Page 16
May 20, 2015
Picking
C ONTINUED FROM F RONT
Imarisha, a professor at Portland
State University and a writer, said
the vigil and the gatherings that
came before it were opportunities
“to remember those who were lost,
not just as names or faces on post-
ers at rallies, but as real people, as
children, as parents, as community
members.”
It’s important “to recommit to
the ongoing work, and really think
about what justice would look like
in our communities,” she said.
up the
Baton
Shirley Isadore, the mother of
Kendra James, an unarmed Afri-
can American woman who was
shot and killed by police during
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north Portland in 2003, and Joe
Bean Keller, the father of Deontae
Keller, a young African American
man shot and killed by Portland
police outside his vehicle in 1996,
both told their stories.
Keller spoke about the need
to hold out for justice. “I’ve been
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not done yet.”
He said by examining transcripts
in his son’s death, he discovered
that his lawyer had built a confus-
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the police before dropping the case
three months from the trial date.
It’s very important that you do
read,” said Keller. “Some of this
information can really be turned
around, and if you’re not quite sure
and clear on it, it will confuse you.”
Isadore, meanwhile, said she
is haunted by questions over her
daughter’s death. “My baby had
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months before this event, and I
still don’t know why,” she said. “I
know I’m never gonna get the an-
swers I need.”
Other speakers included Dan
Handelman of Portland Cop Watch;
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member who has combed through
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esty, a lawyer and the president of
the Portland NAACP branch; and
Alyssa Bryant, Otis’s sister.
Bryant talked about the day the
family learned Keaton Otis was
killed.
“We found out two days after
he was murdered. We were watch-
ing the news. And from that day
forward… my dad was never the
same.” According to her, Bryant
spent hours poring over paperwork,
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son’s death. Evidence tying his son
to a gun was questionable.
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portance of citizens taking the time
to look over all the documents from
police, prosecutors and the courts.
He listed inconsistencies in the
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saying he found piles of evidence
to show that the police engaged in
a coverup of what he called “the
execution of Keaton Otis.”
The event was emotional. At
times, some of the speakers were
stopped by tears. They hugged
each other and a small altar was
set up where community members
wrote messages to Otis and Bry-
ant. These notes were read aloud
near the end of the night, and they
demonstrated the air of community
that characterized the evening and
the broader movement for justice.
“When Fred called for a vigil at
the site of the killing, we went to
support him,” said Hardesty, “so
he’d understand he was not alone
in knowing a tremendous wrong
had been done.”
“We don’t need to go any fur-
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are happening all the time: thou-
sands of African Americans are
being killed. They’ve all got stories
like this going back hundreds of
years. What we need to do is keep
raising their names.”
When it was his turn to speak, Dr
Leroy Haynes, pastor of northeast
Portland’s Allen Temple Church,
did just that. Haynes headed the
Texas Chapter of the Black Panther
Party in the 1970s, and with his
speech, he connected the modern
struggle with the past.
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Haynes said. “Some of us have
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and it’s a struggle that continues.”
He invoked the names of victims
of police violence from across the
nation: Otis, Kendra James, James
Chassi, Aaron Campbell, Trayvon,
Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Gar-
ner, and Freddie Gray.
“This is not a moment,” he said,
“This is a movement. And you are
a part of that movement. You are
writing history.”
What next? The monthly vigils
will continue.
“Alyssa, Jo Ann Hardesty and
I have committed to continuing
these vigils, in Keaton’s name, in
Fred’s name, until justice has been
achieved,” Imarisha said.
The following are upcoming
events to note in the justice move-
ment: NAACP General Meeting,
Saturday, May 23 at noon at the
North Portland Red Cross, 3131
N. Vancouver Ave; Community
Oversight Advisory Board meeting
on police reforms, Thursday, May
28 at 5:30 p.m.; Montavilla United
Methodist Church, 232 S.E. 80th
Ave.; Albina Ministerial Alliance
Coalition for Justice and Police
Reforms general meeting, Satur-
day, May 30 at 11 a.m. at Marana-
tha Church, 4222 N.E. 12th Ave.;
and a screening and dialogue for
the documentary Arresting Power,
Sunday, June 7 at 7 p.m. at Clinton
Street Theatre, 2522 SE Clinton St.
Tessara Dudley is a poet and ed-
ucator living in east Portland.
Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
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• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 24 mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
pped
• 1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a baking
sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the onions and
mushroom stems in the hot oil until the onion is translucent, about 5
minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large
bowl; add the artichoke hearts, cream cheese, sour cream, Italian
cheese blend, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and gar-
lic salt. Stir the mixture until ingredients are evenly distributed. Stuff
the mushroom caps with the mixture. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms
on the prepared baking sheet.
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