News
Baltimore
‘Cuts and Checks’
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With little information about
what exactly happened to
Gray, and with no arrests or
indictments against the officers
involved, many in the city had
had enough
“For the most part, these young teens that are doing a lot
of this mischief are all misguided youth,” said David Stock-
ton as he watched the looting that was unfolding. “A lot of
them now have gotten to the liquor store, now they’re
drunk. It’s not a good representation of what’s the true
cause, or true meaning of this event. Don’t let this one inci-
dent, or our anger, be the representation of who we are or
what we stand for.”
Many of those who watched often expressed regret over
the rioting, and older men did their best to keep things as
safe as possible for those present. They did not challenge
the younger men for their destruction of property, perceiv-
ing it perhaps as a necessary escape valve for life-long
tensions, but stepped in whenever it appeared someone
might cross a line into interpersonal violence.
At one point, what appeared to be a SWAT team from
Anne Arundel County arrived in an armored vehicle to res-
cue a store owner trapped inside his business that by then
PHOTO BY DONOVAN M. SMITH
now using it as a prop for their selfies and photos with
friends.
It had been over two weeks since Gilmor Homes resident
Freddie Gray had suffered fatal injuries while being taken
into custody by Baltimore police. With little information
about what exactly happened to Gray, and with no arrests or
indictments against the officers involved, many in the city
had had enough.
Free blood pressure checks are being offered in three Northeast Portland barbershops as part of a
new initiative kicked off in April between the businesses and North by Northeast Community health
Center called ‘Cuts and Checks.’ “We all know that good health is something we should strive after
and in the barbershop people are more comfortable to talk about things they may not be so
comfortable going to the doctor talking about,” says Jamaal lane, owner of Champions
Barbershop, one of the program’s participants. “We’re just happy to be a part of the movement to
bring awareness to high-blood pressure in our community.” In addition to Champions, you can
also get your free checkup at Geneva’s Shear Perfection and Terrell Brandon’s Barbershop. For
more information go to www.nxneclinic.org.
had been thoroughly looted. Officers jumped out of the
vehicle and aimed their weapons, some of them appearing
to be nonlethal, at the crowds on the various corners of the
intersection.
A group of older men formed a large circle in the middle
of the intersection and held hands, protecting both looters
and bystanders from the menacing weapons trained on them
as police rushed a man into the armored vehicle and then
sped off.
Read the rest of this story online at www.theskanner.com
Q&A
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was also important.
TSN: Did you feel like there were thriv-
ing Black communities outside of Portland
in any of the places you went?
Poinsette: Klamath Falls was probably
the biggest of them. They have their own
Black church, their own Black community.
It’s not like a gigantic Black community
obviously, but it’s a significantly sized and
– even more than Portland — everyone
knows each other. Even if they don’t get
along, everyone is still kind of connected.
The other thing is that we talked to more
church people and they have a connection to
Portland through that, so they’ll make the
drive up for revivals and whatnot.
TSN: What was the strongest moment for
you during this trip that connected the past
of Black Oregon to the present of Black
Oregon?
Abioto: I guess being able to go out to La
Grande and seeing one of the first Black
churches that was built in the state, and it’s
still standing and there’s still a community
of people that go there. It’s not all a Black
community that attends it, but it’s still there.
those kinds of stories of historical sites and
things. It’s more about the state of things
now, so — statistics, and case studies and
interviews and things like that.
TSN: What were some of the things you
were looking for in terms of case studies?
Even if they don’t get along, everyone
is still kind of connected
There was a Black man that came into
Klamath Falls — maybe from Arkansas in
the 40s — and he was an army vet and
passed away there. They did not allow him
to be buried in the city cemetery; there was
an exclusion law about that.
But what’s inside of “The State of Black
Oregon” that’s coming out is not so much
Poinsette: Everything: incarceration, reli-
gious stories, youth.
One was in Eugene — there was a “rites
of passage” program that, quite honestly is
something people in Portland need to be
looking at. We need to model some things
we’re doing for youth after it.
It’s been there for 18 or 19 years. You
have these dynamics in a lot of places like
Eugene, where a lot of people are mixed-
race. So, to see so many shades and
perspectives of these kids — but coming
together around history, around culture,
doing Tai Chi in the morning was great.
Abioto: They were doing critical theory,
and critical reading. Teachers just teaching
them about themselves. Allowing them to
read stuff about things like the LA riots, all
kinds of things.
Poinsette: When I was younger I was a
part of a rites of passage program in Port-
land called Bridge Builders, which is now
defunct. When I go down to Eugene and see
this thing, it really reminds me of that and to
see it working so effectively — that’s prob-
ably one of my favorite stories.
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Scams
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artists who try to take advantage of others’
generosity. If people want to help the vic-
tims in Nepal, they should donate to
charities they know and trust. Nobody
wants to see this tragedy resulting in dona-
tions winding up in a scam artist’s pocket.”
Officials say that if you give your money
to a fake charity there is little hope of get-
ting it back. That’s why it’s better to watch
out before you give.
“All of us in Washington and around the
country have deep sympathy for the victims
and their loved ones at this tragic time,”
Ferguson said. “As you look to provide
assistance to help those in need, be sure to
exercise caution so your hard-earned dollars
go to trusted charities, not to scam-artists.”
Consumer protection officials warn of
fake charities that may look and sound legit-
imate online or even hijack the names of
well-known organizations. Scammers will
Officials say that if you give your money to a
fake charity there is little hope of getting it back
often pose as official charity agents and call
potential donors, pressuring them to make a
donation over the phone.
“With crowdfunding being so popular
now we want people to be careful about that
too, because there is no way you can find
out where that money is going even if you
donate $5,” says Sophie Dichter of the
BBB.
“We know from the Boston Bombing and
other incidents that they come out in force
and try to profit off tragedy,” said Ellen
Klem, Oregon Department of Justice direc-
tor of consumer outreach and education.
“We believe people should be generous but
skeptical.”
Klem directed Samaritans to www.ore-
gonconsumer.gov, where they can find
much more information on avoiding scams
including instructions on how to look up
whether any given charity is registered.
“One of the things that is unique about
Oregon is we actually regulate charities in
the state,” she said.
Also make sure that your donation is tax
deductable, because any charity that spends
less than 30 percent of their funds on their
charitable mission don’t qualify for that.
Steer clear of high-pressure demands.
Take time to research charities and avoid
emotional appeals that don’t explain how
the charity will help victims. Contact poten-
tial charities directly.
Use trustworthy charities. Be sure the
charity is equipped and has the resources
necessary to help with disaster relief.
Review whether a charity meets all 20 stan-
dards of accountability at Give.org, a
website run by the Council of Better Busi-
ness Bureaus. Also visit the Secretary
State’s Information for Donors page.
Avoid cash donations. Write checks or
pay by credit card to charities directly.
Scammers will try to convince their victims
to wire money or use prepaid debit cards to
make a donations. Never give personal
information or money to a telephone or
email solicitor.
Read the rest of this story online at
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April 29, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 3