community to be effective they must be well
versed in history and culture.
Building African-
American Pride
Joyce Harris reflects on King;
service to the community
Mon-Sun • 8AM - 12 PM
Fri-Sat . 8 AM - 1 PM
Self Enhancement Inc. Proudly Invites You To
A Magical Night of
D onovan M. S mith
T he P ortland O bserver
by
Some months back, this reporter was sitting down with re
nowned entrepreneur Roy Jay for an interview on minority
business in Portland. Though the focus was on him, by the end of
the interview he made it clear that one Portland crusader de
served the spotlight just as much as him, that person being one
Joyce Harris.
Decades ago, Ham s left her African-American hub of Harlem,
N. Y., for Portland, a town she had barely even heard of because
of a free-ride scholarship at Reed College. Her review from the
initial Rose City landing, “I hated it,” she says, pinpointing blame
on culture shock, Reed students’ bohemian lifestyles, and the
distance from her family.
As she actively looked for a way to escape, she was stopped
in her tracks by Portland activist Ron Herndon, currently the
longtime director of Albina Head Start who was then working on
another Portland project, the Black Education Center.
W ith the help o f other m em bers o f the black com m unity,
continued
on page 36
PRESENTED BY
WELLS FARGO
S a t u r d a y F e b r u a r y 22, 2 0 14
For more than 30 years, Self Enhancem ent has been a pioneer
for Portland’s underserved youth and families.
Our work is not done -- the urgency is now.
Come celebrate diversity, com m unity, equality for all cultures,
& find the Soul Of The City.
Ba
WELLS
FARGO
I
H
l i i t i
SS C A R R
C O N S TR U C TIO N . INC
CCB »51410
M IS S IO N O.F S E I:
Self Enhancement. Inc. (SEI) is dedicated to guiding
underserved youth and families to realize their full potential.
Working with schools, families; and partner community organizations,
SEI provides support, guidance and opportunities to
achieve personal and academic success.
SEI brings hope to individual young people and enhances the quality of community life
WWW.SELFENHANCEMENT.ORG