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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (June 8, 2011)
local news Professionals continued from page 1 exacted more respect and action from Oregon’s largely White political class than for decades previously. The league’s State of Black Oregon report blew the lid off the city’s complacency about race-based pover- ty, spurring Portland State University to produce its own, influential, Communities of Color report. Partnering with the African Women’s Coalition on an urban garden, the league is recognizing that food production will be one of the most important challenges facing the next generation. Yet arguably, one of its most effective and creative moves has been to build out this platform for young African Americans. “The Urban League’s Young Professionals is the single most vibrant group of minority professionals aimed at changing the status quo locally,” says C.S. Alexander, a member of the Portland, Ore., branch. Alexander works for the department of Housing and Urban Development. But he also owns his own clothing line. This kind of ambition is almost a require- ment. Educated strivers, they well under- stand that Black Americans need many more friends in high places, if equality is to become a reachable goal instead of a cruel mirage. Still at the heart of their mission is serv- The Young Professionals is the single most vibrant group of minority professionals aimed at changing the status quo locally ice. On Saturday June 11, young profes- sionals across the country will be volunteer- ing in their communities. In Portland, the group has organized “ Let’s Move,” a free four-hour health and fitness event that will include Zumba and African dance classes, healthy lunch, cooking, gardening, and a film about mother and baby health. “We spend 90 minutes once a month, in a meeting just taking care of business,” says Rob Ingram, the dynamic president of the Portland branch. “It’s not fun; it’s not sexy. We take our work very seriously.” Ingram leads the City of Portland’s Office of Youth Violence Prevention. Inspirational and driven, he has brought in a series of heavy hitters as speakers: people like State Rep. Lew Frederick; Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith; the Mayor of Portland’s public safety advocate, Antoinette Edwards; and financial superstar Charles Wilhoite. Ingram’s also an exacting leader who demands high standards from everyone. He will tell you it’s because he knows that to be taken seriously in the circles of power, you must embody powerful qualities such as: poise, politeness and political smarts. “The young part is negotiable: if you think you’re young then you are. That’s negotiable,” Ingram says. “What’s not Grace Uwagbae with Chabre Vickers and Blake Dye. negotiable is being, acting and carrying yourself as a professional. Because if you represent us, we expect and require you to be a professional at all times.” What: “Lets Move” Dance, food, garden- ing, health insurance information and healthy lunch. When: Saturday June 11, 11am-3pm Where: Legacy Emanuel, 2801 North Gantenbein Ave., Portland. Wear: Clothes to move in. Workout clothes. Rosebuds continued from page 1 MLB teams in the ‘40s and ‘50s, providing Richards a knowledge and history of base- ball far exceeding his own. Wilson was even a mentor to Willie Mays, says Richards. Unfortunately, Wilson died on Oct. 31, 2010, right before the library received notice that the grant for the baseball exhi- bition was awarded. The traveling exhibit will cover far more than Portland’s two- month foray into negro baseball, instead covering the entire history of Blacks’ involvement in the sport. Created by the American Library Association, the National Endowment for the Humanities’ money dispute. He maintained throughout that he did not participate in the robbery. After 45 minutes of questioning, Hollins wrote in his report, he put Kyeron back in a cell because he was “getting excited and animated.” After a break the questioning resumed – still without a lawyer present. After more than two hours, Hollins wrote, Fair demanded an attorney and the session ended with him trying to get up and leave the room. He was restrained and placed in a cell. Half an hour later, Hollins wrote, he “learned” that Fair’s mother Kelli Jarrell was waiting in the Central Precinct lobby, lem. Many details of the conflicting medical opinions on his case – which played out over two trips to the hospital within several days – weren’t sorted out until Sudaisar and Eriksen conducted interviews with Trillium Family Services Children’s Farm Home staff weeks after Fair was admitted there and began to improve. During his first two days in juvenile detention, Fair refused to eat any of his meals and remained isolated in his cell, the state report says. He was seen by Project Respond, the mobile mental health crisis team for Multnomah County, on Sept. 16 ing to pull the history display to Portland for about three years. The exhibit will be on display in the third floor of the Multnomah County Central Library in Downtown Portland starting in November 2011. If you have any information, remembrances, or artifacts about African American Baseball in Portland, please contact Strasfeld at 503-988-3496 or cynthias@multcolib.org. Multnomah County Library is trying to find anyone with old artifacts, memories or information on the Portland Rosebuds Cindy Strasfeld, Multnomah County Library’s Program Development Specialist and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Multnomah County Library has been work- Kyeron continued from page 1 Oregon State Police Det. Scott Sudaisar and Multnomah County Sheriffs Det. James Eriksen. Among the questions tackled in the state’s use of force investigation, three stand out: Did the teenager get the care he needed once he began showing signs of mental health crisis? Was he subject to unjustified use of force? And how did Fair end up in an ICU unit while in custody? Measure 11 Charges Fair started showing signs of mental agi- tation during the initial police interview. On Aug. 31, 2010, a medical marijuana card holder named Martin Hensley called Portland Police to say three African American males entered his home, pulled a gun and robbed him of more than a pound of pot and $80. Hensley said he could identify one of the men, by first name only: “K-Ron,” who, he said, was approximately 17-years-old. He said the two unidentified intruders – one of whom held a handgun during the robbery – were about 20-years-old. On Sept. 13, Det. Robert Hollins arrested Kyeron at school and proceeded to question him about the incident without an attorney present and without his parents’ knowledge. In his police report, Hollins said Kyeron rambled extensively, first implying he knew about the crime, then denying it, at times saying he knew who did it but that he “did not want to tell on his friends.” He said he’d bought pot from Hensley for months, but that the dealer was angry with him over a ‘I didn’t do it, they made me do it, they held a gun to my head’ -Kyeron Fair and Hollins brought her up and allowed her to hug her son before he was booked. Fair was charged with first and second degree robbery with a firearm – including separate charges on each for all five people who were in the house at the time of the alleged robbery — plus unlawful use of a weapon. All are Measure 11 counts involv- ing use of a firearm, even though Fair was never said by the victim or witnesses to have held or used one in the alleged inci- dent. Juvenile Jail Fair’s path to the ICU was bumpy and paved with officials denying he had a prob- and their recommendation was that he be hospitalized immediately. “… however they expressed concern that he would likely injure himself if placed in shackles and handcuffs,” the state report says. A JDH staff member was assigned to watch him one-on-one through a two-way mirror in his cell. The report says he began ranting about being watched and being recorded; he did- n’t recognize his parents. Staff reported that he started shouting, for hours, words to the effect of: “I didn’t do it, they made me do it, they held a gun to my head.” Fair tried to charge out of his cell when- ever the door was opened; he wouldn’t cooperate with staff trying to check his physical health. At one point he hung his pillowcase around his neck, the report says, like an athlete wearing a towel to wipe sweat off his face – prompting staff to declare him a suicide risk. Next the documents show that, as Fair was placed on suicide watch Sept. 18, an odd game of ‘hot potato’ broke out between the JDH manager and the MCDC manager. Juvenile officials sought to get Fair moved out of the Donald E. Long Center because, they said, he was violent, disrup- tive, suicidal and they couldn’t handle him. Numerous interviews and records show that JDH officials thought the teenager was fak- ing mental illness, despite reports from more than one mental health evaluator that his crisis was real. JDH Customer Services Manager Craig Bachman directed his staff to call MCDC and arrange a transfer; at first MCDC Corrections Sgt. Michael Phelps refused. The two agencies traded phone calls and memos for hours on Sept 19 before the JDH finally won out. In the end, the state report says, MCDC officials were not filled in by JDH on the extent of Fair’s illness – and the fact he was on suicide watch – when he was transferred. “Sergeant Phelps told us that Mr. Bachman told him the juvenile inmate was not suicidal but the form showed that he was on suicide watch,” the state report says. read Part 2, “use of force Hot- Spots,” next week June 8, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 3
