June 17, 2015
Page 7
Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the
Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and
story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com.
O PINION
Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland and Clean Air
Hooray for
smoke-free
parks, spaces
M IDGE P URCELL
We know that
physical
activity
can produce long-
WHUP KHDOWK EHQH¿WV
and prevent chronic
diseases, the lead-
ing cause of death
and disability in the
United States. It also, relieves
stress, counters obesity, and
increases your longevity. Most
of us need to exercise more.
Maintaining a physical ac-
tivity routine of 30 minutes
daily of exercise for adults,
and 60 minutes daily for chil-
dren can result in better phys-
ical and mental health. You
may want to check out Port-
land Parks and Recreation for
BY
all the different recreational
activities they offer.
Also, congratulations to
Portland Parks and Recre-
ation for now becoming a
smoke-free
environment
throughout the en-
tire park system! The
policy takes effect on
July 1 and aligns with
Portland Parks and
Recreation’s
focus
on “Healthy Parks,
Healthy Portland.” It
requires all park areas
and events to be free of smoke
and tobacco in any form in-
cluding products such as
cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars,
clove cigarette, e-cigarettes,
nicotine vaporizers, nicotine
liquids, hookahs, pipes, chew,
snuff, smokeless tobacco,
kreteks and marijuana.
African Americans have
particularly high rates of
smoking-related chronic dis-
ease. The Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention
warns the dangers of the use
of e-cigarettes as studies have
found carcinogens and toxins
in e-cigarettes.
Creating healthy and safe
environments protects Port-
land residents and visitors,
especially children, and pro-
tects parks and natural areas
from the potential risk of
¿UHVDQGHQYLURQPHQWDOKDUP
caused by littering of ciga-
rette butts and other tobac-
co-related waste.
This policy also supports
individuals who are trying to
quit smoking or tobacco use
or have already quit. It reduc-
es children and youth expo-
sure to smoking and tobacco
use, which not only protects
their health, but also helps
discourage them from starting
DKDELWWKDWLVGLI¿FXOWWRTXLW
The leading cause of pre-
ventable death in Oregon is
still tobacco-related diseas-
es which costs Multnomah
County $223 million dollars
each year in medical care, and
$196 million dollars in lost
productivity.
Multnomah County recent-
ly awarded a three-year grant
to increase the number of
African Americans with ac-
FHVV WR WREDFFRQLFRWLQHIUHH
environments, among other
things. One of three methods
is to increase the number of
outdoor settings implement-
ing new or expanded tobacco
DQGRUQLFRWLQHIUHHSROLFLHV
Called the Racial and Eth-
nic Approaches to Commu-
nity Health, the grant was is-
sued as a way to create policy,
systems, and environmental
changes affecting the health
of the county’s African Amer-
LFDQ%ODFNFRPPXQLW\LQSDU-
ticular, through both nutrition
and tobacco policies to change
the environment. These poli-
cies span the life-course and
reach infants, youth, pregnant
women, adults, and elders.
As Portland Parks Com-
missioner Amanda Fritz said,
“expanding Portland Parks
and Recreation existing to-
bacco-free policy across the
entire system sends a consis-
tent message. It helps create a
healthy and safe environment
within all of Portland Parks
and Recreation -- especially
the children and youth.” Port-
land Parks and Recreation
offers a variety of fun activ-
ities, listed on their website
(check out summer free for
all events) and includes ame-
nities such as public trans-
portation through TriMet, re-
strooms, signs, and parking.
Midge Purcell is director of
advocacy and public policy for
the Urban League of Portland.
(GXFDWLRQ5HIRUP7KH(TXLW\DQG([FHOOHQFH3URMHFW
Confronting
the obstacles to
college degrees
M ARC H. M ORIAL
All across the coun-
try, people are gather-
ing to observe an an-
nual academic rite of
SDVVDJHJUDGXDWLRQ
In a scene that will
be played out count-
less times during this season of
celebration, family and friends
will dutifully take their seats
LQDXGLWRULXPVDQGRSHQ¿HOGV
around the nation and proud-
ly look on as their loved ones
walk across stages to receive
their diplomas or degrees and,
¿QDOO\ WXUQ WKH WDVVHO RQ WKHLU
graduation caps.
This tradition holds much
PRUH VLJQL¿FDQFH WKDQ LWV SUL-
mary function as the formal
recognition of a student’s ac-
ademic achievement. It is also
¿UPO\ URRWHG LQ RXU$PHULFDQ
belief that education—particu-
larly higher education—is the
key to greater opportunity and
the chance to live the American
BY
dream.
The era when a high school
diploma was enough to climb
the ladder into America’s mid-
dle class is long gone. In to-
day’s increasingly high-tech
society, it is a college
education, or degree,
that has become the min-
imum requirement for
that climb up our nation’s
social and economic op-
portunity ladders. Access
to college, therefore, can-
not remain a privilege afforded
to a few when it has become a
prerequisite to achieve greater
success by the many.
In recognition of this endur-
ing state of academic affairs,
the National Urban League is
spearheading the “Equity and
Excellence Project.” The proj-
ect—which has six areas of
academic focus tightly related
to our organization’s mission,
including common core stan-
dards and improved access
to high-quality curricula and
effective teachers—has also
made college attainment, and
most importantly, completion
one of its priorities.
Right now, there is much to
celebrate in our country when
it comes to academic achieve-
ment in African-American
and Latino communities. To-
day, we enjoy the highest high
school graduation rates in his-
tory. More students of color are
in college and dropout rates are
at historic lows. But more work
lies ahead.
Despite the fact that more
blacks and Hispanics are get-
ting a college education than
ever before, there is a gap in
postsecondary
attainment.
In 2013, about 15 percent of
Hispanics had a bachelor’s
degree or higher, degree at-
tainment was at 20 percent
for African Americans and 40
percent for whites, according
to recent Pew Research Cen-
ter analysis.
When a young man or wom-
an is denied access to opportu-
nity through education, we all
lose. That potential graduate
loses a well-known and well-
worn path to individual suc-
cess. College Board research
demonstrated that people with
bachelor degrees earned over
$21,000 more than high school
graduates. People with some
college and no postsecondary
degree earned 14 percent more
than high school graduates
who worked full time.
When young people are not
obtaining postsecondary de-
grees, our nation suffers from
the loss of their talent, their in-
creased tax revenues, their civ-
ic engagement and more.
As was often quoted by
President John F. Kennedy, “a
rising tide lifts all boats.” We
need to rethink our funding of
grants, we need to take a se-
rious look at our student loan
system, we—as a nation—
need to confront head on all the
obstacles to equity in access to
quality postsecondary educa-
tion.
The return on our invest-
ment of the time, effort and
money necessary to increase
college attainment and com-
pletion, would be a compet-
itive American workforce, a
stronger economy and thriving
communities.
Marc H. Morial is president
DQG FKLHI H[HFXWLYH RI¿FHU RI
the National Urban League.
The Law Offices of
Patrick John Sweeney, P.C.
Patrick John Sweeney
Attorney at Law
1549 SE Ladd
Portland, Oregon
Portland:
Hillsoboro:
Facsimile:
Email:
(503) 244-2080
(503) 244-2081
(503) 244-2084
Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com