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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2014)
Page 4 The Portland Observer Black HiStOiy Month “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope. ” — M artin L uther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968) Relieving that life works when you get the support you need, UpeWorks N IP helps clients break down barriers and build hopefor the future. ^ ¡ ^ L ife W orks N 0 " T w w 1 * T Mental Health and Addiction Services for a Healthy Community www.lifeworksnw.org 23 locations throughout Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties Pacific University ' Oregon Pacific University Celebrates Black History Month & Black Student Union ► Who I Am : Celebrating Me, a black history play (free event, tickets required) Thursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. | Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center | Forest Grove Campus ► Poetry Slam w ith T. Miller Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m. | La Hacienda Ballroom, 2020 Main St. Forest Grove ► An Evening w ith Angela Davis (reschedule from February due to inclement weather) Friday, April 18, 7:30 p.m. | Stoller Center | Forest Grove Campus More information Yashica Island, director o f Student Academic Inclusion 503-352-2715 or yisland0pacificu.edu ARTS & SCIENCES | OPTOMETRY | EDUCATION | HEALTH PROFESSIONS | BUSINESS 0 fb t GE3 © 877-772-8648 I paciftcu.edu February 26, 2014 The Black Experience c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3 s ta n d its e lf ,” so to d a y , a t th is m o m e n t, w h a t d o e s p o e tr y f e e l lik e to y o u ? y o u r la st nam e fr o m h im ? A : O h, th a t’s m y adopted brother r A : I think the thing about poetry, K akam ia, and he got it from me. I was » is no one w rites poetry to get rich, given m y nam e w hen I was in high i T here are not rich poets [laughs]. So school, and he ended up taking my ' I think poetry at its core is em otion, last nam e; w e adopted each other. and it is an attem pt to connect w ith But, h e ’s incarcerated in C alifornia i other people. I teach w riting, and I now , and has been for 24 years. He ! alw ays say th e re ’s a difference be - w as convicted at 16 and tried as an i tw een w riting and sharing that w rit adult. H e’s 4 0 this year. But the ing because I think a lot o f tim es am azing thing is he w as ju st deem ed w riters say, you know , “I d o n ’t have eligible fo r parole, so as long as the a specific audience in m ind, I d o n ’t G o v ern o r d o e sn ’t [veto] it, he actu w anna have a specific im pact, I ju st ally is g o nna get to com e hom e w anna put it o u t” and I actually w hich is pretty exciting. think that th a t’s bullsh**. Y ou can F or m e, that poem about m y w rite w h atev er you w rite, I ’ve w rit b ro th er is about looking at his tat ten things that w ere for m e, because toos. H e ’s a tattoo artist, a visual I did need to get it out, that I w ould artist, an incredible artist w ho has n ev er publish. B ut the m inute you covered him self in these im ages that, try to put that w riting into the w orld, you know , have political m eanings you have a reason, you have an that literally live on his body. W e intention, you have a goal in m ind, can read his body as a roadm ap to even if it’s ju s t to have the w orld w hat has been done to him , w hat he acknow ledge that you exist for a has done in response, and the p er moment. son h e ’s decided to be com ing out W riters hav e to be conscious o f that. T o m e, h e ’s living poetry. and responsible. F o r m e I think p o So, I feel like th a t’s w hat I try to etry is one o f the m ost pow erful carry into m y w ork, taking those w ays to co n n ect w ith folks. So I things that w e hide, you know , and think it is som ething that carries that w e ’re told that w e should be even m ore w eight and responsibil ash am ed of, and try to bring it to the ity. light and say that this is political. Q : Is th ere a p o litic a l p riso n e r Q: W hat is a p o litic a l p riso n e r y o u th in k sh o u ld be b ro u g h t m ore to y o u ? B ecau se it's a b u zzw o rd to light, th a t y o u h a v e n 't really som etim es. seen o u t th ere? I th in k th e term p o litic a l p ris A : I think all o f them . I think o f the o n e r is, you k n o w a c o m p le x term fact that w e have o v er 100 political b e c a u se I th in k so m e tim e s fo lk s prisoners from the T hird W orld L ib m ean s p e c ific a lly p riso n e rs w ho eration era, sitting in prison. T h ere’s w ere a rre ste d an d u n fa irly c o n O regon Jericho, a m em ber o f the v ic te d b e c a u se o f th e ir w o rk o rg a Jericho m ovem ent. T h e re ’s a list o f n iz in g on th e o u tsid e . A n d so m e all those prisoners online (http:// tim e s fo lk s say , w ell e v e ry p ris o reg o n jerieh o .w o rd p ress.co m /). I o n e r is p o litic a l b e c a u se th e c o n w ould ju st en courage everyone to d itio n o f b e in g im p riso n e d is a send a card, send a postcard if you p o litic a l c o n d itio n in an d o f itself. c a n ’ t com m it to an ongoing conver T h e th in g s p e o p le d id to g et th e re sation. A nd I think fo r P ortland e s are b e c a u se o f th e ir p o litic a l c o n pecially, th e re ’s the case o f Patrice d itio n s , rig h t? T h e m a jo rity o f the Ford w ho is the son o f K ent Ford, fo lk s in p riso n are th e re fo r c rim e s the founder o f the B lack Panther th a t re la te to d ru g s, w h ic h are Party here. T he state presented no su rv iv a l c rim e s. E ith e r e c o n o m ic ev id en ce against him , instead w hat su rv iv a l c rim e s, w h ere y o u ’re ju s t it did w as utilize repressive law s to try in g to m ake m oney, o r self m ed i basically beat people dow n and take c a tio n s u r v iv a l c r im e s w h e re a plea bargain. I think that Patrice y o u ’re ju s t try in g to m a k e it w as targeted because he is the son th ro u g h th e d ay . So, I th in k i t ’s o f the founder o f the B lack Panther re a lly im p o rta n t to a c k n o w le d g e Party. H e w as targeted because he th a t. is a black person in O regon. H e was T he piece I w rote about Sundiata targeted because he is M uslim in an K ole — h e ’s an incredible o rg a Islam aphobic w orld, and he was nizer, a brilliant m in d — w h o ’s been targeted because he spoke out and locked dow n for 4 0 years, is im p o r tried to do w h a t’s right. He show s tant to m e because I think one o f the the intersections o f all o f o ur differ functions o f prison is repressing a ent oppressions, w hich w e think o f generation o f know ledge. W e ’ve as isolated but are absolutely co n lost som e o f o ur greatest m inds to nected. prison, and th e y ’re still sitting there. Imarisha’s book o f poetry is A n d i t ’s so h a rd to re a ch o u t , available fo r purchase at through those bars, but I think w e , Powell’s, both online and at the have. T he know ledge I ’ve gained location ( on West Burnside; Ama from being personally connected to zon; : St. John's Booksellers; and S u n d iata is invaluable, it’s shaped j Reading Frenzy. On March 20 at w ho I am. 7 p.m., Imarisha will be doing a Q : You s a id in th e b o o k “S o m e- reading i from the book at St. tim e s p o e tr y d o e sn ’t even u n d e r- . John’s Booksellers.
