2 0 1 5 QR c o d e f o r P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r O n l fi n e ‘C fi ty o f Ro s e s ’ SECT ION B V o lum e XL IV Numb e r 21 www . p o r t l a n d o b s e r v e r . c om W e d n e s d a y • M a y 1 3 , 20 1 5 E s t a b l fi s h e d fi n 1 9 70 C omm fi t t e d t o C u l t u r a l D fi v e r s fi t y PHOTO BY O L IV IA O L IV IA / T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER K eonna Ja c k son , a Sea t t le mo the r who se son wa s k fi l led Ap r fi l 13 fin a shoo t fing fin no r thea s t Po r t land fi s b rough t t o t ea r s a s Lu c y Ma sh fia , a Po r t land mo the r who se son wa s mu rde red two yea r s ago , and o the r s , g fi ve he r com fo r t . The emo t fiona l mee t fing wa s he ld a t Po r t land ’ s L fi fe Change Chu r ch . A l so p fi c tu red fi s Ja c k son ’ s s fi s t e r , Ro shaun , who s tand s beh find he r , and ne x t t o he r fi s Re v . Ka the fi M cCo y o f Sea t t le who a l so lo s t he r son t o hom fi c fide . Conv e r t fing P a fin fin to Pu rpo s e F am fi l fi e s g a th e r to s top mo r e b l a ck you th f rom dy fing BY O L IV IA O L IV IA T HE P ORTLAND O BSERVER S topp fing mo r e b l a ck you th f rom dy fing , o f t en fin g ang - r e l a t ed shoo t fing s , and h av fing th e fi r d e a th s su r round- ed by s fi l en c e – fi s som e th fing th a t Po r t l and and o th e r m a jo r c fi t fi e s h av e b e en t ry fing to t a ck l e . Th a t pu rpo s e w a s e cho ed du r fing an emo t fi on a l d ay l a s t w e ek wh en a S e a t t l e f am fi ly who ju s t lo s t th e fi r son fin an un so lv ed Po r t l and shoo t fing sh a r ed th e fi r g r fi ev fing and th e fi r p l e a s fo r ch ang fing th e cu l - tu r e . L fik e m any young b l a ck m en , D ’And r e D fi ck e r son w a s k fi l l ed a t th e p r fim e o f h fi s l fi f e . A t 24 -y e a r s -o ld , h e w a s a s cho l a r sh fip r e c fip fi en t a t th e Un fiv e r s fi ty o f Ch a r l e s ton fin W e s t V fi r g fin fi a , a f a th e r o f a 5 -y e a r -o ld w fi th h fi s lov fing s t e ady g fi r l f r fi end , and an o ld e r b ro th e r to fiv e young e r s fib - l fing s . Wh en h fi s p a r en t s r e c e fiv ed a phon e c a l l du r fing th e w e e hou r s o f Mond ay Ap r fi l 13 , th ey w e r e sho ck ed . Th ey , l fik e m any f am fi l fi e s , d fid no t know wh e r e to b eg fin to s e a r ch fo r an sw e r s . And th ey f e a r ed , l fik e m any p a r en t s o f lo s t b l a ck son s , th a t D fi ck e r son wou ld b e l ab e l ed a s a ‘g ang s t e r ’ w fi th - ou t con t ex t fo r h fi s l fi f e and h fi s a c comp l fi shm en t s . “My son w a s no t a g ang m emb e r , ” D fi ck e r son ’ s mo th - e r , K eonn a J a ck son , sh a r ed w fi th o th e r mo th e r s and f a th e r s du r fing a m e e t fin g and n ew s con f e r en c e a t L fi f e Ch ang e Chu r ch , a d fiv e r s e m fin fi s t ry s e rv fing Po r t l and ’ s A f r fi c an Am e r fi c an commun fi ty . D e s c r fib fing h e r son ’ s a c comp l fi shm en t s fin l fi f e , sh e a sk ed th a t po l fi c e and m ed fi a ho ld o f f on fin c r fim fin a t fing h fim un ju s t ly . “ I b e l fi e v e h e w a s a g o o d k fi d a n d j u s t g o t c a u g h t u p fi n t h e w r o n g c r ow d , w a s a t t h e w r o n g p l a c e a t t h e w r o n g t fim e . ” C ONTINUED ON P AGE A16