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.
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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
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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.