The
February 18, 2015
Portland Observer Black
History Month
Page 7
Terrorism Task
Force Draws Fire
Leader cautions
city about
FBI abuses
Avel Gordly, one of Portland’s
most respected African American
leaders, has joined a chorus of voices
urging the Portland City Council to
not re-join a Joint Terrorism Task
Force on a full time basis.
The former state senator ex-
pressed her concern in a letter to the
City Council on Thursday.
“The African American commu-
nity, the Arab/Muslim community,
the Latino community and other
people of colour, and immigrants, as
well as activists of all stripes, are
likely to be subjects of FBI investi-
gations given the low level of sus-
picion needed to open up files,”
Godly said.
“Most troubling, the FBI has told
the mayor he will not be able to
receive a security clearance, which
is unacceptable, she said.
Gordly urged Portland to take a
stand that is right, just, and fair as an
example to other cities, rather than
going along with the status quo.
“Please vote for staying out of
the task force, and against assign-
ing two full time officers,” she said.
The task force bills itself as a
partnership between various Ameri-
can law enforcement agencies that
is charged with taking action against
Avel Gordly
terrorism, which includes investi-
gation of crimes such as wire fraud
and identity theft.
There are currently 100 Joint Ter-
rorism Task Forces nationwide, in-
cluding at least one at each of the FBI
Field Offices, except in Portland. Port-
land became the only city in the na-
tion to withdraw from a Joint Terror-
ism Task Force on April 28, 2005.
The Center for Intercultural Or-
ganizing, the Japanese American
Citizens League, Jewish Voices for
Peace, and the American Civil Liber-
ties Union have all also spoken out
against Portland re-joining the Joint
Terrorism Task Force.
The City Council has postponed
its decision on the matter on Thurs-
day. The next scheduled vote on the
resolution has not been announced.
Discussions on
Race and Policing
Widespread protests in re-
sponse to the deaths of black men
at the hands of police in 2014 have
prompted a national conversation
over issues of race and policing—
subjects with which many resi-
dents of the Portland area have
long been familiar.
Oregon Humanities invites
community members to talk about
the challenges built into how we
protect ourselves in a series of
discussions on race and policing
led by trained facilitators.
The free and open to the public
sessions will take place this month
at the following times and locations:
Saturday, Feb. 21, 1:30 p.m. at
the Center for Intercultural Orga-
nizing, 700 N Killingsworth St.
Facilitated by Veronica Dujon,
professor of sociology and asso-
ciate dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences at Portland State
University.
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 5:30 p.m. at
Mount Hood Community College,
Student Union, 26000 S.E. Stark
St., Room 105. Facilitated by Adam
Davis, executive director of Or-
egon Humanities.
Saturday, Feb. 28, 4:00 p.m.at
the Rockwood Library, 17917 S.E
.Stark St. Facilitated by Wendy
Willis, executive director of the
Policy Consensus Initiative.
To Place Your Classified Advertisement
Contact:
Phone: 503-288-0033
Fax: 503-288-0015
e-mail: classifieds@portlandobserver.com
CELEBRATING:
Black History
Month