Page 6
April 24, 2019
Lifetime Achievement
C ontinued froM P age 2
surrounded by social injustices in
a deeply segregated town in the
1940s, he was expected to succeed
through a value system of sheer
determination and hard work.
Those lifetime values have
served him throughout his career
as a catalyst for change.
Herndon moved to Portland to
attend Reed College under a schol-
arship. After graduating with a de-
gree in history in 1970, he went on
to graduate studies in Liberia and
Nigeria. Back on U.S. soil in the
1980s, he focused on education
and became an activist working to
solve issues affecting the African
American community, culminat-
ing in his appointment as Director
of Albina Head Start in Portland
for more than four decades. Head
Start’s mission is to serve children
and families by providing child
growth and development services
and education to strengthen and
enhance their abilities to success-
fully function in society.
Under his leadership, the or-
ganization has grown from 126
children and families in 1975 to
serving more than 1,000 children
at 25 sites today. He also served
as President and Board Chair of
the National Head Start Associa-
tion from 1991 to 2013, where he
provided leadership and support
to Head Start programs across the
nation.
His public service also includes
co-founding numerous commu-
nity-based organizations such as
the Black Educational Center, an
independent primary school de-
signed to meet the academic and
cultural needs of black children.
While no longer in service, at that
time the center grew from a sum-
mer program to a full-time school
serving kindergarten through fifth
grade.
Herndon also helped co-found
Black United Front, Oregon Hu-
man rights Coalition, Rainbow
Coalition and the Black Unit-
ed Fund, Northeast Community
Development, Youth Gang Task
Force, Work Force Center and the
Economic Development Alliance.
His work as a teacher, coun-
selor, college instructor VISTA
volunteer and activist has impact-
ed countless families and young
lives.
Herndon sums up his life’s
work in his typical understated
fashion, “If we do this well then
young children will have the pos-
sibility of living more indepen-
dent and fulfilling lives.”
C alendar
April 2019
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
8
9
10
11
Trina Schart Hyman
born, 1939
Robert E. Lee sur-
rendered to Ulysses
S. Grant (1865)
Margaret Peterson
Haddix born, 1964
Encourage a Young
Writer Day
National Sibling Day
U.S. Patent System
established (1790)
15
16
17
Income Tax Day
Boston Marathon
bombings, 2013
Leonardo Da Vinci
born, 1452
22
Earth Day estab-
lished 1970
Girl Scout Leader
Appreciation Day
National Jelly Bean
Day
29
Zipper Day (patented
by Gideon Sund-
back in 1913)
Garth Williams born,
1912
Aviator Wilbur
Wright born, 1867
Richard the Li-
on-Hearted re-
turned to England
(1194)
President Johnson
signs the Civil
Rights Act, 1964
(1964)
18
Paul Revere’s Fa-
mous Ride (1775)
Great San Francisco
Earthquake In 1906
Pet Owner’s Day
FRIDAY SATURDAY
12
13
Author Beverly
Cleary born, 1916
Space Shuttle
Columbia First
Launched, 1981
19
Passover Begins at
Sundown
Humorous Day
Revolutionary War
began (1775)
23
24
25
26
Home Run Day,
Hank Aaron hits his
first home run in
1954
William Shakespeare
born, 1564
Admin. Profession-
als/ Secretaries Day
Library of Congress
established (1800)
Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day
Take Our Daughters
and Sons to Work Day
Take your Daughter
to Work Day
World Penguin Day
Arbor Day
Hug a Friend Day
National Pretzel Day
Seismologist Charles
Richter born, 1900
30
National Honesty
Day
Anniversary Lou-
isiana Purchase
completed (1803)
SUNDAY
14
3rd President Thom-
as Jefferson born,
1743
Lee Bennett Hopkins
born, 1938
Palm Sunday
Webster’s Dictionary
Published, 1828
20
21
Scientists Marie &
Pierre Curie isolate
radium (1902)
27
Tell a Story Day
Easter
Kindergarten Day
Barbara Park born,
1947
28
James Monroe born,
1758 (5th Presi-
dent)