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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2018)
February 28, 2018 Page 3 INSIDE The Week in Review This page Sponsored by: page 2 p hoto by w omen F irst t ransition anD r eFerral C enter A new grassroots organization, WomenFirst, uses peer support to help women of color and others from disadvantaged groups overcome societal challenges like poverty, hunger, homelessness, and domestic violence. Arts & ENTERTAINMENT M ETRO O PINION C LASSIFIEDS C ALENDAR pages 8-10 Empowering Women Mentorship group celebrates first graduates page 9 pages 12-13 pages 14 page 15 WomenFirst, a grass-roots organization helping women re- build their lives and gain sup- port through peer mentorship, will host a public celebration on Saturday, March 3 for their first graduating class from a 12 week women empowerment group, called “I Love Me.” The group places a special em- phasis on helping women of col- or overcome the challenges that come with the stereotypes and prejudices they face in society. Former State Sen. Margaret Carter, who was the first black woman elected to the Oregon’s Legislature in 1985 and retired from the Senate in 2009, will be the event’s guest speaker. Having overcome tremendous odds to carve a path of success herself, Carter came to Oregon from Lou- isiana as a single mother of five in 1967 with no job, nowhere to stay and struggling to make ends Shannon Olive meet. “As we celebrate Black His- tory Month, we honor the oppor- tunity to be better stewards of the privileges we gained, create awareness for all people, high- light the best of black history and culture, and honor the historic leaders of the black community,” said Shannon Olive, WomenFirst founder and president. Group members help each other tackle issues such as pov- erty, hunger, homelessness, gen- der wage gap, violence against women, poor treatment of wom- en in prison, access to rehabilita- tion centers, and human traffick- ing/sex slavery. In coordination with the WomenFirst Transition and Referral Center, they also support women prisoner reentry, women in recovery, and those seeking any transformation in their lives Life skills, community sup- port, and referrals to resources for personal and professional de- velopment are cultivated in the organization, whose full name is WomenFirst Transition and Re- ferral Center. A new “I Love Me” 12 week women empowerment program will be open to incoming mem- bers starting March 22 at the Mir- acle Central Apartments where members will restore a path of empowerment by learning to love and value themselves. The community is invited to join the “I Love Me” graduates at Saturday’s event, scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. at Curious Comedy Theatre, 5225 N.E. Mar- tin Luther King Blvd. Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. More information can be found at rebuildwomenfirst.org or email lovingyoufirst@yahoo.com. Oregon Moves on Gun Control People convicted of stalking and domestic violence or with re- straining orders won’t be able to buy or own guns or ammunition in Oregon under a new gun con- trol measure that was passed last week in the Oregon Legislature and is now headed to Gov. Kate Brown who plans to sign it into law. Brown told a Senate panel that the anguished voices of victims, especially in the wake of the re- cent school shooting in Florida, must be heard, saying the bill will help keep guns out of the wrong hands. The bill earlier passed the Oregon House. “Closing the ‘Intimate Partner Loophole’ is an important step to keep Oregonians safer, and keep guns out of the wrong hands,” Brown said. One of the senators who backed the bill, Floyd Prozanski, remem- bered how his sister had been shot dead by an enraged boyfriend.