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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2021)
August 18, 2021 Page 3 INSIDE L O C A L N E W S The Week in Review M ETRO page 2 page 6 With the new delta variant causing a spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases, Gov. Kate Brown has announced a new statewide indoor mask requirement, warning that the state’s health care system could be overwhelmed. Cash Incentives for Vaccines Outreach targets Black community hesitancy Arts & ENTERTAINMENT page 7-8 page 9 O PINION C LASSIFIED /B IDS pages 10 USPS 959 680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 PO QR code Mark Washington, Sr. Michael Leighton Office Mngr/Clasfds: Lucinda Baldwin Admin.Coord.: Quayuana Washington C reative d ireCtor : Paul Neufeldt G raPhiC d esiGn : Emma Szeimies o ffiCe a sst /s ales : Shawntell Washington P ublisher : e ditor : CALL 503-288-0033 • FAX 503-288-0015• news@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.com• subscription@portlandobserver.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 long as they are available. Ebony Clarke, interim director of the Multnomah County Health Department, said the gift card pro- gram has already seen an increase in vaccination rates among African Americans and other commu- nities of color, but more is needed. “Vaccine uptake seems to be a lot lower in Afri- can-American communities and we know the best protection against Covid-19 is being immunized,” she said. “But as we continue to see a high number of vaccine hesitancy, we started the gift card pro- gram with the hope it would prevent barriers and challenges to get vaccinated.” Clarke said she hears stories about how people can’t afford to take time off from work to get the shot, or they don’t have childcare or don’t have a way to get to a vaccination clinic. She hopes the gift cards will remove some of those barriers. Details on the free county vaccination clinics, including times and locations, and vaccine gift cards are available at multco.us/novel-coronavi- rus-covid-19/upcoming-covid-19-vaccination-clin- C ontinued on P age 10 Soul 2 Soul on Black Resilience Event offers resources, vaccinations Established 1970 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association by b everly C orbell t he P ortland o bserver As the Covid-19 Delta variant rages in the Port- land area as across the nation, the impacts show that Black people, African immigrants and other minori- ty populations are much less likely to get a vaccine that can save their lives, and at the same time, people of color are also being hospitalized at a higher rate. Dr. Bukhodsi Dube, public health physician with the Oregon Health Authority, reported that Black people are being hospitalized at 5.5 times the rate of whites. The vaccination rates for whites in Oregon is about 73 percent, while it is still in the mid-40 percent for African Americans and other people of color. In a recent interview on KPTV, Dube described a general mistrust in Black and Brown communities rooted in systemic racism and other historic systems that continue to oppress communities of color with- in the state, and within the country. To combat that scenario, Multnomah County is offering gift cards ranging from $50 to $150 for peo- ple to get vaccinated at any county vaccination site. Everyone 12 and over can get a Visa gift card as A grass roots event to repair the bridges of the Black Community with a focus on free vaccinations for COVID-19 and resources to help with rent, food, college scholarships and more, will be held Satur- day, Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lloyd Center Regal Cinemas parking lot. The community-led event, with walk-ins wel- come, will celebrate the resilience and the health of people of color with a focus on improving adverse impacts like COVID-19, racial injustice, the rise of gun violence and the effects of gentrification in the city of Portland. According to participating Black leaders, this is a clarion call to reach those in the Black and Afri- can American communities who are unvaccinated. A drive thru experience will offer participants free COVID-19 shots. Incentives such as cash gift cards, rental assis- tance, food boxes, college scholarships, raffles, health resource booths, and swag bags will also be distributed. Live entertainment will also be part of the festivities. Sponsors include the Coalition of African & Af- rican American Pastors and the Office of the Gover- nor. Other sponsors and partners include the Mult- nomah County Health Department, Legacy Health Systems, Washington County Department of Health and Human Services, Project Access Now, REACH (Multnomah County), Children’s Community Clinic, Bridge-Pamoja, REAP, and Self Enhancement, Inc. For more information, visit soul2soulpdx.com or email soul2soul@gmail.com.
