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June 15, 2016
P Astor A PPreciAtion
Horror, Anger and Healing
C ontinued from f ront
Fellowship MBC Celebrates
Pastor Johnny Pack IV and Sis Angela Pack
with their 29th Appreciation
July 17th @ 3:00pm.
4009 N. MISSOURI AVE
Guest Speaker: Bishop Garry Tyson,
Pastor of Goodwill Baptist Church, Seattle, WA
emony along with acting Police
Chief Donna Henderson. Both
tried to assure the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transsexual and queer
community that violence against
them will be conquered by the ad-
vancement of civil rights and love.
Mayor Hales also shared his
thoughts on the tragedy via his
Twitter account, stating in sepa-
rate tweets how Portland stands
in support of Orlando, and sharing
a video of him raising a rainbow
lag to half-mast at City Hall in
honor of those who lost their lives
in the shootings.
“My heart, and the hearts of all
Portlanders, goes out to everyone
affected by the tragedy in Or-
lando. It is shocking, horrifying,
unacceptable; we must stand to-
gether in support of our LGBTQ
communities,” Hales said. I’m
calling on all Portlanders to hold
our LGBTQ community close,
and come out in a show of force
against terrorizing people because
of who they love.”
The Portland Police Bureau also
stated in a press release that acting
Chief Henderson will be ramping
up security for the upcoming Pride
festivities, especially at nightclubs
and bars most frequented by mem-
bers of the LGBTQ community.
“The way to safety is to be
a community, not to huddle in-
doors,” Mayor Hales told OPB in
regards to showing support at the
approaching Pride events.
Community organizers at Pride
Northwest, sponsors of the city’s
Pride parade and waterfront fes-
tivities, addressed their feelings
towards the community with
heavy hearts.
“When senseless violence
rocks our world, it seems as if the
sorrow is too great to carry and
the darkness too great. There ar-
en’t any words to heal the wound;
our love goes out to the survivors,
friends, and families of the vic-
tims of the Orlando shooting. We
stand with you,” a statement by
the group said.
Tragedies like what occurred
in Orlando can spark an increased
sense of community and such has
proved more than true with the
vigils held in Portland and the
wealth of support expressed to-
ward the LGBTQ community.
“It’s heartbreaking to think
that people were having a good
time with friends one moment and
the next they’re running for their
lives,” said black bisexual pho-
tographer Clifford Prince King.
“It could’ve been anyone of us in
any other city. This event should
remind us that nothing is promised
and we have to love one another
while we know we can.”
The Q Center is welcoming
those that need to discuss their feel-
ings about the shootings in a pri-
vate or group setting. They can be
reached at 503-234-7837 and are
located at 4115 N Mississippi Ave.
Juneteenth Weekend Celebrations
C ontinued from p age 2
AME Church, 5828 N.E. Eighth,
and go west to Martin Luther King
Jr. Boulevard, south to North Rus-
sell and end at the Legacy Emanu-
el ield at North Graham and Van-
couver Avenue where festivities
will follow the parade and contin-
ue through 7 p.m.
In Vancouver, a Juneteenth cel-
ebration sponsored by the NAACP
Vancouver Branch, will take place
on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3
p.m. at Marshall Park, 1015 E.
McLoughlin, highlighting local
black culture with a sweet potato
pie contest, as well as entertainers,
food vendors and crafts.
Juneteenth is the oldest known
celebration among African Amer-
icans across the country com-
memorating the announcement
of the end of slavery in the Unit-
ed States. It has been an African
American tradition since the late
19th Century.
The relationship between June-
teenth and Portland dates back to
1945, when Clara Peoples from
Muskogee, Okla., while working
in the local shipyards, discovered
that her co-workers were not fa-
miliar with Juneteenth and talked
her supervisor into allowing for
a celebration during a 15 minute
break, an event that turned into a
new tradition.