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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2018)
September 19, 2018 Page 5 Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Ernest J. Hill, Jr. Agent 311 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211 503 286 1103 Fax 503 286 1146 ernie.hill.h5mb@statefarm.com 24 Hour Good Neighbor Service R State Farm R The African American women’s support group “Sisterhood” is building new connections in the community. Stay Clean Summer Celebration A support group for African American women is inviting the public to their first annual “Stay Clean” celebration marking the end of summer. Called Strength in Sisters to Empower Recover Health Openness Opportunity Dedica- tion (SISTERHOOD), the group is holding the open-to-the-pub- lic event on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at their headquarters at 2601 S.E.160th Ave., near Division Street. The group focuses on creat- ing a safe and welcoming en- vironment for sisters to talk or seek solace, building support- ive relationships, community involvement and leadership. Activities like social gatherings and events are held every Tues- day and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the organization’s southeast Portland headquar- ters. Food, fun, music, and min- gling are on the agenda for the Saturday’s free event, which is designed to establish commu- nity connections with members of the public who want to know more about the organization. For your light bulbs & parts to repair or make fixtures Web: www.sunlanlighting.com E-mail: kay@lightlady.com 3901 N. Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR 97227 503.281.0453 Fax 503.281.3408 United Against Hate C ontinueD from p age 3 been a “groundswell” of protest groups locally, who often end up inciting violence at their demon- strations. The sheriff said he’s received some criticism for the statement’s commitment to fight discrimina- tion against undocumented immi- grants, but called the complaints unwarranted. “Deputy’s job is not to enforce immigration laws. The enforce- ment is at the federal level,” At- kins said. While he said enforcing laws broken on the local level, regard- less of immigration status, will al- ways be upheld, to enforce federal immigration policy, regardless of its legitimacy or lack thereof, is simply against the law. As for the former sheriff depu- ty who was associated with a hate group, Erin Willey, Atkins said her affiliation slipped through the agency’s background check. “It was an eye-opener for me to have somebody from inside my agency have an affiliation,” Atkins said. Willey was spotted on social media wearing a shirt with the logo of the Proud Boys, a far-right group that has propagated sexist, Islamophobic, and racist rhetoric and its recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center has a designat- ed hate group that formed in 2016. When the post was brought to Atkins’ attention by local media, it spurred an investigation and even- tual firing of Willey. “It lessens the people’s trust factor in an, agency like mine to uphold the law, to be associat- ed...with people that are clearly trying to push the law to its edge and break the law out there in the community and cause hate and discontent. That goes against the character of this agency.” Southwest Washington LU- LAC and Vancouver NAACP are both groups that Atkins said he’s met with in the past and hopes to continue to stay connected. Their joint statement expressed appre- ciation of local law enforcement improving communications with its community. The letter also called for more thorough enforcement of hate- crime laws and legislative action to make such laws stronger. Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer Call 503-288-0033 or email ads@portlandobserver.com
