Page 2
November 22, 2017
Out Front and On Point
Women of
color share
stories from
elected office
Each woman was one of the
first people of color ever elect-
ed to their position. Often, they
were the only one. And always,
they were outnumbered.
But in a frank, funny and re-
vealing roundtable, three local
women of color shared what it
was like to run, serve and sur-
vive in public office.
More than 50 people gathered
last Thursday to hear moderator
Traci Rossi, executive director
of the Center for Women’s Lead-
ership, interview former state
Photo Courtesty of M otoya n akaMura /M ultnoMah C ounty
Sen. Margaret Carter, state Rep.
State
Rep.
Janelle
Bynum
of
Clackamas,
(from
left) moderator Traci Rossi from the Center for
Janelle Bynum of Clackamas
Women’s
Leadership,
Multnomah
County
Commissioner
Loretta Smith and former state Sen.
and Multnomah County Com-
Margaret
Carter
of
Portland
attend
a
roundtable
to
share
what it was like to run, serve and survive in
missioner Loretta Smith.
public.
Carter was the first African ning to run for the Portland City
American woman elected to the Council this coming year.
Oregon Legislature. Bynum, an
The trio spoke at the second
electrical engineer who owns of four Portland forums on race
several McDonald’s restaurants, in the workplace inspired by the
520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland,
is the first African American hashtag #Black Women at Work.
OR 97204 • 503-796-9250
woman to represent House Dis- The hashtag emerged in response
trict 51, including east Portland. to harshly personal comments
And Smith is the second Afri- made to Congresswoman Max-
can American woman elected ine Waters and CNN journalist
to the County Commission and April Ryan earlier this year af-
Cori Stewart--
because of term limits is plan- ter they challenged members of
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Big Man Recruit Picks Ducks
Bol Bol, son of former NBA player Manute Bol
announced on Monday he will play for the Oregon
Ducks. The 7 foot 2 center, considered by recruiters
as the top big man from the high school class of
2018, chose the Ducks after visiting both Oregon
and Kentucky this fall.
ACLU Sues Police for “Kettling”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon
filed a class action lawsuit last week against Port-
land Police for using a tactic called “kettling,” a
technique which involves surrounding a crowd
and closing in on them, but one which was alleged
to have improperly detained innocent observers
during a June 4 protest.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist, an-
nounced Friday he has Parkinson’s disease, an
incurable neurological disorder that can cause
tremors, stiffness, and difficulty balancing and
coordinating movements. Jackson said he and his
family noticed the changes three years ago and
the process of recognizing its effects has been
painful.
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Week in Review
Jesse Jackson has Parkinson’s
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the Trump Administration. Rep.
Tawna Sanchez (D-Portland)
spoke up, and Sen. Lew Freder-
ick (D-Portland) and Judge Adri-
enne Nelson also attended.
Topics ranged from how the
elected officials got their start,
managed their campaigns, bal-
anced family life, dealt with
negative experiences and han-
dled comments on their ap-
pearance. Commissioner Smith
spoke of the need to bring more,
and younger, people of col-
or into the workforce and into
leadership.
“I stand on the shoulders of
Gladys McCoy who served as a
commissioner and county chair
almost 30 years ago,’’ Smith
said. “It is my responsibility to
make sure we get people of col-
or in county government sooner
than another 30 years.’’
Rossi ended by saying, “I
want to thank Commissioner
Smith because I have been living
in Portland and I have not been
in a room like this for a long
time,’’ she said.
And several people said they
left the meeting feeling hopeful.
“Oregon for all the problems,
it really is a shining star,’’ By-
num said. “You have women at
the highest level of leadership
you don’t see anywhere else.”
Thanks to Multnomah County
for contributing this story.
Veteran journalist Charlie Rose has been fired by
CBS News due to accusations from eight different
women that he was sexually inappropriate with
them. The Washington Post reported five women
said he groped them, two have said he walked na-
ked in front of them, and one accused Rose of firing
her after he physically and verbally harassed her.
Della Reese Passes Away
TV host, R&B singer, and “Touched by an Angel” star
Della Reese died Sunday at the age of 86, her family
told ABC News. Her family said she “passed away
peacefully” in her home.
Apologizes for Sexual Harassment
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. has apologized and called
for an ethics investigation following accusations that
he sexually harassed a radio host while performing
together for troops overseas in 2006. The comedian
turned politician purportedly forcibly kissed her and
took photos to mock grope her in her sleep, both of
which Franklin apparently said at the time was meant
to be in jest or part of a comedy act.
Charles Manson Dies in Prison
Charles Manson, the notorious serial killer and cult
leader, died in prison Sunday at the age of 83 of natu-
ral causes. Manson was imprisoned for being respon-
sible for the killings of seven people over a two-day
period in southern California in 1969.
Quits after Racist Comments
Rev. Jamie Johnson, a Homeland Security official in
the Trump administration, has quit following state-
ments uncovered by CNN in which he blamed Af-
rican-Americans for the prevalence of slums. As a
former Iowa radio host, he appeared on many con-
servative talk shows, and made several controversial
comments about blacks and slums on the show.