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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2013)
WWW . THESKANNER . COM A UGUST 7, 2013 P ORTLAND , O REGON V OLUME XXXV, N O . 44 25 CENTS For The Skanner news alerts Text "NEWS" to 503-715-0890 or scan this QR code C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW Changes Rock NAMCO DIATRIBE Longtime volunteers leave organization in leadership shake-up By Helen Silvis Of The Skanner News PHOTO BY BRUCE POINSETTE T he Oregon branch of the National Association of Minority Contractors has gained a new president, Andrew Colas. At the same time longtime advocates Faye Burch and Maurice Rahming resigned from the board. NAMCO members and oth- ers are asking what happened. Last Spring, Andrew Colas took the reins at the Oregon branch of the National Asso- ciation of Minority Contractors. At the same time, former board president Maurice Rahming and longtime advocate Faye Burch, who had just been re- elected to the board, decided to resign. Many NAMCO members and those who have worked with the organization are ask- ing what happened and why. The resignations happened just after the new board had been elected by the mem- bers. Once elected the board elects its officers. Rahming and others suggested Burch for the position. A co-founder of the local branch, Burch had never sought a for- mal leadership role. But this time, she agreed. A vote was taken and Burch was elected in a 4-3 split. But, after a heated discussion –described as “hair-raising,” in an off the record comment by a non-board member who was at the meeting–the board decided to hold a special meeting to elect officers. At the next meeting, one of the board members who had voted for Burch switched sides, and ultimately, the board decided to go forward with Andrew Colas as president. Burch and Rahming resigned. James Posey, also a co-founder of NAMCO argues that consultants are periph- eral to NAMCO’s mission. “I believe the organization should be run by contractors, not by consultants,” said James Posey, who led the opposition to Burch’s nomination. “She took offense to that.” The Obo Addy Legacy Project presented “Obo Addy’s Legacy: DiaTribe—From the Village to the Streets,” Tuesday night at the Washington Park Summer Festival. The second performance so far linking hip hop to its African roots was an overwhelming success. More pictures on page 6. ‘I Have a Dream’ Remembered Portland organizers plan regional ‘March on Washington’ event By Helen Silvis Of The Skanner News T he historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is 50 years old this month. So all around the country activists will rally to celebrate the victories of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, while gathering strength for the civil rights battles that lie ahead. Whether you’re concerned about racial profiling, voting rights, the lack of jobs and eco- See CONTRACTORS on page 3 INDEX News ...........2,3,8,9,12 Opinion ..................4,5 A & E ......................6,7 Church ....................10 Auto.........................10 Bids/Classifieds ........11 nomic opportunities or dispari- ties in policing, education, justice and health systems, organizers say this event is your opportunity not just to remem- ber history, but to make history. “We are seeing an attempt to turn back the clock on civil rights,” says Rev. Leroy Haynes of the Albina Ministerial Alliance coalition. “So we feel there is a critical need to draw attention to racial profiling, stand your ground laws, mass incarceration and equity in edu- cation and employment. These are great issues that we still have to challenge and deal with. “One major goal of the Wash- ington DC march and our regional march here is to get Congress to rewrite Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, which was recently struck down the Supreme Court. We need to hold states accountable when they attempt to suppress African American and Latino votes, as well as seniors and other peo- ple.” In Portland, protesters will meet up at 10 a.m. on August 24th, at Terry Schrunk Plaza before heading to Water- front Park. The rally, speakers, and music will begin at 1 p.m. The regional event is planned for the same time as the national event in Washington DC. Confirmed speakers include: Sen. Jeff Merkley, Governor Kitzhaber and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosen- blum. Not everyone can travel to Washington DC, Haynes said. Yet many people believe in See MARCH on page 3 Warner Pacific Sophomore Dead at 20 Sudden cardiac arrest claims life of promising young student By Helen Silvis Of The Skanner News A t Gresham High School in 2011, Michael Muange played wide receiver and safety on the Varsity football team. Nobody could have guessed that such a strong, fast athlete had a heart condition that would take his life suddenly without warning. Yet this week Muange’s family is mourn- ing the 20-year-old, who died suddenly of heart failure as he sat down to eat with friends. (A portion of the proceeds from Provi- dence Bridge Pedal and Providence Bridge Stride this Sunday will be donated to Provi- dence Heart and Vascular Institute’s PlaySmart program, which offers free heart screenings to teenagers to help prevent sud- den cardiac arrest, see page 2.) A sophomore at Warner Pacific Universi- ty, Muange hoped to build a career in business. He had been painting a house that day as part of his business assignments for a program called College Pro, says his sister Grace Muange Kambumba. Michael was playful and fun to be See MUANGE on page 3
