Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 2012)
Local News McClaurin Helping Out charms. TSN: Did you start out wanting to be an anthropologist? IM: I started out on the creative side as a poet and a writer, because my first love was literature. Then I did a stint as an academic administrator, before going back to study anthropology. So I like to think of myself as a born-again anthropologist. Eric Wolf, who has now passed away, used to say anthropology was the most humanist of the sciences and the most sci- entific of the humanities. TSN: As a Black woman were you enter- ing a field that was mostly White and male dominated? IM: Well since the 1800s and starting with Caroline Bond Day, we actually do have a history of African Americans being involved in anthropology. W.E.B. Dubois, for example, worked under the label of sociology, but in effect what he was doing was urban anthro- pology. plex” societies, while anthropologists would study, quote, “non-complex” soci- eties, i.e. the primitive. So what you had were people from industrialized, complex societies going into non-industrialized soci- eties and trying to understand them. So it was always the study of “the other.” What we’re saying is that everyone is cul- turally grounded. And even if you’re studying someone else, you bring with you your cultural baggage. You see the world through your own cultural lens. So if that lens is one where you believe primitive peo- ple are, “less than,” then that’s going to shape the way you interpret the data. Even the questions you choose to ask are still shaped by the culture you come from. So this notion of objectivity is what we really challenge. Even if you’re studying someone else, you bring with you your cultural baggage TSN: What is important about the per- spective African Americans bring to the field of anthropology? IM: Anthropology as a discipline was an offshoot of sociology and the split was this: Sociologists would study, in quotes –“com- PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED continued from page 1 Eight students from the Mental Health and Human Service Club at Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) volunteered on a Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East project in the cold wind and rain on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the corner of Southeast 106th and Stark Street. The Mental Health and Human Service Club is comprised of students pursuing careers helping others in a variety of human service settings. Membership is open to all MHCC students. The club often works on service projects in the local community and around the college campus. Front row, left to right: MaryJane Doran, Denise Perez, Vanessa Houghton and Ashley Bright. Back row, left to right: Adam Caba, Allen Burchell, Jason Head and Tamara Young. TSN: Do anthropology and sociology divide along those lines now? IM: Anthropologists now study complex, industrialized societies. There has been a borrowing on both sides. So during the 20th century we saw the rise of urban anthropol- ogy. And one of the most noted women anthropologists that most people know, of course, is Zora Neale Hurston. She was one of Franz Boas’ students, who is known as the father of American anthropology. TSN: She’s well known as an author, but not so much as an anthropologist. IM: Zora was a Black woman from Eatonville, Fla., which was considered one of the first independent Black towns in the United States. And she was the first Black woman to graduate from Barnard College. Boas trained Margaret Mead. He trained Ruth Benedict. He trained Alfred Kroeber, and he trained Edward Sapir— all anthro- pologists who went on to make a name for themselves. And he trained Zora Neale Hurston at the same time. She collected folklore, and while she is most noted as a novelist, she actually trained as an anthropologist. She’s known as a novelist, which is why I am so drawn to her, but she has both a humanities perspec- tive and a social scientist perspective. The literary people have adopted her, but I’ve been trying to rescue her back and re- enshrine her in the canon of anthropology. Q. Are people still dying of AIDS? Michael: Every hour, every day. In 2011, 1.7 million people worldwide died from AIDS-related complications. People in Ore- gon still die from AIDS, especially those who haven’t gotten any treatment because they never got tested. That doesn’t have to Kim: Yes, but those of us in public health will need our partners like primary care doctors and insurance companies to accom- plish this. The good news is this has already started in some emergency rooms where people are being asked if they want to get tested. deal with what I find out? Kim: Answers are just a phone call away. We have a confidential network you can call to ask about testing, a diagnosis, how to get medical care, health insurance, talk to part- ner or feel that you are not alone. We have a whole system and it does not depend on whether you have income or insurance. We’re here. Q. And the magic number is? Michael: 800-777-2437 or 800-499-6940 en español or www.oregonaidshotline.com. Q. Kim, you’ve been working with newly diagnosed people for more than 20 years. What gives you hope? Kim: We’re at a moment of change - through early testing. Also, I’m hopeful see- ing how much this community cares. On Thursday, Nov. 29, the board of county commissioners unanimously proclaimed Dec. 1 to be World AIDS Day in Multnom- ah County. I’m hopeful because we’re in this together, and we’re in it to win. HIV continued from page 1 Some people presume they don’t need an HIV test because their doctor has never sug- gested it. And some people have other pressing life issues that are a higher priority than seeking HIV testing at a special HIV test clinic. Michael: Stigma plays a major role here, and the more we can fight that stigma, the easier it will be for people to get tested. Q. Ok, I’m asking. How can I get tested? Michael: It’s easier than ever. You can ask your doctor, come into county clinic or Cascade AIDS Project testing centers for an anonymous confidential test. Call the Oregon HIV/STD Hot- line at 800-777-2437 or go to the Cascade AIDS Project’s website <http://www.orego- naidshotline.com/> to find testing sites. You can take a test in your own home. Tests sim- ilar to home pregnancy tests are now available in drug stores and online. We’re at a moment of change - through early testing Q. Who are we talking about here? Who is being newly infected? Kim: We are seeing more infections in younger adults under age 25. African Americans and Lati- nos are more likely to get HIV in Oregon than non-Hispanic Whites. Men who have sex with men still make up a large portion of new infections. But almost anyone can get HIV— it only takes one sexual encounter or one time sharing syringes. happen. Q. Last week, the U.S. Preventive Servic- es Task Force, a group of doctors and scientists, recommended routine screening for all Americans 15 to 64, including preg- nant women because early detection is so important. Is that even possible? Q. Testing seems really scary. How do I Tensions Julie, the friend’s mother, who didn’t want to give her last name because of tensions in the community following the incident, says Buckley was playing video games with her son until his girlfriend picked him up. The police statement says officers were called to the Rock Creek apartments at 11:49 p.m. Police say four men unlawfully entered the 20-year-old victim’s apartment through an unlocked sliding glass door while he was home alone. Three of the men were known to the victim. Deputies were told the intrud- ers assaulted the victim rendering him unconscious. When the victim regained consciousness, he said the four men were stealing property from his residence.” According to Buckley’s girlfriend, she picked him up around 10:30, and they went to play laser tag. She says that because the venue was closing earlier than they had planned, the two instead decided to rent a Redbox movie from the Albertsons off of Cornelius Pass at 11:30. She says the store’s surveillance camera captured her and Buck- ley as they left. However, she claims she hasn’t been able to get access to the footage because police haven’t returned her calls. She also says she didn’t see Mitchell or Armitage that night. Family and friends have also raised ques- tions about racial bias in the media coverage of the case. Buckley, Mitchell and Armitage, all Black, were arrested the morning following the incident. Trotter, who is white, wasn’t initially identified but turned himself in Nov. 29. Although initial reports said the police had little information on Trotter, Buckley’s mother said police gave her a photo, a name and description of his car when they ques- tioned her other sons. She wonders why her son and the other men had their mug shots splashed across the news stories while the white suspect wasn’t pictured or identified until he turned himself in. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s office, all four suspects are being held on charges of 1st degree robbery, 1st degree burglary, unlawful use of a weapon and 3rd degree assault. In addition, Trotter is also being charged with 2nd degree rob- bery. The bond for each man is $250,000. Julie says there was overflow of support- ers in the courtroom for the men’s initial hearing and wonders why that received lit- tle attention in reports. “There are a very large amount of angry people that are upset about this whole thing,” she says. Two of the men had previously been in the news for their accomplishments in sports. Mitchell, a senior at Century High School, was recently named first team All- Pacific Conference in football as a receiver. He was also starting for the school’s basket- ball team. Buckley, a Liberty High graduate, placed second in the state 5A high jump competition. Trial dates for the men are set for Jan. 17 and 23. December 5, 2012 The Portland Skanner Page 3
